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Cristian Castro

Cristian Sáinz Castro (born 8 December 1974) is a Mexican pop singer. He is the son of actors Verónica Castro and Manuel "El Loco" Valdés, and nephew of actors Ramón Valdés (known for playing Don Ramón in El Chavo del Ocho) and Germán "Tin-Tan" Valdés. Castro has sold over 12 million copies, making him one of the best-selling Latin music artists of all-time.

Juan Gabriel described Castro as "the man with the most faculties to sing in Mexico".

Biography
Born in Mexico City, he is the son of actress and singer Verónica Castro and comedian Manuel "El Loco" Valdés. Castro also has a younger brother named Michelle Sáinz Castro. His uncle is José Alberto Castro, and his aunt is Beatriz Castro; both are producers. As a baby, he made his acting debut with his aunt in the telenovela named El derecho de nacer. Soon after, he appeared on a television commercial with her and on the Mexican version of the musical Mame, starring Silvia Pinal.

Castro is one of the best selling Latin artists and has worked with Latin producers Kike Santander, Rudy Pérez, and Richard Daniel Roman. In 1984, Castro made his first appearance on TV as a singer in the Televisa's child contest Juguemos a Cantar, but he did not qualify for the finals because of his young age.

1992–1996: Fonovisa years
Castro began his professional singing career in 1992 with the release of Agua Nueva at the age of 18. This album was a huge success in Mexico and earned him a grammy nomination for Best Latin Album. After appearing in several telenovelas and recording some albums as a teenager, he began his "internationalization" in 1993, starting with concerts in Puerto Rico. Castro dedicated a song to that country in his second album, Un Segundo En El Tiempo, titled Puerto Rico as a way of thanking the Puerto Rican public for supporting his career. He modified his singing from the deep voice he employed in Agua Nueva to a softer one. His song "Nunca Voy a Olvidarte" ("I Will Never Forget You") became his first number-one hit on the Hot Latin Tracks chart in 1993 and helped start his career. He became an international teen idol and sex symbol after he began touring. He received a nomination for Pop New Artist of the Year at the Lo Nuestro Awards of 1993.

In 1994, Cristian released El Camino del Alma. The album hit "Mañana" ("Tomorrow") was composed by Mexican singer Juan Gabriel ("Mañana, Mañana"). In 1995, he was part of the compilation album Boleros: Por Amor y Desamor written and produced by Jorge Avendaño, recording "Vuélveme a Querer", which hit No. 2 on the Hot Latin Tracks (held off by Enrique Iglesias' debut single Si Tú Te Vas). In 1996, Cristian released El Deseo De Oir Tu Voz (The Wish to Hear Your Voice) which featured hits such as "Morelia", "Amor", "Amarte a Ti", and the title track. At the 9th Lo Nuestro Awards, Castro received a nomination for Male Pop Artist of the Year. Cristian has also done opening themes for telenovelas such as Morelia (1994), Ángela (1998) and Mujer De Madera (Woman of Wood) (2004).

1997–2004: BMG years
In 1997, Castro left Fonovisa and signed with BMG, which released Lo Mejor De Mi. Pianist Raúl Di Blasio played on "Después De Tí...¿Qué?" ("After You...What?"). The album was nominated Best Latin Pop Album of the Year. Following the album's success, Castro sang duets with Olga Tañón, Grupo Límite, and José Alfredo Jiménez. In 1999 he released Mi Vida Sin Tu Amor, which had four singles in the top ten of the Billboard Hot Latin Tracks chart. ("Alguna Vez" No. 2, "Por Amarte Asi" No. 3, "Mi Vida Sin Tu Amor" No. 3, and "Volver a Amar" No. 4). In 2001, he released Azul, which won Best Latin Pop Album of the Year. In 2002, he sang a duet with Irish boy band Westlife in the song "Flying Without Wings". In 2005, he released Galltio Feliz, a collection of his childhood songs, Nunca Voy A Olvidarte...Los Exitos, a greatest hits album featuring both Fonovisa and BMG songs.

2005–2012: Universal Music Latino years
In 2005, Castro released Días Felices with "Amor Eterno" and "Sin Tu Amor" as the album hit under the Universal Music Latino label. In 2006, Castro contributed to a tribute to Víctor Yturbe "El Piruli" in which he sang "Mil Besos". On 26 June 2007, he released his first mariachi album, El Indomable, which was produced by Vicente Fernández, and released the single "Tu Retirada".

Castro announced that the divorce with Valeria led him to bankruptcy. The album El culpable soy yo was released on 28 April 2009. He sang at the Latin Grammy Celebra José José ceremony. On 28 September 2010, he released the single "La Nave del Olvido" and "Amor, Amor" as part of Viva el Príncipe, his tribute album to José José. In 2011, a follow-up to Viva el príncipe was recorded under the title Mi Amigo El Príncipe.

2012–present: Primera Fila and Sony Music
After disappointing sales of albums with Universal Latin Entertainment, Castro signed with Sony Music. For his first album with Sony since Hoy Quiero Soñar, Castro recorded a live album titled Primera Fila : Día 1 which contains live recordings of his well-known songs as well as original songs. The album features collaborations by several performers, including Reik, Ha*Ash, Leonel García and Verónica Castro. The album it was released under the label Sony Music Latin on 2 April 2013.

Personal life
Castro was married to model Gabriela Bo from Paraguay. After he divorced Bo, he married his Argentine Jewish ex-girlfriend, Valeria Liberman. Castro converted to Judaism upon marrying Liberman. He has since reverted to Roman Catholicism following his divorce from Liberman. He resides in Punta del Este, Uruguay, and Mexico City. Castro was diagnosed with autism as a child.

Solo
Studio albums
 * Agua Nueva (1992)
 * Un Segundo en el Tiempo (1993)
 * El Camino del Alma (1994)
 * El Deseo de Oír Tu Voz (1996)
 * Lo Mejor de Mí (1997)
 * Mi Vida Sin Tu Amor (1999)
 * Azul (2001)
 * Amar Es (2003)
 * Hoy Quiero Soñar (2004)
 * Días Felices (2005)
 * El Indomable (2007)
 * El Culpable Soy Yo (2009)
 * Viva el Príncipe (2010)
 * Mi Amigo El Príncipe (2011)
 * Dicen (2016)
 * Mi Tributo a Juan Gabriel (2018)

Live albums
 * En Primera Fila: Dia 1 (2013)
 * En Primera Fila: Dia 2 (2014)

Collaborations

 * 1981 "Juntos Vamos a Volar" (feat. Verónica Castro)
 * 1997 "Después De Ti... ¿Qué?" (feat. Raúl Di Blasio)
 * 1998 "Ella" (feat. José Alfredo Jiménez)
 * 1998 "Escondidos" (feat. Olga Tañón)
 * 1998 "Pasión" (feat. Grupo Límite)
 * 2002 "El Día Que Te Conocí" (feat. Armando Manzanero)
 * 2002 "Flying without Wings" (feat. Westlife)
 * 2005 "Mil Besos" (feat. Victor Yturbe El Piruli)
 * 2006 "Después De Ti... ¿qué?" (feat. José Feliciano)
 * 2006 "El Poder De Ka Música" en Vivo (feat. Juan Maaah)
 * 2007 "Golondrina Presumida" (feat. Vicente Fernandez)
 * 2007 "Morena De Ojos Negros" (feat. Vicente Fernandez)
 * 2007 "Nada Sin Tu Amor" (feat. Tamara)
 * 2008 "Es Amor" (feat. Yanni)
 * 2008 "La Fuerza Del Destino" (feat. Yanni)
 * 2008 "Que Voy a Hacer Conmigo" (feat. Cesar Franco)
 * 2009 "Como Todos" (feat. Douglas)
 * 2009 "El Culpable Soy Yo" Remix (feat. R.K.M & Ken-Y)
 * 2009 "No Me Digas" Remix (feat. Jayko "El Prototipo")
 * 2010 "Lo Pasado, Pasado" (feat. José José)
 * 2010 "Por Amarte Así" (feat. Ana Isabelle)
 * 2011 "Buenos Días Amor" (feat. Karlos Rose)
 * 2011 "Todo en Tu Vida" (feat. Myriam Hernández)
 * 2012 "Abre Tus Brazos" (feat. Gigi D'Alessio)
 * 2012 "Amarte Ha Sido Tan Facil" (feat. Henry Santos)
 * 2012 "Besos Violentos" (feat. Enanitos Verdes)
 * 2012 "Cómo La Flor" (feat. Selena)
 * 2013 "Aprendí a Llorar/Ven" (feat. Veronica Castro)
 * 2013 "Así Era Ella" Electro Mambo Remix (feat. Elvis Crespo)
 * 2013 "Es Mejor Así" (feat. Reik)
 * 2013 "Luces De Nueva York" (feat. La Sonora Santanera)
 * 2013 "Para Empezar" (feat. Leonel García)
 * 2013 "Te Amaré Más Allá" (feat. Ha*Ash)
 * 2014 "Enamorado De Ti Para Siempre" (feat. Aleks Syntek)
 * 2014 "Lloran Las Rosas" (feat. Jorge Celedon Y Jimmy Zambrano)
 * 2014 "No Podrás" (feat. Benny Ibarra)
 * 2014 "Quiéreme" (feat. Genitallica & Coda)
 * 2014 "Recuerdas" (feat. Leonel García)
 * 2014 "Tan Cerquita" (feat. Aleks Syntek)
 * 2015 "Entre la Espada y la Pared" (feat. Agrupación Cariño)
 * 2016 "Destilando Amor" (feat. Aarón Y Su Grupo Ilusión)
 * 2016 "Fruto Robado" (feat. La Sonora Santanera)
 * 2016 "Me Gustas Mucho" (feat. Rocio Durcal)
 * 2016 "Recuerdos" (feat. Edith Márquez)
 * 2017 "Como un Duende" (feat. Los Baby's)
 * 2017 "De Cigarro en Cigarro" (feat. Charlie Zaa)
 * 2017 "Fuerza México")
 * 2017 "Nunca Voy a Olvidarte" (feat. Bronco)
 * 2018 "Despedida" (feat. Beatriz Luengo)
 * 2018 "Qué Mal Amada Estás" (feat. Roberto Cantoral)
 * 2018 "Rosa Rosa" (feat. Sandro)
 * 2018 "Vida" (feat. La Mafia)
 * 2019 "Ahora Mismo" (feat. Maxi Pardo)
 * 2020: Resistiré México" (among Artists for Mexico)

Films

 * Mulan (voz, 1998)

Telenovelas

 * Las secretas intenciones (1992) - Miguel Ángel Curiel
 * Mi segunda madre (1989) - Rubén
 * Herencia maldita (1986) - Armando Rojas (niño)
 * El derecho de nacer (1981) - Alberto Limonta (child)

Series

 * Run Coyote Run (2018) Season 2 -Cristian Castro

TV

 * Canta Conmigo Ahora (2022) Judge
 * ¿Quién es la máscara? (2022)

title: Cristian Castro


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Champagne socialist

Champagne socialist is a political term commonly used in the United Kingdom. It is a popular epithet that implies a degree of hypocrisy, and it is closely related to the concept of the liberal elite. The phrase is used to describe self-identified anarchists, communists, and socialists whose luxurious lifestyles, metonymically including consumption of champagne, are ostensibly in conflict with their political beliefs.

United Kingdom

The term has been used by left-wing commentators to criticise centrist views. Some traditional left-wingers regard the first Labour Prime Minister Ramsay MacDonald as a "champagne socialist" who betrayed the Labour movement. MacDonald's lavish lifestyle and his mingling with high society is supposed to have been a corrupting influence that led to the end of the Labour Government in 1931 and the eventual formation of the National Government. More recently, the epithet has been levelled at supporters of the New Labour movement which brought Tony Blair to power in 1997.

In an article about Oscar Wilde's 1891 essay "The Soul of Man under Socialism", political commentator Will Self expressed the view that Wilde could be considered an early champagne socialist because of his aesthetic lifestyle and socialist leanings.

The writer and Labour supporter John Mortimer, when accused of being a champagne socialist, said that he preferred to be thought of as "more a Bollinger Bolshevik".

In the fourth series of the British television comedy Absolutely Fabulous, Saffron is offered a job with New Labour. While she is at pains to avoid being seen as a champagne socialist, her grandmother considers the family to be "Bolly Bolsheviks".

The label has also been applied to the Labour politician Geoffrey Robinson MP on account of his large personal fortune. Singer Charlotte Church has described herself as a "prosecco socialist", referring to the increasing popularity and lower price range of non-champagne sparkling wines such as prosecco and cava.

In the UK, the term is often used by critics to disparage people with a leftwing political view. This argument claims that the champagne socialist espouses leftist views while enjoying a luxurious lifestyle; one example might include Labour Party supporters who stereotypically live in Inner London and consume highbrow media.

This usage of the term has been criticised by Caitlin Moran as a fallacious argument, because she claims it assumes that only those who are poor can express an opinion about social inequality.

Australia and New Zealand
In Australia and New Zealand, the variant "Chardonnay socialist" was used, as Chardonnay was seen as a drink of affluent people. By the late 1990s, chardonnay had become more readily available and generally consumed in Australia; today it is the most dominant white wine variety produced in the country. As a result, the drink's association with elitism has faded.

Staunch Australian right-wingers also used the term to deride those who supported what they considered "middle-class welfare"—government funding for the arts, free tertiary education, and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

United States
Current Affairs ran a lighthearted article featuring a political cartoon of guests at a Marxist gathering dressed in fancy attire and sipping on champagne. The central argument was that conspicuous consumption was not inherently antithetical to leftist values so long as luxuries were shared equally. As the magazine put it, "When we say let them eat cake, we are serious: there must be cake, it must be good cake, and it must be had by all. The reason Marie Antoinette needed beheading was not that she wished cake on the poor, but that she never actually gave them any."

The term appears in Blind Alleys, a 1906 work of fiction by the American author George Cary Eggleston which distinguishes the "beer socialist" who "wants everybody to come down to his low standards of living" and the "champagne socialist" who "wants everybody to be equal on the higher plane that suits him, utterly ignoring the fact that there is not enough champagne, green turtle and truffles to go round".

A 2021 article in the libertarian magazine Reason written by Jason Brennan and Christopher Freiman derided Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, and political commentator Hasan Piker as so-called "champagne socialists." In the article, Brennan and Freiman chide these "socialist figureheads" to "open their wallets before they open their mouths" on the basis that each had supposedly donated little of their personal wealth to causes they support, but had instead called for increased taxes. In the case of Sanders and Piker, Brennan and Freiman criticize their supposedly excessive living arrangements, while Warren is reprehended for donating only a small portion of her net worth to causes she advocates for.

Other related terms
The term is broadly similar to the American terms "limousine liberal", "Learjet liberal", or "Hollywood liberal", and to idioms in other languages such as the Spanish Izquierda caviar, The Portuguese Esquerda Caviar, the French Gauche caviar, the German Salon sozialist, the Italian Radical chic, the Swedish Rödvinsvänster, and Polish kawiorowa lewica. In Turkey, "Cihangir leftist" (Turkish: Cihangir solcusu) is commonly used, since Cihangir is a high-income neighborhood of Beyoğlu, Istanbul although "champagne socialist" can be used as well. Other related terms include "Hampstead liberal", "Gucci socialist", "Gucci communist", "Neiman Marxist", "cashmere communist", in Ireland, "smoked salmon socialist", and in the Philippines, "steak commandos."

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Champagne socialist


text:
Abdulaziz bin Muhammad Al Saud

Abdulaziz bin Muhammad Al Saud (عبد العزيز بن محمد آل سعود ʿAbd al ʿAzīz bin Muḥammad Āl Suʿūd; 1720–1803) was the second ruler of the Emirate of Diriyah. He was the eldest son of Muhammad bin Saud and the son-in-law of Muhammad bin Abdul Wahhab. Abdulaziz ruled the Emirate from 1765 until 1803. He was nicknamed by his people as the savior of his time (mahdi zamanihi in Arabic) due to his fearless activities.

Early life
Abdulaziz was born in 1720 and was the eldest son of Muhammad bin Saud. He was educated by Muhammad bin Abdul Wahhab and became a Wahhabi scholar.

Long before the death of his father Abdulaziz was announced the next ruler of the state at the request of Muhammad bin Abdul Wahhab. From 1750 Abdulaziz was the chief military commander of the Emirate due to his father's old age. In 1763 he led a military campaign of the Emirate attacking the regions under the rule of the Bani Khalid Emirate. It was the first military attack of the Emirate outside the Nejd. These attacks were followed by those against the Sudair and Jalajil tribes who did not join the religious movement of Muhammad bin Abdul Wahhab. Next Abdulaziz raided the Ajman tribe who were the natives of the Najran region. In the latter attack the forces of Abdulaziz were defeated losing nearly one thousand men.

Reign
The reign of Abdulaziz bin Muhammad began in 1765 when his father died. Abdulaziz's Bay'ah (Arabic: Pledge of allegiance) ceremony was supervised by Muhammad bin Abdul Wahhab. Although his father was titled as Emir, Abdulaziz was given the titles of both Emir and Imam. However, the latter title was not granted immediately after his succession to the throne, but it was given later. Imam as a title was a reflection of Abdulaziz's religious education by Muhammad bin Abdul Wahhab and his deeply religious personality. His younger brother, Abdullah, unsuccessfully challenged the rule of Abdulaziz.

Abdulaziz's father, Muhammad bin Saud, initiated attacks against the ruler of Riyadh, Dahham bin Dawwas, in 1747. However, following the battles for nearly 25 years only in 1773 Riyadh was captured by Abdulaziz and became part of the Emirate. Their military success and orthodox approach to religion won them great support in the area. Their standing was also boosted by Abdulaziz's practice of holding open meetings where tribal elders could meet with him, allowing access to their ruler. During his reign Muhammad bin Abdul Wahhab was his major advisor and dealt with all major activities, including treasury. However, following the capture of Riyadh Abdulaziz bin Muhammad himself began to control the budget of the state due to the significant increase in revenues. From 1789 Abdulaziz's supremacy was recognised by all Najdi people. As early as 1790 Abdulaziz's forces started their attacks in the region near the Euphrates in southern Iraq. The region was the settlement of the Shammar tribe, originally from Najd, and they were defeated two times in 1791. Muslat bin Mutlaq Al Jarba, son of the tribal leader Mutlaq bin Muhammad, killed in the battle which led to the migration of the tribe to southern Mesopotamia.

The expansion continued with the capture of Qatif in 1794 and Hasa in 1795 where Shiites were dominant. Abdulaziz's attacks against Hasa which had been under the rule of Banu Khalid began in 1792. From 1797 the relations between Abdulaziz and the Ottoman authorities both in Baghdad and in Mecca became tense.

In 1802 Hejaz, namely Taif and Khurma, was captured, and the people, particularly men, living there were slaughtered. In Taif Abdulaziz's forces took women and children as slaves. They also demolished the heterodox texts and innovative household equipment such as mirrors and window frames and robbed the wealth of the local people. Zubayr and other settlements in the region witnessed similar violence, too.

In 1802 Bahrain was invaded and captured by the ruler of Muscat. Abdulaziz bin Muhammad recaptured it in addition to Qatar and appointed there a governor, Abdullah bin Ufaysan, there. The rulers of Bahrain, Abdullah and Salman, together with their families were sent to Diriyah where they were all detained. Therefore, the Wahhabi influence also extended to Qatar and Bahrain. However, due to the Ottoman attacks in Hejaz Abdulaziz bin Muhammad did not manage to fully consolidate his power in Bahrain and had to reduce his forces there which allowed the Al Khalifa to reestablish their rule. Abdulaziz's governor, Abdullah bin Ufaysan, was detained by the Al Khalifa. In 1803 Mecca was taken by Abdulaziz's forces, and the religious figures in the city declared their alliance to Wahhabis. The attacks of the Saudi forces reached Syria, Iraq and Yemen where Abdulaziz managed to establish his authority.

Sack of Karbala
In 1802 Abdulaziz bin Muhammad's forces led by his heir and son Saud attacked Karbala and Najaf in Iraq. Unlike other attacks the goal of Saudi forces was not to rule or control the region. They massacred thousands of the Shia population, stole enough precious loot to load 4,000 camels, and destroyed the dome over the shrine of Imam Hussain. they destroyed it because according to the hadith of Prophet Muhammad We cannot built anything over graves. They also stole the gold, jewels, and rare minerals in the shrine. This incident also had another and much more significant effect: it added a sectarian nuance to the Sunni-Shia divide in the Muslim world.

The observations of Lieutenant Francis Warden, a British military official, about the attack are as follows:

"They pillaged the whole of it [Karbala], and plundered the Tomb of Hussein...slaying in the course of the day, with circumstances of peculiar cruelty, above five thousand of the inhabitants..."

Personal life and death
Abdulaziz married to the daughter of Muhammad bin Abdul Wahhab and the daughter of Uthman bin Mu'ammar, the ruler of Uyayna. He had four sons: Saud, Abdul Rahman, Abdullah and Umar. Of them Saud was born through Abdulaziz's marriage to the daughter of Uthman bin Mu'ammar.

Abdulaziz was much more adhered to the Wahhabi cause and more aggressive than his father. However, like his father he dressed in a plain way, and his armaments were not decorated unlike those of the Mamluk and Ottoman rulers.

Shortly after his capture of Mecca Abdulaziz returned to Diriyah where he was assassinated by a Persian man who was a darwish when Abdulaziz was leading Asr Salat in the mosque of Turaif in November 1803. The motive of the assassin was to take revenge against him due to the killing of his sons in the Karbala attack. The British newspaper London Times dated 12 March 1804 reported the following about the assassination:

"Abdulaziz ibn Muhammad was assassinated by Ibadgi Osman, a Mussulman of the sect of Ali. He had profaned the tomb of Ali, and thus excited the fury of the disciples of that prophet. Ibadgi Osman resolved to avenge the ashes of Ali. He crossed the desert of Arabia on a dromedary, entered the tent of Abdulaziz while he was at prayers, and plunged a cangiar into his breast crying, 'Let this avenge the tomb of Ali, for thy profanations.' The brother of Abdulaziz, hearing the noise, ran into the tent, where he found his brother bathed in his blood, and the assassin, who squatted himself down, saying his prayers, and calmly awaiting death. He attacked him; but Ibadgi Osman, who was the strongest of the two, got up and killed his assailant with the same cangiar which was still stained with the blood of his brother. The soldiers then entered, and cut the assassin in pieces with their sabers."

Abdulaziz was succeeded by his eldest son, Saud.

Writings
A student of his father-in-law, Abdul Wahab, Abdulaziz followed his footsteps in writing on tawhid and the avoidance of grave-worshiping and other such related matters, his epistles being praised by Al-Shawkani, a scholar.

title: Abdulaziz bin Muhammad Al Saud


text:
Gimar Montaz Mautino

Gimar Montaz Mautino (GMM) is a French manufacturer that was created by the merger of Gimar (founded in 5. June 1980 by Jean-Claude Giraud and Dominique Marceau, two former executives at Weber) and Montaz-Mautino (founded in 1952 by Pierre Montaz and Victor Mautino). They make aerial lifts (mostly two-seat chairlifts) and surface ski lifts. They are headquartered in Échirolles France, near Grenoble. Originally known as Montaz-Mautino, they were one of the most successful ski lift companies in the 1970s and 1980s, primarily constructing two and three-seat chairlifts.

The current form of the company dates back to 1990, when the Gimar company, then headed by industrialist Bernard Drevet, obtained the Montaz-Mautino company after its judicial liquidation by the judgment of Grenoble's commercial court in December 1989.

The Montaz-Mautino company was founded 40 years earlier by Pierre Montaz and Victor Mautino in the commune of Fontaine, Isère. They ceased their activities within the company between 1986 and 1987. Its activities covered various fields such as ski lifts, fixed-grip chairlifts, detachable-grip chairlifts, gondolas, and cable cars. In particular, in 1987 it built the Brévent cable car in Chamonix-Mont-Blanc.

The Gimar company was created by Messrs Giraud and Marceau at the end of the 1970s. Activities (until 1988) were generally focused on the production of industrial cable transport devices, with some attempts in the tourist sector. The purchase of the company by Bernard Drevet in 1988 gave it new life.

Since 1994, the company is certified according to the standard NF EN ISO 9001.

The company was experiencing difficulties due to site hazards in India and was bought in 1994 by Didier Serre, a Lyon businessman. He appointed the head of GMM François Montes, former Secretary-General of Lafuma, to conduct a responsible policy. After these turbulent times, the manufacturer refocused on making chairlifts and ski lifts, its historic know-how, and after the sales service of the previous-Montaz Mautino and Gimar installation. It is currently managed by Gilles Kraan.

Products
GMM mainly builds four-seater fixed-attachment chairlifts and roller or pole-mounted ski-lifts and provides after-sales service on old products designed by the two former companies Montaz-Mautino and Gimar. Although it is not as well known as other major aerial lift manufacturers (Doppelmayr, Leitner, and Poma), GMM has manufactured more than 2,500 aerial lifts on 5 continents, including nearly 780 in France. The company strives to limit the ecological footprint of its ski lifts by using demountable structures and recycled elements.

The current range of GMM chairlifts is based on 7+ stations and mini 7 of motor type or motor-voltage compacts (on massive concrete). 7+ The first copy was made in 1998 at the Alpe d'Huez: this is the Lievre Blanc chairlift.

GMM retains also to catalog a range of lifts with poles (fixed and detachable). Although they are now less popular, they are historical know-how of the company since as Montaz Mautino, then as GMM, the manufacturer has made the territory more than 600 slope-back of its kind since the 1950s, the company has modernized the same range with the design of 4 new types of stations S whose first units were delivered in 2005.

However, the manufacturer now offers lifts retractors. GMM has developed for this purpose a so-called range E (as winders) with 3 different driving-voltage terminals; the lighter is sized to fit devices for beginners, the heart of the product target. The first aircraft of this range is the lift of Daffodils, installed in 2010 to Parlour in the Fore (Massif Central).

Retractors are models that have the particularity of being magnetic braking plates. Until 2015, they came from the manufacturer Loipolder Seilbahn Technik. Since 2016, GMM has its reel, developed by the internal design department.

Best seen in the resort of Puy-Saint-Vincent as well as gondolas and surface lifts (similar in design to POMA surface lifts). Though in recent years, due to the rapid growth of rivals POMA and Leitner in France, Montaz Mautino lifts are being replaced with faster and higher capacity lifts from its rivals. GMM still constructs surface lifts and a completely new design of 4 person chairlift.

title: Gimar Montaz Mautino


text:
Mohammad-Reza Shajarian

Mohammad-Reza Shajarian (, 23 September 1940 – 8 October 2020) was an Iranian singer and master (Ostad) of Persian traditional music. He was also known for his skills in Persian calligraphy and humanitarian activities. Shajarian started his singing career in 1959 at Radio Khorasan, rising to prominence in the 1960s with his distinct singing style.

His main teachers were Ahmad Ebadi, Esmaeil Mehrtash, Abdollah Davami, and Nour-Ali Boroumand.

He also learned the vocal styles of singers from previous generations, including Reza Gholi Mirza Zelli, Fariborz Manouchehri, Ghamar Molouk Vaziri, Eghbal Azar and Taj Isfahani.

He cited legendary Persian tar soloist Jalil Shahnaz as highly influential to his development, indicating that he often tried to mimic Shahnaz's playing style in his singing.

Shajarian had collaborated with musicians such as Parviz Meshkatian, Mohammad Reza Lotfi, Hossein Alizadeh, Faramarz Payvar, Dariush Pirniakan, and Sohrab Pournazeri.

He was recognized as a skilled singer in the challenging traditional Dastgah style.

In 1999, UNESCO in France presented him with the Picasso Award and in 2006 with the UNESCO Mozart Medal. In 2017, Los Angeles Times cited him as the "Greatest living maestro of Persian classical music".

His works also cover some songs of Iranian ethnic music, including Mazandarani music, Azeri music, Kurdish music and Lur music.

After coming out in support of the Iranian Green Movement and criticizing the Iranian government, he was banned from holding concerts and releasing music.

Early life
Mohammad-Reza Shajarian was born on 23 September 1940 in Mashhad, Iran. His father, Mehdi, was a Quran qari, as was his grandfather Ali Akbar. His mother was Afsar Shahverdiani, who died in 2007.

He was the oldest of five siblings, and studied singing at the age of five under the supervision of his father by recitation of the Quran.

Early work
At the age of 12, he began studying the Persian classical repertoire known as the Radif without his father's consent as studying and performing music was against his father's religious beliefs. This may have been the reason why he chose the stage name "Siavash Bidakani" in his early career as a singer, which did not last long, and soon he used his real name again. Shajarian started his singing career in 1959 at Radio Khorasan, rising to prominence in the 1960s with his distinct style of singing. Since then his career has included teaching at Tehran University's Department of Fine Arts, working at National Radio and television, researching Persian/Iranian music, and making numerous recordings.

Music bands
Shajarian was not always in music groups, but he did the vocals for the Masters of Persian Music with his son Homayoun Shajarian, as well as two other ostads, Kayhan Kalhor and Hossein Alizadeh. He also performed with his daughter Mojgan Shajarian.

In 2008, he toured the world with the Ava Ensemble, composed of his son Homayoun (tombak and vocals), Hossein Behroozinia (barbat), Majid Derakhshani (tar), Hossain Rezaeenia (daf), and Saeed Farajpouri (kamanche).

In 2012, he toured with the Shahnaz Ensemble with his daughter Mojgan and other band members. The ensemble is named after master tar musician Jalil Shahnaz, with a percentage of the proceeds going towards supporting his health care needs.

Masters and students
Shajarian studied with Esmaeil Mehrtash, Ahmad Ebadi and Nour-Ali Boroumand.

He learned the vocal styles of previous singers such as Hossein Taherzadeh, Reza Gholi Mirza Zelli, Qamar-ol-Moluk Vaziri, Eghbal Azar, and Taj Isfahani.

He started playing the santour under the instruction of Jalal Akhbari to understand better and perform the traditional repertoire. In 1971, he was introduced to Faramarz Payvar and took santour lessons with him. Shajarian also learned Abolhasan Saba's vocal Radif from Payvar.

He also studied under the guidance of master Abdollah Davami, from whom he learned many early Persian songs. Davami also passed on to Shajarian his interpretation of the Radif. Shajarian taught many students in the field of singing, some of whom are:
 * Iraj Bastami
 * Ali Jahandar
 * Shahram Nazeri
 * Hesameddin Seraj
 * Mozaffar Shafei
 * Qasem Rafati
 * Mohammad Esfahani
 * Homayoun Shajarian
 * Ali Rostamian
 * Mohsen Keramati
 * Hamid Reza Noorbakhsh
 * Sina Sarlak
 * Mojtaba Asgari

Creating instruments
Shajarian is the creator of many instruments. The first exhibition of his instruments was held in May 2011, the second in September 2013 at the House of Artists by the Del Avaz Cultural and Artistic Institute.

Significant works

 * Raast-Panjgaah concert with Mohammad Reza Lotfi in Raast-panjgaah (1976).
 * Chehre be Chehre with Mohammad Reza Lotfi in Navaa (1977).
 * Golbang-e Shajarian, Part 1 (Bot-e Chin) features: Ali Akbar Sheida (Ballads), Fereydoun Shahbazian (Composer), Faramarz Payvar (Santur), Houshang Zarif (Tar). Part 2 (Dowlat-e Eshq) features Hassan Yousefzamani (Composer), Ahmad Ebadi (Setar), Ali Asghar Bahari (Kamancheh). Poetry by Hafez, Saadi and Baba Taher (1977).
 * Eshgh Daanad with Mohammad Reza Lotfi in Aboo Ataa (1981).
 * Aastaan e Jaanaan with Parviz Meshkatian and Naaser Farhangfar in Bayaat e Zand (Turk) & Sur (1982).
 * Peyvande Mehr (album) with Farhang Sharif (1984).
 * Bidaad with Parviz Meshkatian and the Aref Ensemble in Homaayoun (1985).
 * Be yaad e Aaref with Mohammad Reza Lotfi in Bayaat e Turk (1986).
 * Nava – Morakkab Khaani with Parviz Meshkatian and the Aref Ensemble in Navaa, Se-gaah and Dashti (1986).
 * Doud-e-Oud with Parviz Meshkatian and the Tehran Symphony Orchestra in Navaa (1987).
 * Dastan with Parviz Meshkatian and the Aref Ensemble in Chahaar-Gah (1987).
 * Dastgah Chahargah (live version of Dastan) concert with Parviz Meshkatian and the Aref Ensemble recorded live in Bonn (1987).
 * Ghaasedak with Parviz Meshkatian and Homayoun Shajarian (1994).
 * Dar Khiaal with Majid Derakhshani in Segaah & Bayaat e Zand (Turk) (1995).
 * Zemestaan Ast with Hossein Alizadeh and Keyhan Kalhor in Maahoor and Homaayoun (1999).
 * Night, Silence, Desert (Persian: Shab, Sokoot, Kavir) with Keyhan Kalhor based on the folk music of Khorasan. Traditional Crossroads (2000).
 * Bi To Be Sar Nemishavad with the Masters of Persian Music Ensemble in Navaa and Bayaat e Kord (2002).
 * Faryaad with the Masters of Persian Music Ensemble in Raast-panjgaah (2003).
 * Devoid Grail with Fereydoun Shahbazian in Mahour and Dashti (2004).
 * Serr-e-Eshgh with Parviz Meshkatian and Mohammad Mousavi in Maahoor.
 * Sepideh Album with Mohammad Reza Lotfi and Sheyda Ensemble in Maahoor.
 * Cheshmeye Noush with Mohammad Reza Lotfi and Majid Khaladj in Raast-panjgaah.

Politics
Shajarian's Bidaad album was recorded after a three-year hiatus from a commercial recording. The album's lyrics speak of a wonderful place having been reduced to shambles and bloodshed, in which he sings in sadness, "what happened?". When giving a lecture at California State University, Sacramento on 2 March 2012, he was asked what the lyrics of this song meant. His response made it clear that he chose these lyrics based on what happened to the Iranian regime after the revolution – a once beautiful country being reduced to shambles. This is widely considered his first commercial recording meant to represent the voice of an oppressed people in Iran.

Shajarian has indicated support for Iranians protesting against the 12 June 2009 Iranian presidential election results. When Iran's president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad referred to the protesters as "dust and trash", Shajarian told a BBC Persian channel telephone interviewer that he (Shajarian) considered himself the voice of dust and trash: "It is the voice of dust and trash, and it will always remain the voice of dust and trash." He also asked IRIB (Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting) to stop broadcasting his songs. He mentioned that his famous song "Iran, Ey Saraye Omid" (Iran, the land of Hope), has no relation with the current situation of his country.

After Shajarian criticized the government public and sided with the Green Movement protesters, the state broadcaster IRIB banned his work of art, which used to be a fixture of public broadcasting until then. Even against Shajarian's will, the state TV and radio stations stopped airing Rabbana, a prayer sung during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan heralding the moment of fast-breaking. The recital had been broadcast regularly every Ramadan since the 1979 revolution but swept from public view after the legendary singer fell out of favor with the establishment. A Shajarian fan in Tehran told The Guardian Ramadan without Rabbana was like Christmas without Christmas carol. In the elections of 2013 and 2017, Hassan Rouhani criticized the ban on broadcasting Shajarian's works, including "Rabbana", and demanded that Shajarian's works be broadcast on television and radio.

In an interview in 2016, Shajarian stated that "my criticism was a mistake of one person, I am not against the republic system. Our music has always been attacked or criticized by a class of religious people. Of course, some of the deviant music can be like this. But the nature of music is not deviant. I myself am fundamentally opposed to deviant music. We accept the clergy and religion".

Lyrics of his song "Language of Fire," issued in September 2009, — "Lay down your gun, Come, sit down, talk, hear. Perhaps the light of humanity will get through to your heart too" — are thought by some observers to speak "directly to the plainclothes Basiji militiamen and security forces" who had beaten protesters during recent unrest.

In an interview with Hamid Reza Nourbakhsh in 2016, Shajarian said that he was not against the Islamic Republic and that his protest was only against one person (Mahmoud Ahmadinejad). "We say you have no right to insult the people. This is not a fall with the whole system."

"We say you have no right to insult the people. This is not a fall with the whole system"

Shajarian continues: "Several years ago, we had a concert in Stockholm with the Aref group, led by the living memory of Parviz Meshkatian. As soon as we were present on the group stage, they started chanting. They chanted against the Islamic Republic. The children in the group were all upset. When they chanted, we just sat and listened, and they chanted. They saw that we were not doing anything. Some ordinary people who came also shook hands with us to start our work. I also told Parviz to perform the last ballad and then go. We had two parts of the program, in each of which there were five ballads, and we only performed the last ballad, and we got up and went out, and the children brought their instruments. I told the person announcing the program to say behind the microphone. In honor of those who bought tickets and came from far and near, we performed this ballad. And get your money back and go. Later it turned out that the organizer was one of them, so I came backstage and told him as much as I could.

Later life, death and legacy
While in exile, Shajarian privately sat for a series of rare interviews that form the basis of a feature-length documentary entitled The Voice of Dust and Ash. In a leaked clip of the documentary, Shajarian can be heard saying, "I am Mohammad Reza Shajarian, son of Iran. My voice is part of Iran's ancient culture, to remind the people of the world that we have had a culture of love, peace and friendship." The clip went viral on social media twice, once in 2016 and again upon Shajarian's death in 2020. Shot in California and Iran, the interviews occurred shortly before he announced his cancer diagnosis and the rapid deterioration of his health. They now constitute his last public testament.

In March 2016, Shajarian revealed that he had had kidney cancer for the past fifteen years. He appeared with shaved hair in his Nowrouz congratulation video, published on his YouTube account. Bahram Beyzai composed a poem after announcement of Shajarian's illness and described it as a sad day in happy days of Nowruz.

Shajarian transferred to hospital on 27 January 2020 and had a successful surgery. He was released from hospital on 25 August but was hospitalized again on 5 October.

Shajarian died on 8 October 2020 at the age of 80 at intensive care unit of Jam Hospital in Tehran. The cause of his death was not immediately made public. A private religious ceremony was held following day at Behesht-e Zahra in Tehran, before his body being transferred to Mashhad. He was buried at the Tomb of Ferdowsi in Tus, Mashhad, on 10 October.

Personal life
In 1962, Shajarian married teacher Farkhondeh Golafshan when he was 21 years old. They had one son Homayoun and three daughters, Farzaneh (a.k.a. Raheleh), Mojgan and Afsaneh. Afsaneh married Parviz Meshkatian. Shajarian and Golafshan divorced in 1993.

His second marriage was to Katayoun Khansari, sister of his son's wife, in 1995. The couple had one son, Ryan who was born in 1997 in Vancouver, Canada.

Awards and distinctions

 * NIRT Golden Cup (1977)
 * Golden Picasso Medal (1999)
 * Nominated for Grammy Award for Best Traditional World Music Album (2004, 2006)
 * Nushin Medal (2008)
 * The UNESCO Mozart Medal (2006)
 * One of NPR's 50 great voices. (2010)
 * French National Order of the Legion of Honour (2014)
 * National Order of Merit (2014)
 * Aga Khan Trust for Culture (2019)

Released music albums
Some of the following albums are joint works between Mohammad-Reza Shajarian and Shahram Nazeri or Homayoun Shajarian. Among these works are composers such as Mohammad-Reza Lotfi, Parviz Meshkatian, Hossein Alizadeh and Faramarz Payvar.

 * Robaeiat-e Khayyam (1972)
 * Chavosh 1 (Be Yad-e Aref) (1977)
 * Golbang-e Shajarian (1978)
 * Chavosh 2 (1978)
 * Sepideh (Chavosh 6) (1979)
 * Chavosh 7 (1979)
 * Jan Jan (Chavosh 9) (1979)
 * Raz-e Del (1979)
 * Entezar-e Del (1979)
 * Peyvand-e Mehr (1984)
 * Astan-e Janan (1985)
 * Bidad (1985)
 * Serr-e Eshgh (Mahoor) (1986)
 * Nava, Morakabkhani (1986)
 * Dastan (1988)
 * Saz-e Ghese Goo (1988)
 * Dood-e Ood (1989)
 * Del-e Majnoon (1990–1991)
 * Khalvatgozideh (1991)
 * Payam-e Nasim (1991)
 * Sarv Chaman (1991)
 * Asman-e Eshgh (1991)
 * Delshodegan (1992)
 * Yad-e Ayyam (1992)
 * Cheshmeye Noosh (1993)
 * Bahariyeh (1994)
 * Gonbad-e Mina (1994)
 * Jan-e Oshagh (1995)
 * Peygham-e Ahl-e Del (1995)
 * Dar Khial (1996)
 * Rosvaye Del (1996)
 * Eshgh Danad (1997)
 * Shab-e Vasl (1997)
 * Moamaye Hasti (1997)
 * Chehreh Be Chehreh (1998)
 * Shab, Sokout, Kavir (1998)
 * Aram-e Jan (1998)
 * Ahang-e Vafa (1999)
 * Booye Baran (1999)
 * Zemestan Ast (2001)
 * Bi To Besar Nemishavad (2002)
 * Faryad (2002)
 * Hamnava Ba Bam (2003)
 * Jam-e Tohi (2004)
 * Saz-e Khamoosh (2007)
 * Sorood-e Mehr (2007)
 * Ghoghaye Eshghbazan (2007)
 * Konsert-e Mohammad-Reza Shajarian Va Gorooh-e Ava (2008)
 * Konsert-e Mohammad-Reza Shajarian Va Gorooh-e Shahnaz (Randan-e Mast Va Morgh-e Khoshkhan) (2008)
 * Ah Baran (2009)
 * Zaban-e Atash (2009)
 * Randan-e Mast (2009)
 * Konsert-e Mohammad-Reza Shajarian Va Gorooh-e Shahnaz Dar Dubai (2010)
 * Morgh-e Khoshkhan (2011)
 * Ranghaye Taali (2013)
 * Tarigh-e Eshgh (2016)
 * Khorasaniat (2019)
 * Deylaman (Unknown date)

Film title singer

 * Love-stricken (1991)
 * Abjad (2002)
 * It is Winter (2005)

Additional sources

 * Laudan Nooshin, in The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, edited by Stanley Sadie, second edition (Macmillan, London, 2001). ISBN 1-56159-239-0. (Oxford University Press, 2001). ISBN 0-19-517067-9.

title: Mohammad-Reza Shajarian