Here last year at the invitation of Ukrainian Cosmopolitant for their first birthday celebrations, electronic and pop super star Sophie Ellis-Bextor will be blessing Kyiv with her smooth sound and pumped up beat once again come this December. Best known for her hit single Murder on the Dance Floor back in 2002, this has become her signature song; all thanks to her collaboration with Italian DJ Spiller. Make sure to mark this one on your calendars folks, ‘cause nights like this only come around once a year.

With his award-winning magic show, Mix Fix, also known as Hennadiy Palchevskoho, is headed to Kyiv this winter. His entrance into the Guinness Book of World Records and his nomination for the Merlin Award (given only to the very best in magic) are making people turn heads, but it’s his ability to make people fly, tame bats that can only be seen in mirrors, and walk in entirely other dimensions that will make not only your head turn but your jaw drop.

Mr. Joe Cocker, singer, composer and actor, began the life he knows now in the 60s; a time when anything could happen and did. He has become an icon in the blue-eyed soul industry, and has even become an Officer of the Order of the British Empire; an honour awarded him by the Queen of England.

The M-17 Contemporary Art Centre has just recently opened its doors and showcasing the talents of some of the newer faces in contemporary Ukrainian art, they think you’re going to like what you see. Because they have included some of the rejected participants from Pinchuk’s yearly art competition, there are some who are calling this the ‘Gallery of Outcasts’. However, with works from the likes of Nazar Bilyk, Oleksandra Chichkan and Oleksandra Makarska, we think that perhaps Pinchuk may not always get it right.

Andriy Lysikov, better known in professional circles as Dolphin, is a charismatic Russian singer, who, managing to overcome his addiction to all manner of illegal substances, has become quite the sensation among anyone who has every heard his story or listened to his music. He has put his heart and soul into all seven albums released so far; all of which remain quite popular among Russian-speaking folk. So if you haven’t heard his slightly melancholic sound before, then make sure Bingo is one of your stops tonight.

Juno and Avos are actually the names of two ships that take the Russian Count Nikolay Rezanov to the shores of California in 1806. He makes it there only after struggles with the Russian Tsar where he meets a beautiful girl, Concepcia, betrothed to be married. Of course, she’s the one he wants, and finding that their scandalous behaviour will not float in the Americas, they set sail on a voyage back to the lands from whence Rezanov came.

The Art Capital gallery, in cooperation with Ann Gallery, is inviting everyone out to a great exhibition of paintings created over the course of a number of years by Honored Artist of the USSR, Oleksiy Shovkunenko. The interesting thing about this exhibit is that works by his students will also be on display. And while each piece may indeed represent the techniques and ideas of one classical school, namely that of Shovkunenko, time plays a factor on these techniques, and ideas which can clearly be seen from one generation to the next are evolving.

With six albums, a number of videos, some hugely significant awards and hundreds of shows all over the world all in their pocket, Limp Bizkit is headed back to Kyiv to rock Ukrainian fans this fall with some more slammin’ lyrics and hard-hitting jams.

A frequent and dear guest of many music-lovers here in Kyiv, Splean is on their way back to the capital with their long-awaited album Signal from the Cosmos. One of the testaments of this band is not only the number of fans who always come out to hear them play anytime they’re in town, but the variety of them. Could it be their deeply philosophical yet slightly ironic compositions? Guess you’ll have to come out to find out.

Coming to Kyiv from his home in the Americas, the legendary Herbie Hancock is making an appearance at the Jazz in Kyiv 2010 International Festival. First noticed for his incredible talent for mixing synthetic sound into fabulous funk, he has long been associated with the genre post-bop, having created new and innovative soul spiced up with classic jazz.

For six years now, the Qiev Dance Festival of rave music has been establishing a taste for this nonstop sound all over Ukraine. Some of the best rave DJs in the world have played this little gig where lots of them just keep coming back again and again.

Created in Russia back in 1993, this band produced some pretty popular stuff. And with a sound similar to only the best metal bands of the time – Blind Guardian, Helloween, Gamma Ray and Iron Maiden – it’s easy to see why. Interestingly, however, it was their metal operas that sent them flying up the charts, and now with their ninth album, The Way Home, out just this year, perhaps we’ll see them up there again.

Once born in the dreams of a fragile young man on the stages of Lviv, the Roman Viktuik Theatre first emerged in 1991, where, even from its beginning, was the cause of huge controversy among theatrical professionals as well as the public at large. Written by France’s Jean Genet in 1947, they bring with them a show that will make its premiere here in Kyiv called Sluzhanku (Maids) which simply continues previous works that have to do with individual freedoms. It is a bold and provocative performance in which the conventions of society are the reason for exciting games leading to freedom and is something this city has not seen before.

It’s the right time and place for some sophisticated groove, which is highly convenient as Groove Armada just happens to be in the house! Recently announced, this British house duet will be here this week to help you break a sweat with their cool combination of classic trance, rap, progressive house, as well as a number of different modern musical trends.

All in the good name of our wonderfully artistic annual Gogolfest, two British DJ teams, Jazzsteppa and Kryptic Minds, are coming to Kyiv. Playing tonnes of concerts that mix electric sounds with live instruments, their sets always entice the crowds to scream for more. Helped out by Ukraine’s own Valta & Minikin, this British electro-music machine will be producing beats for everyone to dance, dance, dance, and is one party you’ll want to be a part of.

Mykola Syadrysty’s world of miniature amazes not only because of its beauty, but because of its size. With the naked eye, there’s not much to see, but after taking a look through the microscopes provided, a whole other world opens up.

While the tale of Snow White was originally written by the Grimm Brothers in the early 1900’s, it has been redone many times over by playwrights, choreographers and directors with Disney most certainly outranking them all in popularity. That is until the Kyiv Theatre of Opera & Ballet for Children & Youth came up with their splendid ballet. While the dwarves are whistling themselves off to work, the ‘fairest one of all’ is sure to be in trouble as a certain poisoned apple is finding its way to her doorstep. With the help of her magic mirror, will the Wicked Witch succeed? Take the kids and find out this Saturday!

Receiving hundreds of letters from all over the world, this 69-year old, grey-haired man replies to them all: his fans, students, politicians, theatre directors, clairvoyants, astrologers, girls with erotic photos... Within those letters, the foundation for this autobiographical production about the French legend who has done his share of living is formed.

Everybody knows the story of Cinderella and what’s more, every girl, big or little, dreams that maybe someday, somehow, this fairytale will come true for her. After all, Prince Charming is looking for his princess too… Come check out the Kyiv Ballet in their rendition of one of the most famous ballets of all time and experience the magic all over again.

While this Canadian rocker may have made his first steps in Canada, Dan Rothary’s first professional successes were made in Japan. After playing with a Japanese band there, his singing and song writing talents were then noticed by a European producer who brought him over to begin conquering another continent.

Celebrating the 5th International Jazz Subscription, Ark Ovrutskiy’s Bigband will be on showcase this evening with an absolutely marvellous show! Since 2005, IJS has realised more then 30 successful events, including concerts from Curtis Fuller, James Spaulding, Carmen Lundy, Mark Soskin, Steve Williams, JD Walter, Cynthia Scott, the Ryan Cohen Quartet and many others.

Every month we will be giving away a pair of tickets to any scheduled Ukraine International Airlines destination absolutely free! And these excellent photos from Natasha and Abder are now in the running. But do you think you can do better?

Drama, Fantasy, Romance – Belgium, England, France 2009 

Thriller USA 2010

Starring Josh Hartnett, Byung-hun Lee, Elias Koteas

Two years after killing Hasford, a serial murderer, in the line of duty, Kline now works as a private detective, but he is still haunted by the ghosts of his past. A powerful pharmaceutical conglomerate boss hires Kline to find his only son Shitao who has mysteriously disappeared in the Philippines where he had been helping an orphanage.

Comedy, Romance USA 2010

Starring Drew Barrymore, Justin Long, Charlie Day

Garrett (Long) has always had a problem with commitment and understanding what women want. He seems to be doing everything right until he learns the hard way that he actually can’t speak the female language and his girlfriend drops him. That night, his friends want to brighten up his spirits by taking him to a bar.

Starring Casey Affleck, Kate Hudson, Jessica Alba

Deputy Sheriff Lou Ford (Affleck) is a pillar of the community in his small Texas town; patient and apparently thoughtful. Some people think he is a little slow and maybe boring, but that is the worst they say about him. But then nobody knows about what Lou calls his “sickness”: he is a serial killer.

Drama, Thriller USA 2010

Starring George Clooney, Paolo Bonacelli, Thekla Reuten, Violante Placido

From the screenplay by Rowan Joffe, and later adapted from Martin Booth’s 1990 novel, A Very Private Gentleman, Academy Award winner George Clooney stars in the title role for director Anton Corbijn’s, The American. As an assassin, Jack (Clooney) is constantly on the move and always alone.

The good news first. The campaign, called Friends of UEFA EURO 2012, aimed at promoting the event, will name Ukrainian and Polish celebrities and sports personalities as Friends of EURO 2012, with Slava Vakarchuk of Ukraine’s top rock band Okean Elzy, President of the National Olympic Committee Serhiy Bubka, and President of the Athletic Federation Valeriy Borzov amongst the first to be given the accolade.

Yes, we cannot believe anyone could be so stupid, but the government has said it is willing to hand over a 50% stake in the gas pipeline to south-eastern Europe in exchange for a bigger discount on gas. Apparently, as we reported last week, the deal done earlier this year which jeopardises Ukrainian sovereignty by allowing the Russian Black Sea Fleet to stay in Crimea until 2042 was not a good deal.

But the new year started with thousands of pupils having no books to learn from, and teachers not having programmes to teach from, and apparently it’s all down to the new Minister of Education, Dmytro Tabachnyk, who wants to turn back the clocks. Way back by the looks of things.

Mr Tabachnyk decided he wanted changes made to the education system, but left it a little late, forcing it through the Verkhovna Rada only on 6 July. He wanted the curriculum changed back to the old 11-year system instead of the European 12-year system that had been adopted way back in 2000.

According to the latest amendment, as examples, tax on profits will be reduced year-by-year from 25% to 16% by 2014, and VAT will come down from 20% to 17%. So far so good, as it is often said that taxes in the country are too high, and if they were more reasonable, more people would pay them.

The reason, according to Deputy Mayor Viktor Sivets, is that every year the city has to renew 30% of park stock including benches, lights, litter bins and other such things all of which are getting constantly damaged by drunks.

Time flies amazingly quickly! Being still kids when we first saw them performing on the stage, Dantes and Oleynyk are now big boys that are gathering big gigs and doing spectaculars shows. Recently they shot a new video and invite everyone to be the first ones who will watch it. Besides, on 9 September they promise a huge and exciting entertainment program and loads of surprises for their loyal fans.

Coming all the way from Belorussia, the songs we most remember by Lyapis Trubetskoy include Golubi (Doves) and Vsem Devchonkam Nravitsya (Liked by all the Girls). That, however, doesn’t mean that there aren’t a tonne more; a reality the only original member of the group, Serhiy Mikhalok, will attest to. On the road for 20 years already, Lyapis’ popularity might not be what it was back in ’00, but bringing it all back to Kyiv this September, we’re all going to be left wondering why that is...

Tetyana Vezelova spent quite a long time preparing for this particular exhibition trying to pin point those long-forgotten images of childhood and recreate them in some way so that everyone might understand. Full up on the mysteries of love, hope, trust, and mercy, the artist’s imagination flies high allowing her to create portraits of a never before seen beauty.

Receiving hundreds of letters from all over the world, this 69-year old, grey-haired man replies to them all: his fans, students, politicians, theatre directors, clairvoyants, astrologers, girls with erotic photos... Within those letters, the foundation for this autobiographical production about the French legend who has done his share of living is formed. In a life where stars abound and told like no one else, the parties he’s been to, the people’s he’s met, in essence his life, will be retold with flair and humour that gives meaning to the statement, ‘France’s most famous Blonde’.

There was a time when the blues was considered music that if you weren’t black, you couldn’t sing; no matter how hard the rest of us tried. Thirty years ago, however, Gary Moore stepped up to the mic and a white, blues-singing legend was born. His hits Still Got the Blues, Empty Rooms, Story Of The Blues, Midnight Blues, The Loner, Out In The Fields, The Wild Frontier and Parisian Walkways remain popular even today, so get your ticket and get in on the legend of the white-man’s blues.

Let’s just set the record straight now: Placebo will not be the Placebo After Party special guests after their big concert at Kyiv’s International Exhibition Centre. Their local clones, however, Marrakesh, will be, where you’ll be able to fill up ever so much more on the sound those British pop idols are so famous for. And if that weren’t enough, DJs Cane, Mod and OldStyle promise to mix up the band’s bigger hits with the club beats of the day. Check it out.

Deciding seven years ago to do something a little different, these two brothers from the Russian town of Nizhniy Novgorod put the Uma2rman band together and have been laughing ever since. While it’s true the songsters themselves look nothing like the famous Hollywood actress, it’s their music that is important and is something even she might be moved to call ‘stunning’.

Rudolf Nureyev is a name that those in the ballet world will never forget. Impulsive and impatient, this man lived the life not many from inside the former Soviet UNI0N could boast, having defected to France in 1961. Forever a force to be reckoned with, in the end it would be AIDS that broke the man; a feat many had attempted but never succeeded at.

As one of Tokyo’s most powerful and introspective musical influences, Keiko Matsui will be enchanting audiences with her sound come this October. And while the concert itself will be something rather out of the ordinary, this isn’t the first time she’s graced the capital with her presence. Matsui, in fact, is quite a familiar face round these parts; regularly presenting various compilations from her more than 20 albums out so far. With an instrumental, jazzy sort of groove to notes that just sort of string themselves together, the Kyiv Symphony Orchestra will also be giving her a helping hand, making this one night, musical aficionados are going to love.

There are shows and then there are super-shows, and that is what critics are calling Samaia. Exceeding in scope and drama, while implementing some pretty cutting-edge technologies, this Georgian legend narrates the fates of the Georgian people: the wars, the conquests, and the love. All the while employing only the best artists to fulfill its prophesy. Audiences all around the world are calling it a “thrilling extravaganza of dance” and “a spectacle everyone should see at least once in their lifetime”. So what are you waiting for?

Formed in 1983 by Oleksiy Kortnev and Valdish Pelsh, these two pushed the boundaries of everything Soviet playing some totally rebellious rock’n’roll. With an invitation for more and more musicians to join them in their endeavours, they created Neschastniy Sluchai (Bad Luck) and would take 11 long years before they decided it was time to make a debut album.