The other day I was lucky enough to get to spend the afternoon at la Brasserie des Tours with one of my favorites, Shannon.
We chose to have a drink at la Brasserie des Tours in Carouge where the singer and guitarist Manu Araoz played softly in the background. La Brasserie des Tours reopened this past summer after three years of renovations and now has a stylish and cool atmosphere. What's even better, they have a great menu and their own micro-brewery with several beer varieties.
I picked the wheat beer as it is my favorite, while Shannon ordered a soda. With our drinks, the waiter brought a small basket of bread and a plate of potato-egg casserole bites. I was shocked! Free tapas in Switzerland! A bit cautious that there may be a catch, we hesitantly munched away.
After Manu Araoz's set ended, we decided to carry on to the next activity. We visited an exposition located on the first level of the MAMCO in same neighborhood, Quartier des Bains, that I mentioned before in another post. The exposition is called L'Ombre de l'art (The Shadow of Art) and focused on glorifying various artists that for one reason or another were deprived of the recognition they deserved.
Here's a description of the expo swiped directly from the website itself. I couldn't say it better words myself.
This exhibition is composed of general texts, books and films on the exhibition’s eight themes: projects that are unrealized, unfinished, failed, censored, copied, denigrated, destroyed and glorified.
In this exhibit, we will bring to light some of the lesser-known journeys, largely forgotten in history’s turmoil. It is a visit in the wings and shadows of the artistic creative process. Some of these stories are superb, others pitiful, and all of them help us learn a bit about ourselves.
(source)
One of the films especially sparked Shannon and my interest, the story of Sixto Rodriguez. Shannon was introduced to Rodriguez a few months ago and was grateful to see his story among the other artists. Now for those who don't know who Rodriguez is, don't worry. I found out that very day. But imagine this, Rodriguez is an American folk musician from Detroit who was completely unknown in the USA, yet is as famous as Bob Dylan in South Africa dating back to the mid-70s. What caused the huge miscommunication in the US was that record company dropped his label in 1975 due to low sales. Unfortunately, his fan base in South Africa incorrectly believed he was no longer living while at the same time Rodriguez lived in Detroit unbeknownst of his fame.
In 90s, Rodriguez's huge fan base were able to locate and contact him by piecing together clues of his hometown from his lyrics. From that point, both fans and the artist himself tearfully reconnected on his journey of worldwide fame and concerts. To discover more about Rodriguez's amazing story, watch the documentary Searching for Sugar Man released in 2012. Or better yet, retell a friend back in the States Rodriguez's story to finally allow him the long overdue recognition in his home country that he deserves.
If you care to see the exposition L'Ombre de l'art, it is on the first level of the MAMCO until November 24th. Entry is free and the full documentary Searching for Sugar Man is on display on one of the TVs with personal headsets.
After the enlightening exposition, Shannon and I carried on to walk around old town Geneva in la Vieille Ville.
We strolled down the alleys and enjoyed the beautiful fall colors coating the streets in a layer of leaves.
We stopped at a café for a sweet treat. A crepe with chocolate and bananas. Classic.
Doesn't that look naughtily delicious?
And of course, every time I pass by the Lake I feel the utter indulgence to snipe a few pics. I love how the water gleams at night with the lights casting streaks of colors.
A beautiful evening spent, enjoyed with a bit of simplicity and a good friend!