May 2014 - Tony Cicero Photography

This past March I had the incredible opportunity to combine my three favourite things into one fantastic trip; skiing, music and photography. The skiing was in the Bernese Alps, in the town of Leysin Switzerland, host of the second annual winter version of the popular music event the Worldwide Festival.

The founders of the festival, Freshly Cut and BBC Radio 6 DJ Gilles Peterson had one mission in mind when they started this event. Bring together a unique line-up of artists and invite party goers to exceptional venues in cities around the world. The formula seems to work flawlessly. It’s specific aim is to offer a unique holiday experience, with the idea of creating several events throughout the year in different parts of the world. The line up included perfomances by Acid Arab, Eddy Ramich, Eliphino, Food For Ya Soul, GARFLD, J Rocc, Jeremy Ellis, Kutmah, Kyodai, Lefto, Ossie, Sassy J, Simbad and Gilles Peterson closing the entire festival. The summer version is held in the seaside resort town of Sète France, and will be celebrating it’s 9th year this July.

I made this video to sum up the week:

Some of my footage will be used in the official video for the event produced by Art’ManiaK’s Production. The drone footage was from Axel Engelen. My photos can be seen on the Worldwide Festival site and here:

Here are some more video clips from the parties best viewed with good speakers!

This unedited clip shows what happens when you give the camera to DJ Bradley Zero:

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Located in the popular St. Clair West village of Hillcrest, this neighborhood pub style restaurant has been open for just over a year, and it seems that it will be around for a while. The friendly staff and atmosphere make for a welcoming experience, as locals stop in for daily fare. With many large screen televisions it is also a popular venue for catching the latest Leafs or Jays game, along with many other sporting events always being shown.

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Owner and operator Vito Tomasicchio has a proven track record as an innovator in Toronto’s ever growing food and entertainment business. Having started some of the cities most popular night time establishments including Li’ly, KiWi Kitchen, Century Room and Maison Mercer. Along with his partner Anthony Dynak, their focus is a restaurant which hopes to cater to your everyday neighborhood patron, along with bookings for private parties ranging from corporate events, birthdays, family dinners, or just a night out with friends.

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The two owners brought in former KiWi Kitchen chef Chris Straker, to utilize local vendors for fresh produce, meat and fish. This popular St. Clair strip has changed very much in recent years. Always know as Little Italy, the Italian vibe is still very much present, but the new mix of Latino, Caribbean, and other nationalities make for tasty menu items. I was invited to sample some new additions for the summer menu which included a savoury beet and goat cheese salad, some grilled vegetables and ceviche. All the items were deliciously presented and very satisfying. Make sure and save room for the fresh made donuts!