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L'International des Feux Loto-Québec 2006
Montréal International Fireworks Competition Report

Argentina Evita and Che July 2nd, 2006

Cienfuegos - designed by Luis Borca, FireMaster firing on ramp 3 (approximately 600 cues), manual firing elsewhere (approximately 200 cues).

The Cienfuegos show will depict the lives of two internationally known Argentine legends, Evita Perón and Che Guevara, who fought for a better world, both at home and abroad. A man and a woman who shared their dreams, smiles and tears. And that is precisely what will be delivered this Sunday at La Ronde: emotions. The show's soundtrack will range from upbeat to melancholic. It will include excerpts from Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical Evita and melodies from South America to represent Evita Perón, and songs from Central America, where Che Guevara became famous. Two musical selections were especially arranged for the show: a version of Don't Cry for Me, Argentina and a hymn to Che Guevara, Hasta Siempre. To tell the moving stories of these famous Argentines, Cienfuegos will use weeping willow fireworks that will send showers of golden stars over La Ronde's Lac des Dauphins. The blue and white of Argentina's flag will also be prominently displayed among the various colours of the fireworks, which are sure to delight an enraptured crowd this Sunday. The company, which is participating for the second time in the Montréal fireworks event, has presented several shows on the international stage, including in France, Spain, Brazil and the U.S. Luis Borca, President of Cienfuegos, says Montréal is the company's favourite destination, not only because of the warm welcome it receives from the public and the team of pyrotechnicians at La Ronde, but because the city's fireworks competition is the biggest in the world.

Hot and humid weather gave way to wind and the unthinkable came close to being a reality: the cancellation of a display due to the weather. Never in the competition's 22 years history has a display ever been cancelled. It was a close call in 2003 for the Kimbolton display when wind and rain delayed the start by 30 minutes. So we were faced with the same situation: no rain this time, but wind gusts far in excess of the maximum allowable for safe enjoyment of a fireworks display. Calls to the local weather office ensued and the audience were reassured that the display would start after a short delay. In the end, the wind dropped and the display proceeded without incident 17 minutes late. The weather, however, had obviously exacted its toll as the monsoon-like rains the previous day had rendered some damage to the products, the majority of which were fabricated in Cienfuegos' Brazillian and Argentinian facilities.

Part 1 to the music Don't cry for me Argentina by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice. The display finally started to cheers from the audience with barrages of weeping willow shells with blue-tipped comets. This theme continued and was augmented by charcoal comet Nigara Falls shells, also ending in star-tips as the music quickly segued into

Part 2 to the music Asuncion by Robert Bolt. Note-synchronized mines fired left and right, singly and in pairs straight up or in V-shapes. This perfectly synchronized theme continued and then switch to single-shot stars and then back to the mine theme. This theme continued and then moved to mines of stars in groups. These were followed by crackling comet candles and candles of salute-terminated tourbillons. Next, cakes of bombettes bursting to flying fish and what appeared to be flights of clusters of small rockets bursting to the same. This flying fish theme continued in cakes and was augmented by shells of the same with wiggling comet candles below, bringing the segment to a close.

Part 3 to the music Tanguera by Sexteto Mayor Fans of meteor comets were followed by cakes of kamuro comets and then barrages of kamuro shells with star-tipped comets above and fans of note-synchronized kamuro comets below. This theme continued with kamuro-to-red shells, bringing the segment to a close.

Part 4 to the music Recuerdo by Sexteto Mayor This began with crackling comet candles and large shells of blue and white above. Next, shells of blue and yellow and then shells of white stars changing colour. These were followed by large weeping willow shells turning to colour tips with bombette cakes below. Next, shells of blue stars and comets and then the same in red followed by a return to the weeping willow shells, the segment coming to a close with a barrage of silver shells.

Part 5 to the music Requiem for Évita by Andrew Lloyd Webber This began with barrages of large white shells as the word EVITA was spelled out several times in short duration gerbs on ramp 3 as the music moved to

Part 6 to the music Don't cry for me Argentina by Madonna Niagara Falls shells in charcoal comets were augmented by more weeping willows with blue and white star tips at the end of the comet burn. These trailed all the way to the lake and then a massive barrage of nautical flares turning to small fountains in blue and white completely filled the lake to gasps from the audience as the music seamless transformed into

Part 7 to the music Don't cry for me Argentina by Diana Peyrera Big blue shells burst above as the fountains on the lake continued to burn and then silver comet shells fired above. The blue and white theme continued with large shells of blue and white trailing to the lake. The segment came to a close with large weeping willow shells trailing to the lake with blue and white tips.

Part 8 to the music Vida moderna Neo Clubber Mix This began with bright orange flame effects on ramp 3 and then huge blue mines which terminated in salutes. These were then augmented by cakes of salute-terminated tourbillons as huge colour changing shells burst above with the segment coming to a close with more of the blue mines with salutes.

Part 9 to the music De igual a igual by Leon Gieco Cakes of bombettes were augmented by large colour changing shells above and then comets firing left and right below. As the large colour shells continued, more bright and then meteor comets fired from left and right below. Barrage after barrage of large blue shells continued and brought the segment to a close.

Part 10 to the music Malambo Carlinhos by Carlinhos Brown and Dero Fans of note-synchronized comets fired left and right as large shells of blue stars fired above. These were followed by shells of comets as the comet fans continued below forming the theme for this segment.

Part 11 to the music Batucada by Derechos de Autor reservados Cakes of crossettes were augmented by green crossette shells, filling the sky. This theme continued and then switched to red crossettes until the end of the segment.

Part 12 to the music L'Arena by Ennio Morricone A more serene pace as single kamuro comets fired one by one across ramp 3. Then weeping willow shell barrages which were followed by colour tipped kamuro comet shells. Beneath these, left and right fans of comets as the star-tipped kamuro shells above trailed to the lake, bringing the segment to a close.

Part 13 to the music Curios electric by Vangelis Note-synchronized star shots, singly and in groups were followed by shells of silver stars. These got bigger and bigger and transformed into strobes as a line of strobes lit up across ramp 3. Flame effects fired in synchrony across ramp three as large shells of red stars turning to strobes fired above. The flame effects continued below as more large colour shells turning to strobes fired above. Synchronized crossed comets were interspersed with flame effects and then fans of comets, then in Vs and back to groups of crossed comets and then groups firing straight up. A return to the strobe shells as the fans of comets returned below and then a mix of strobe shells and shells of bright falling leaves, some plain and some strobing quickly. Z-cakes of glitter comets fired below as shells of falling leaf strobes fired above and more of the colour to strobe shells as the line of strobes across ramp three continued to burn, bringing the segment to a close.

Part 14 to the music Huella Pampa by Huella Pampa Cakes of bombettes of strobes opened up and were followed by shells of yellow comets and then cakes of bombette terminated tourbillons. Above these, colour star shells and more of the strobe bombette cakes. Then shells of silver comets followed by shells of weeping willows. Below these, fans of bombettes with more weeping willow to star shells above, bringing the segment to a close.

Part 15 to the music Carlos Puebla by Hector Pilatti and Diana Peyrera Dense gold charcoal comet mines fired from the top of ramp 4 and ended up as blue stars. These were fired up and in Vs and were note-synchronized. Kamuro comets fired in note-synchrony as the dense gold charcoal comet mines continued. The same mines then fired across ramp three, their comets arching over and trailing to the lake as blue stars. This theme of dense gold charcoal mines turning to blue stars which trailed to the lake continued as a final barrage of kamuro and weeping willow shells brought the segment to a close.

Part 16 to the music No llores por mi by Huella Pampa Clusters of what again appeared to be small rockets bursting to flying fish were followed by bow-tie kamuro shells in pale gold charcoal comets. This theme continued throughout the segment, filling the sky as the comets trailed to the lake to cheers from the audience.

Part 17 to the music Gatica el Mono by Ivan Wyszogrod The final segment began with bombette cakes as barrages of large blue shells fired above. Then shells of white and blue followed by bombettes of charcoal comets. Above these, weeping willow shells of colour tips. This theme continued and moved to large shells of comets. What appeared to be nautical shells then burst on the lake and suddenly the lake exploded several times with massive silver comets, reaching virtually to the audience and causing everyone to gasp as silver comet shells burst above and making me write a large WOW in my notes. Then the same thing again as the pace increased with barrages of kamuro shells filling the sky to cheers from the audience. The music became inaudible as massive barrages of wierd dim salutes fired from a low level thundered in the sky, building in intensity and then diminishing somewhat as the display ended. The audience roared their approval and rose to their feet to give the Argentinian team a standing ovation.

This was a great display from the Argentinian team. Synchronization was much better than their previous appearance, especially on ramp three, though there were one or two places where shells continued a bit longer than they should. There were also one or two incorrectly wired cakes which obviously fired in the wrong place, plus there were several holes across ramp three, presumably due to the drenching rains the team had experience during setup. Despite these problems, the display was very enjoyable. Perhaps a bit repetitious in the use of weeping willow shells and much blue and white, but nevertheless enjoyable. Particularly memorable was the segment where the lake was filled with small flares/fountains and the incredible lake-filling comet bursts in the finale. These turned out not to be nautical shells, but cleverly arranged comet batteries. The music was well chosen and well executed and, despite the appearance of "Don't Cry for me Argentina" four times, it was not repetitious as the arrangements were all quite different. The Argenitinian team received a well deserved standing ovation, both in the general seating area and afterwards in the Salon des Artificiers

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Thanks to the public relations people of La Ronde for the official press release material, shown in white.