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L'International des Feux Loto-Québec 2007
Montréal International Fireworks Competition Report

Mexico Chocolate July 7th, 2007

Lux Pirotecnia, S.A. de C.V. designed by Jorge Márquez FireLite firing, ScriptMaker, approximately 1500 cues

MONTREAL, July 6 /CNW Telbec/ - Competing for the first time in the International des Feux Loto-Québec presented by TELUS, Mexican firm Lux Pirotecnia, S.A de C.V. will put all its pyrotechnics mastery to work to enchant Montrealers with a presentation entitled CHOCOLATE this evening at La Ronde starting at 10 p.m.

Delivering a blend of fiery-hot passion and sensual pleasures, the performance will provide many moments of pure delight as it salutes chocolate, a key element of Latin America's precious heritage. Presenting richly textured traditional and modern rhythms, Lux Pirotecnia, S.A de C.V. intends to dazzle the tens of thousands of spectators assembled with a typically Mexican performance featuring smooth and mariachi-style musical selections.

The firm first of all chose 10 musical pieces that will faithfully reflect Mexico's culture. Creating a symbiosis with this soundtrack will be Mexico's national colours - greens, whites and reds - along with set pieces in the form of giant-size images, portraits and designs illustrating a part of Mexican history. Specially designed comets will also be used, as well as various types of nautical pieces. One portion of the show, evoking a Mexican fiesta, will be fast-paced, while another portion will have a soft, romantic feel to it. A surprise finale comprising artfully selected pieces and music is certain to astonish fireworks enthusiasts.

Founded in 1993, Lux Pirotecnia, S.A de C.V. spent close to six months preparing CHOCOLATE. "The ideas for our entry in the Montreal pyrotechnics art competition started taking shape in my head more than two years ago," explained Jorge Márquez, the young firm's founder and designer. The company has made a name for itself in the industry with performances at such major events as the Carnaval de Mazatlan and the 2006 competition in Vancouver.

Despite cool weather and a forecast of rain, a festive mood filled La Ronde. People in traditional Mexican costume performed dances; authentic Mexican food was being given out (though it had run out by the time I arrived) and a Mariarchi Band performed during the pre-display ceremony. The forecasted rains never arrived and the sky cleared, though gusty winds were directed straight at the audience and, especially early in the display, smoke was a problem. Tonight's display marked the return of Team Mexico after an absence of 22 years. All of the fireworks (save for some cakes) were specially fabricated to Lux's specification by Antonio Caballer in Spain due to the difficulty in transporting Mexican fireworks products through the USA.

Part 1 to the music Lux Triumphans by Rhapsody. The display began dramatically with large fronts of mines and then mines of salutes. Above these, shells of glitter comets. This theme was repeated and followed by more mines and shells of slow falling stars. These were followed by large shells of gold glitter turning to strobes with more shells of falling stars. The segement came to a close with mines of salute-terminated tourbillons.

Part 2 to the music Monezuma by Cusco. This segement began serenely with nautical fountains errupting on the lake. Several set pieces, on ramp 5, lit up, though it was difficult to see their shape initially due to smoke. They appeared to be in the shape of sailboats. Then wide fans of fast comet cakes as more nautical fountains lit up. The set pieces faded and then re-appeared as Aztec pyramids as crossed glitter candle bombettes fired behind. Then the display unfortunately stopped as the music continued. After a minute or so of black sky an announcement was made that there was a technical problem and that the display would be restarted as soon as possible. After five minutes, some kamuro shells and comets fired without any music (presumably at the point where things had stopped earlier) and then the music faded up to cheers from the audience. Shells of go-getters then started to fire and shells of clusters of silver comets. These were followed by shells of stars more more clusters of silver comets, the segment coming to a close with several seconds of dark sky as the audience wondered if there was another technical problem.

Part 3 to the music Desembarco by Fernando Herrera. The bottom portion of a large Castillo (a set piece form that is a speciality in Mexico) lit up on the top of ramp 4. Due to the smoke, it was quite difficult to make out the pattern. Glitter comet candles fired either side of this and then large shells of meteor comets fired above, as the music transitioned to

Part 4 to the music On Earth as it is in Heaven by Ennio Morricone. As the Castillo continued to burn, gold glitter girandolas rose into the air to cheers from the audience. Some of them burst into stars at the top of their flights, others were double ascension. More and more flights of em>girandolas continued as kamuro shells fired on one side with shells of strobes on the other, with glitter comet candles below. Then the kamuros and strobe shells swapped sides as the theme continued and moved to an all-kamuro theme, getting bigger and bigger in pale gold, filling the sky to cheers from the audience as they trailed to the lake. The top half of the Castillo then lit up in the shape of a Mayan calendar, though again the smoke spoiled the view. This burned for some time and then changed into the shape of a red Christian cross, the segment coming to a close with a front of red comets and silver flash on ramp 4.

Part 5 to the music Obertura by Anawin. Three small fountains lit up in the centre of ramp 3, then left and right firing comets and a gold mine fired from ramp 4 with shells of dense pale gold comets above. Beneath these, wide crossed gold comet candles and more of the pale dense gold kamuros above. These built in intensity to cheers from the audience as a front of gold glitter mines and criss-crossed gold comets fired beneath to more cheers from the audience. This theme repeated forming really well defined crosses in the sky as more pale gold kamuros fired above, trailing to the lake and bringing the segment to a close.

Part 6 to the music Guadalajara by Anawin. Foot-tapping Mexican music was well paired with mines of tourbillons and then farfalle shells above, also dancing along with the music. Barrage after barrage of farfalles were fired and then a return to the sequenced mines of tourbillons beneath. Fronts of stars and then fat mines of dense comets turning to glitter were followed by a volley of titanium salutes - this sequence being repeated again. A return to farfalle shells with large shells of comets above. The farfalle volleys continued and were followed by shells of go-getters and then huge nautical shells of glitter comets burst out of the lake, bringing the segment to a close as the music transitioned to

Part 7 to the music La Bamba by Anawin. Shells of strobes fired in rapid succession and then fronts of mines of stobes. Next, shells of colour changing whirling comets with rings of stars around. These were followed by shell-of-shells of stars. This theme continued and then more large glitter comet nautical shells burst in the lake. These were followed by multi-break star shells ending in a titanium salute and then a return to the shells of strobes theme. Volley after volley of strobes filled the air and were followed by barrages of large farfalle shells and then another return to the stobes. Left and right firing star shots gave a brief dramtic pause as another barrage of large nautical shells of comets fired in the lake, bringing the segment to a close to cheers from the audience.

Part 8 to the music Mexico Lindo by Fernando de la Mora. Six whistling wheels lit up on the Castillo - three at each side. These changed form as different drivers fired in sequence. Eventually star shells fired above as the wheels kept turning. This theme continued and then shells of falling comets. As the wheels kept turning, large tourbillon mines fired up and then criss-crossing left and right. The wheels had burned out by now as the mine sequence continued. Then a return to the star shells. As the music slowed, shells of go-getters together with falling leaves. This theme continued and was augmented by fronts of bright coloured stars and shells of stars above these with a final volley of larger ones above.

Part 9 to the music Bésame Mucho by José Carlos Gutiérrez. Crossed star candles with bombettes above were followed by shells of crossing stars. The crossing stars shells continued and were followed by go-getters above with whistles in. Next shells of dense silver comets with rings around. This theme continued and was followed by shells of crossette comets and then a return to the whistling go-getters with a volley of star shells bringing the segment to a close.

Part 10 to the music Quixote by Bond. A line of fountains lit up across ramp 3 to the slow violin music. The single fountains became triplets and then a front of glitter comets. Sequence of comets starting from horizontally-opposed moving through all angles to horizontally-apart were followed by the same sequence in star shots and then again in silver meteor comets and then fans of comets. These were followed by shells of photoflash in red, white and green forming a Mexican flag in the air. Another line of fountains lit up and then a repeat of the earlier comet sequences and then the same thing but with mines of dense gold glitter comets and another fan-front. The photoflash shell sequence then returned and another line of fountains followed. Mines fronts of fast stobes followed and then large mines of salutes and then mines of raucous whistling comets. More photoflash shells and mines of salutes and then shells of waterfall comets above and barrages of titanium salutes in the middle. Yet another line of fountains on ramp 3 fading out as the music faded out.

Part 11 to the music A mi manera (my way) by Il Divo.
Flights of girandolas rose into the air, some double ascension and some bursting into stars. Then shells of gold waterfall comets gently falling towards the lake. This theme continued as more girandolas rose up. Another repeat of this sequence was followed by crossed gold glitter candles. The candles were then augmented by more waterfall shells. The intensity increased with volleys of bright gold kamuros. This continued as the shells got larger and larger. Then a move to shaped-burst bow-tie shells of strobes and then more waterfall shells. Another flight of girandolas rose up as crossed glitter comets fired below and large glitter comet shells fired above. Barrage of glitter comet shells filled the sky as large pale gold kamuros fired into the mix as well. The intensity of the barrages increased and then became shells of bright stars as suddenly large mines of dense pale gold comets fired up with barrages of salutes above these, bringing the display to a thunderous close.

This was an enjoyable display with a good soundtrack. The technical glitch happened early enough in the display that it didn't detract too much from the performance. There were some very enjoyable segments, particularly those with the bright kamuros and dancing farfalles and the nautical shells are always enjoyed by the audience. It was a pity the wind direction was such that the smoke made it difficult to appreciate the set pieces and their relation to the theme which, despite the name Chocolate was more a history of the development of Mexico from ancient times to modern. Without the technical problem, this display would have done well several years ago but, unfortunately, current audiences now expect rather more complexity. Still and enjoyable entrant in the competition though.

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