Scene What's new and happening this month

Carnaval 2010
Most Spanish-speaking countries have a fine tradition of debauchery in the week before the start of Lent and Madrid has amassed its own collection of colourful carnival rites. Carnaval officially starts on Friday 12 February with parties carrying on throughout the weekend, plus special events for children. On Saturday afternoon, costumed revellers will parade in the streets for El Gran Desfile de Carnaval. The procession starts at Plaza de España and this year takes a detour along Gran Vía to celebrate the construction of the famous thoroughfare, before ending at Calle de Alcalá. That evening, the Círculo de Bellas Artes holds its annual glitzy masquerade ball, which this year has a Bauhausian “black and white” theme. Alternatively, check out REC, a series of events featuring live electronic music from world-renowned DJs fused with stunning visual effects. The main event takes place at Matadero Madrid on Friday 12th, with other happenings around the city over the weekend. On 17 February, Ash Wednesday, Madrid holds its weirdest carnival tradition, the elaborate and melodramatic “Burial of the Sardine” complete with tiny coffin and wailing mourners. The ritual, which goes back over 200 years, marks the end of carnival celebrations and the beginning of Lenten austerity. Follow the procession from San Antonio de la Florida to the Fuente de los Pajaritos for an experience to write home about. El Gran Desfile de Carnaval. Sat 13 Feb, 7pm (provisional time).
Baile de Máscaras, Círculo de Bellas Artes, C/Alcalá, 42. Sat 13 Feb, 11.30pm. www.circulobellasartes.com
REC Madrid. 11-14 Feb. www.recmadrid.com
El Entierro de la Sardina. Wed 17 Feb, 6pm (provisional time).

Chinese New Year @ Museo Nacional de Antropología
Madrid’s Anthropology Museum is welcoming in the Chinese year of the tiger this 14 February with two events. The first, on 13 February, is a family workshop teaching parents and children over seven about Chinese New Year celebrations. Two weeks later the museum will host a traditional lantern festival (fiesta de los faroles, “yuanxiao”), which brings the new year festivities to a close. Thousands of coloured lights will fill the building while students from Madrid’s Chinese-language school perform music. Expect an authentic Chinese welcome as well as games and festive treats. Entrance is free for both but you must reserve places in advance. And don’t worry if you miss out, as the museum will be leaving the decorations up for all to see in the days after Chinese New Year as well. Celebración del Año Nuevo Chino, Museo Nacional de Antropología, C/Alfonso XII, 68 (Metro: Atocha). Celebramos Juntos el Año del Tigre: 13 Feb, 11.30am. Fiesta de los Faroles: 27 Feb, 7-11pm. To reserve your free places email reservas.mna@mcu.es. http://mnantropologia.mcu.es

Músicas en la Villa ’10
Músicas en la Villa presents a three-day showcase of world music, featuring a wide variety of styles to suit all ages and tastes. The opening night sees a collaboration of rock and poetry between narrator and poet Benjamín Prado and Coque Malla, former frontman of Spanish 80s group Los Ronaldos. The following evening Carlos Nuñes offers his unique fusion of traditional Galician and Brazilian music in two separate concerts, at 7.30pm and 10pm. Then at midday on the final day there is Flamenco Kids, a group that combines quality, adult-style flamenco with stories that appeal to children. In the evening Cuban musician Omar Sosa treats the audience to his eclectic brand of latin jazz—a unique fusion of world music and contemporary electronica delivered with humour and raw emotion. Músicas en la Villa ’10, Teatro Fernán Gómez, Centro de Arte (Metro: Colón). Fri 26 Feb: Coque Malla and Benjamín Prado, 9pm, €20. Sat 27 Feb: Carlos Nuñes: 7.30pm and 10pm, €28. Sun 28 Feb: Flamenco Kids noon, €12, children €10; Omar Sosa, 8pm, €20. Tickets from www.teleentrada.com, 902 10 12 12 or theatre box office (Tues to Sun 11am-1.30pm and 5-7pm).

Mundo Jurasico
It’s your last chance to catch the biggest dinosaur exhibition in the world! Mundo Jurasico showcases robot replicas of 34 different species of dinosaur in their recreated natural habitats, with the star of the exhibition a life-size, seven-metre-tall Tyrannosaurus Rex! With sounds and movement transporting you back to the Jurassic era, this unique exhibition has been enjoyed by over 7 million people around the world, including in Brazil, the US, Hong Kong and Australia, and remains in Madrid until 22 February. Mundo Jurasico, Puente del Rey, Príncipe Pío (Metro: Príncipe Pío). Open Tue-Fri 3-8pm; Sat, Sun 11am-8pm. Closed Mon. Until 22 Feb. Tickets: €6; OAPs, children aged 3-12 and unemployed or disabled persons (with ID) €4; under-3s free. www.mundojurasico.com

XIX Marcha Mountain Bike Valdemorillo
Are you a cycling addict? Or just need a way of working off all that turkey and chocolate you ate at Christmas? Either way, if you fancy a challenge this month, why not pedal your way around the picturesque pueblo of Valdemorillo with over a thousand other cyclists in the 19th annual Marcha Mountain Bike Valdemorillo on Sunday 7 February. Open to mountain bike lovers of different abilities, the event features two courses, the first lasting 35km, and the second, for more experienced riders, 48km. There are also five rides catering for children of all ages: a 300-metre course for fives and unders; a 600-metre course for six- to nine-year-olds; a 1km ride for 10- to 11-year-olds; and a 2km course for 13- to 15-year-olds. XIX Marcha Mountain Bike Valdemorillo. Sun 7 Feb, 11am (registration begins 9am). Children’s races begin 11.10am. Sign up before 4 Feb at www.lastlap.com or call 91 661 15 00 for more info. €15 per biker, free for children.

Teatralia and Escena Contemporanea
Just a reminder that the Teatralia and Escena Contemporanea theatre festivals continue this month. Aimed at the younger crowd, Teatralia highlights include La Fabulosa Compañía de la Luz on 7 February, a magical story accompanied by live music and luminous props that reflects on our role as humans on earth. Meanwhile, experimental theatre festival Escena Contemporanea will feature Look at Me, Bang Bang/Azul en Tres Actos, a two-piece show that mixes contemporary dance, performance and various explorations of movement from 11 to 13 February. The first part analyses the female image and male gaze in society, while the second explores melancholia and how our memories deal with the past. Both are sure to leave you thinking. Also worth mentioning is Fernando Renjifo’s El Exilio y el Reino, which runs from 4 to 6 February and is based on its creator’s travels to Africa and the Middle East, and his encounter with the Lebanese intellectual and artist Walid Sadek. See websites for full programmes. Teatralia, various venues. Until 21 Feb. www.madrid.org/teatralia. Escena Contemporanea, various venues. Until 15 Feb. http://escenacontemporanea.com

The Giggling Guiri: Simon Munnery
This month the Giggling Guiri presents an English comedy legend—Simon Munnery. At the fore of British alternative comedy’s rise in the 90s, he made waves with his bizarre, surrealist brand of humour made manifest in his alter egos Alan Parker—Urban Warrior and The League Against Tedium, the latter starring in his BBC series Attention Scum!. Munnery’s political, satirical and surrealist stand-up show is unpredictable, chaotic and littered with poetry and pearls of comic genius. Expect the unexpected. Simon Munnery, Sala Taboo, C/Vincente Ferrer, 23 (Metro: Tribunal). Tickets: €15 in advance from www.comedyinspain.com or from J&J Books and Coffee, C/Espirítu de Santo, 47 (Metro: Noviciado) or €17 on the door. Sun 23 Feb, 8pm.

Speekee Spanish
Research shows that the earlier children start learning a foreign tongue, the easier they will find learning languages as they get older. This is what spurred the creators of Speekee Spanish, a new product for helping children aged two to nine learn Spanish. Speekee Spanish’s approach is to give its users a total immersion experience, with ten episodes spread across three DVDs featuring real Spanish children in real Spanish situations, with no English spoken. Each episode includes catchy songs and a cultural section so kids can learn more about Spain than just its language. The pack also includes a 34-track song CD for in-car use and a comprehensive parent guidebook with
Spanish dictionary. Speekee Spanish, £95 available from www.speakeespanish.co.uk or call 01422 820263 for more information

La Mejor Naranja
If you find yourself feeling ill this winter and in need of some emergency vitamin C, why not fight your symptoms with some super speedy, naturally grown Valencian oranges? La Mejor Naranja delivers crates full of its prized citrus products from its trees to your door in 24 hours. You have your choice of several different varieties of oranges, as well as lemons, but know that orders come in boxes of 10kg to 15kg each (prices are around €30 per crate)—so you’d better make room in the kitchen before ordering! www.lamejornaranja.com

Pasarela Costello
Fashionistas and television design show addicts alike will be pleased to know that the Costello Club’s fifth annual Pasarela Costello takes place from 15th to 17th of this month. The annual runway event will display the summer collections of up-and-coming fashion designers over three days. This year, the names include Guatequecacahuete, Paco Varela, Luna Maga, Sabu Valbuena Makino, Soleicoutures, Rosana Guerrero Martínez, Ángeles Castro y Revuevintage and Con2Tijeras. Costello Club, C/Caballero de Gracia, 10 (Metro: Gran Via). Tel: 91 522 18 15. 15-17 Feb. www.costelloclub.com

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