Music Festival in Montreal

Every Sunday afternoon in the Plateau section of Montreal, thousands of people of all ages, nationalities, and economic backgrounds gather at the Jacques Cartier Monument in Mont Royal Park to play instruments, sing and dance. This weekly joyful event is called the “Tam-tam” —a name   【小题1】 (refer) to an African drum — and has become an institution among Montreal’s bohemians (放荡不羁的文化人).

The Plateau is one of Canada’s most racially varied districts where French and English are both spoken, unlike the rest of French-speaking Montreal. Many artists, musicians, and writers inhabit this area due to the cheap rent of apartments and studios. In the sixties, it became known   【小题2】 the bohemian area of Montreal, and the stores began selling clothing, music and books   【小题3】 satisfied the tastes.

Mont Royal Park is   【小题4】 many of these artists and musicians would meet in the sixties to have lunch or just spend an afternoon together. Musicians brought instruments, and eventually impromptu performance of jazz got started,   【小题5】 (attract) poets who recited their works to the music being performed.

Word got out about these gatherings, and it appealed to even more people until it was decided that these gatherings would happen every Sunday afternoon. Not only   【小题6】 people have a great time at these gatherings, but it was also an excellent opportunity for musicians   【小题7】 (schedule) further meetings in order to cooperate on musical projects.

Tam-tam   【小题8】 (become) a sort of Montreal institution already, which is drawing thousands of people every week and representing freedom and creativity, owing to   【小题9】 impromptu nature. The event begins around noon and ends at sunset. Everyone is invited to attend a Tam-tam with an instrument,   【小题10】 the hosts think the crowd participation can make Tam-tam a special occasion.

Music and dance have been a huge part of Irish culture for generations and 【小题1】 two go together well. When you go to see a(n) 【小题2】 (tradition) Irish dancing show, you will get 【小题3】 (experience) some live musical performances (表演) too. 

The most famous Irish dancing performance is undoubtedly Riverdance. This 【小题4】 (be) originally (最初) the half-time show at the Irish-hosted 1994 Eurovision Song Contest but has developed much over the years and the dancers have gone all over the world, 【小题5】 (wide) sharing this part of Irish culture. If you are in Dublin, it might be possible to see some big performances of Riverdance. Such shows are often performed in the famous Gaiety Theatre.

If you are looking for something a little more casual (随意的) though, there are plenty of places to go in Dublin. This part of Irish culture, like many others, started off in public 【小题6】 (house) around the country, and even today there are plenty of pubs 【小题7】 will play host to dancers and musicians every night of the week. Some of these performances are more intimate (温馨的) and the dancers will take over a small section of the pub to put on 【小题8】 (they) show. Some pubs in the city will put on a bigger performance, for they have built stages (舞台), especially 【小题9】 (design) so many people can enjoy Irish music and dance while they have dinner. This can be a great way to see 【小题10】 much of Irish culture as possible while you are here.

Mohe Ballroom 《漠河舞厅》【小题1】（release）in June last year and featured in Liu Shuang’s third album, First Planet. The song was inspired by Liu's trip in 2019 to Mohe, Heilongjiang province, China's northernmost city, 【小题2】 he met an elderly man who was dancing alone in a ballroom.

"I was curious and danced with him. We talked for a while during a break, when I learned about his story," said Liu, who later wrote 【小题3】 article titled Goodbye Evening Star, which he published on his social media platform. Mohe Ballroom, 【小题4】(write) in March last year, is based on the old man's story.

On May 6, 1987, about 200 people were killed when a fire that broke 【小题5】in mountains near Mohe tore through the city. The fire, which lasted 28 days, destroyed more than 10,000 square kilometers of forest. Direct economic losses were estimated at 500 million yuan. The elderly man, who uses the pseudonym(化名) Zhang Dequan, lost his wife to the blaze. He has not remarried and has no children, 【小题6】 he often visits the old ballroom and dances alone to remember the times he and his wife spent there.

One listener said: "It's easy to see why Mohe Ballroom resonated with listeners when it did. Full of 【小题7】 (emotion) detail and poetic lyrics, the song, with Liu's whispery vocals, fulfills people's imaginations about a tragic love story."

The song's huge 【小题8】 (popular) has made Mohe an in-demand tourism destination. Visitors flock to the city 【小题9】（see）the ballroom, in the hope of meeting the elderly man.

Li Jinbao, who owns the ballroom, told Beijing News: "The man often visited my ballroom in 2019. However, since the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, I have not seen him. "I was 21 when I witnessed the fire that swept through Mohe. The city was later rebuilt and its first public ballroom opened, which 【小题10】（immediate）became popular among local residents."