DELEGATES
An invitation to Czech Music Crossroads 2023 has been excepted by more than 30 foreign experts from the music business from the whole world. Thus performing musicians will have the opportunity to approach three dozen music managers, bookers, festival organizers and journalists. Some of them will also perform within the conference program.
Imed
ALIBI
TUNISIA / FRANCE | Musician and composer
Imed Alibi is a Tunisian musician and composer. Throughout his career, Imed’s experience spans from music performance and composition to artistic direction, cultural management, and project consultancy. He worked as the Artistic Director of International Festival of Carthage (2020/2021) and Carthage Music Days (JMC) in 2019, and for Sousse International Percussion Festival for 3 years. He has collaborated as a jury member of Visa for Music in Morocco, Babel Music XP in Marseille, Al Mawred, Institut Français, Arabesques in Montpellier and Music in Africa.
As an artistic advisor, he has worked with Le Silo in South of France for 5 years, and recently with Candid Foundation in Germany on the Alhan Libya project. As a subject matter expert, he worked for the UNESCO program in Morocco Music and Sustainable Development led by Anya. In addition, he has been chosen to be the subject matter expert for the future European capitals of culture.
Imed is an experienced artistic director and programmer who has travelled to more than 60 countries, specializing in innovative commissions to world artists in different art media, from digital to large public art, local and international partnerships with diverse communities, strategic development and thinking. In 2021, he was nominated Knight of Arts and Letters in France. He is now responsible of the music department of the Atelier des artistes en exile in Paris.
BAASCH
POLAND | Producer, composer, and vocalist
Baasch is one of the most original artists on the Polish electronic music scene. He's known for perfectly composed, memorable songs, catchy, dark melodies, intriguing lyrics, and mesmerizing vocals. He also composes soundtracks for movies, theatre, ads, and art exhibitions.
Baasch has released three original albums and two remix albums, to which he invited the greatest stars of the Polish music scene to cooperate. He had also opened concerts for artists like Tricky, Sega Bodega, and Bloodgroup. Having played hundreds of concerts at some of the biggest festivals in the country – Open'er, Meskie Granie, Orange, Tauron, Audioriver, Fest Festival – makes him a confident and instinctual live music performer. His fans could also see him on many stages in Europe, including Hungary, Germany, the Czech Republic, Norway, Iceland, France, Romania, and even China. He received a Fryderyk ("Polish Grammy" music award), for the best electronic album of the year.
Baasch has been also active in the field of advertising for years. He created music for the campaigns of such famous brands as Vogue, Reserved, and Zortrax. He is proud to engage in social campaigns, like writing music for spots about aid for refugees of the war in Ukraine.
Xavier
BARCELÓ
SPAIN | Project Manager at the Institut d'Estudis Baleàrics, Music coordinator at Fira B
Xavier has a background in literature and music performance. He works as a Project Manager at the Institut d'Estudis Baleàrics, the Balearic Islands regional government agency that promotes its culture outside of the islands. His work involves cooperating with national and international agents and showcasing festivals, to encourage them to include artists from the Balearics in their lineups.
Additionally, he coordinates and processes the subsidies that are allocated to the musical sector in the islands and offers consultancy to artists to develop their international careers. He also supervises the music side of Fira B, the music and performing arts showcasing festival of the Balearic Islands, and spreads it in showcasing festivals and events all over Europe.
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Eszter
BARNA
HUNGARY | Project Manager in MOST
Eszter works as a project manager in the international team of Hangvető, where her main role is to coordinate the artist pillar of the MOST - The Complex Strategy to Develop the Balkan World Music Scene project, and she's also involved in the company's showcase platform project, UPBEAT. After graduating in sociology and music management, she has been involved with project coordination mainly in the NGO sector, where she gained experience in implementing and coordinating Erasmus mobility projects. However, she couldn't resist her ultimate passion: music.
Thorsten
BEDNARZ
GERMANY | Music publicist, Deutschlandradio Kultur Germany
A desperate record collector of mainly African grooves, hosting a show on German national radio Deutschlandradio Kultur.
Bogdan
BENIGAR
SLOVENIA | Director for jazz and world music in Cankarjev dom, Cultural & Congress Centre, director of Jazz festival Ljubljana and artistic director of Druga godba festival, Ljubljana
Board member of EFWMF (European Forum of Worldwide Music Festivals) 1996 – 1998 and 2004 – 2008 and board member of EJN (Europe Jazz Network) 2012-2018. Leader of European Jazz Conference in Ljubljana 2017. Member of Womex jury 2006 and Jazzahead juries 2011 and 2015. Received the 2018 EJN Award for adventurous programming.
Graduated law school in Ljubljana.
Sebastian
BUCCIONI
ESTONIA/CANADA | Director of Estonian Music Week, project manager of Music Estonia
Sebastian Buccioni is the Artistic and Executive Director of Estonian Music Week (EMW), Toronto, and a Project Manager at Music Estonia (ME), Tallinn. Despite the challenges of the pandemic, Buccioni successfully organized EMWs first online season in 2020 followed by its first hybrid music festival in 2021, which connected performers on two stages 6700 km apart in real-time through the power of live-stream. Buccioni takes a collaborative approach to programming, working with community groups to deliver meaningful content. Expanding EMW beyond programming, Buccioni is the driving force behind EMW's involvement in music import/export between Canada and Estonia. As a Project Manager, Buccioni is largely responsible for ME’s international conference and tradeshow portfolio (including WOMEX, Reeperbahn, and Jazzahead! among others). His work involves organizing delegations and events, conducting market research and advising artists. Buccioni served on the board of Toronto Operetta Theatre for 4 years including 1.5 years as President. While active as a musician, Buccioni was known for his work as a Hammond Organist and Keyboardist with the Julian Taylor Band, the Out of Towners and Chameleon Project. His compositional work has earned him a FACTOR and Canada Council for the Arts grant. Buccioni holds a BFA with specialization in music from York University and a Postgraduate Diploma in Arts Management from Queen’s.
Catarina Pauli
CALDAS
GERMANY | International agent
From an early age, Catarina Pauli Caldas spent her free time jobbing at jazz festivals and exploring her own musical expression, gradually expanding her tool-kit with studies in musicology and event management. After starting off her career in the artist management field, these past few years have seen her build up the international booking department at Handshake Booking. Expanding the Berlin-based agency’s horizons and consolidating its international presence, she works with festivals and venues worldwide, seeking synergies to develop partnerships with like-minded professionals.
Handshake Booking was founded over 10 years ago. With a network spanning all relevant concert halls, venues, and festivals in GSA and presenting artists such as Mayra Andrade, Theo Croker or Marina Satti, the agency quickly established its name within the world of jazz and global music, later progressing into presenting artists from the pop/rock and the classical worlds, too.
Nabil
CANAAN
LEBANON | Co-founder of Station Beirut
Nabil is the co-founder of Station Beirut arts platform, director of its cultural centre in Beirut, producer of its international projects.
After an earlier career in marketing and technology, Nabil pivoted into the creative industries twenty years ago as a cultural change agent in journalism, film and arts.
Born in Beirut with a childhood in Lagos, Nabil moved to Geneva for his studies and early career. He later graduated with a Masters in Journalism and Film from NYU, was a multimedia journalist for the New York Times, ran a film production and post studio in Geneva, and consulted on UN sector development projects in West Africa and the Levant.
In 2013, Nabil set up Station in a reimagined wood factory in Beirut to channel a vision of arts & culture for social transformation. Station programs contemporary visual and live arts from the Swana region, with a curatorial focus on social practice projects. From the first Pride events in the region to landmark art shows like Yalla Dada, Station seeks to inspire critical thinking and civic engagement through its cultural happenings. In 2022, Station launched SHURUQ MUSIC, its flagship platform to elevate talent, strengthen music ecosystems and amplify music productions from Swana to the world. Shuruq offers artist development, content production, music marketing & booking services.
Despite the acute series of crises Lebanon has endured since 2019 (mass street protests, covid disruption, economic collapse, explosion of Beirut port, political instability), Station Beirut has continued its activities, with Shuruq Music providing invaluable support to the local music community during these trying times.
Nabil is also board member of the Cabaret Voltaire in Zurich, on the artistic committee of the Biennale of Contemporary Arab Photography in Paris and founding member of the Fondation Leila Alaoui in Marrakesh. He is a regular guest of arts and music forums, partners with sister organizations in the region and develops international projects with the likes of the Institut du Monde Arabe in Paris, Music Ally in London and the FIFDH in Geneva. He has also served on jury committees with Visa For Music Festival (Morocco) and Fete de la Musique (Lebanon).
Jose
DA SILVA
CAPE VERDE | Producer, founder of the Kriol Jazz Festival
Over 35 years ago, José discovered, seized by chills, the voice of Cesaria Evora. In 1988, he produced the first album of Cesaria Evora and created the label Lusafrica. With Lusafrica, he became the spokesperson of African music.
The profits generated by Cesaria’s albums were used to finance other productions such as Bau, Teofilo Chantre, Bonga, Lura or Tcheka. The company recorded several discographic successes such as Sally Nyolo (Cameroon), Patrick St Eloi (Guadeloupe), Meiway (Ivory Coast), Pierre Akendengue (Gabon) Oliver N’Goma (Gabon) and Boubacar Traoré (Mali). He then headed to Brazil and Cuba where he signed several bands such as the Orquesta Aragon, Polo Montañez and Leyanis Lopez.
José has managed to develop his label which now has over two hundred references and over two thousand titles in circulation. In 2008, he launched his own festival, Kriol Jazz Festival, which quickly became a reference in West Africa, and was part of ACP program from 2009 to 2011. In 2013, he produced The Atlantic Music Expo, a music market involving various Atlantic countries, in partnership with Womex. Jose also served as a consultant for the installation of Universal music in Africa and the installation of Sony music in Ivory Coast. In September 2016, he became President of Sony Music Entertainment Ivory Coast.
Cedric
DAVID
COLOMBIA/FRANCE | Founder of AFROPICKS, one of the directors of HIGHHILLPROD, manager and consultant
French and Colombian, Cedric has been a key part of the growth and success of Colombian music during the last 2 decades.
Cedric is an international music expert, involved in different projects linked with Afro culture and music in southern countries, looking for bridges in between American and African continents, with the necessary environmental consciousness in artist touring and events.
He is the founder of AFROPICKS - latinamerican booking and touring agency focused in Black Music from Africa, Caribbean and America. Also he is co-director of HIGHHILLPROD.
Lynn
DEWITTE
BELGIUM | Program manager
at Brussels Jazz Weekend
Lynn Dewitte is the program manager of Brussels Jazz Weekend, a free annual festival celebrating jazz in all its forms in the heart of Brussels. She is also part of the team behind the Brussels Jazz Alert platform, promoting upcoming Belgian talents.
She has been working in the music industry for several years as a manager, booker, event organizer and label coordinator. In 2020 she founded her agency “Lynn Dewitte, Booking & Management” to support and promote Belgian and international artists. She is also a founding member of the new Fédération des Bookers et Managers Uni·e·s (FBMU) representing these professions at Belgian level.
Gianluca
GIUSTI
ITALY | Music Export Manager at Ater Foundation - Emilia-Romagna Music Commission
Dealing with music in various aspects: musician, producer, agent.
Trying to apply a humanist approach, putting the values of sharing, culture, and progress at the center of his work in the music business.
Michał
HAJDUK
POLAND | Music director, NOSPR jazz programmer
Michał Hajduk has been involved in the music business since 2001. He started as an independent concert booker/promoter, gaining experience as a music curator at the Centre For Contemporary Art in Warsaw, independent music venues manager, tour manager, and bands manager, co-programmer for festivals, and contributor for indie record labels.
Since 2008, he had worked with the Adam Mickiewicz Institute, a state cultural institution promoting Polish culture around the world. As an alternative and jazz music curator, he created and developed strategies for the alternative music sector and co-organized a number of events and conferences in Poland and all over the world under the label “Don’t Panic! We’re from Poland”.
Since 2019, he has cooperated with the Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra in Katowice as a programmer.
Neus
LOPEZ
SPAIN/GERMANY | Head of Export at Initiative Musik
Neus López (Barcelona, *1973) is Head of Export at Initiative Musik, the German music funding and export office that supports rock, pop and jazz music. Main goals of Initiative Musik are the promotion of young musical talent, the integration of musicians with immigrant backgrounds, the dissemination of German music to foreign markets and the support of music venues that significantly contribute to maintaining cultural diversity in Germany. Initiative Musik supports both musicians and music companies in distributing their repertoire abroad, for instance through grants for international music releases and performances at international showcase festivals and support tours, or through special projects at international key events. Initiative Musik represents Germany at international networks like the European Talent Exchange Programme (ETEP) and the European Music Exporters Exchange (EMEE) and organizes music-themed tours on behalf of the Federal Republic of Germany for its Visitors Programme.
Petra
LUDVÍKOVÁ
CZECH REPUBLIC | Concert promoter, music programmer, music manager
Since 2006, she has been collaborating with Prague's Palác Akropolis, where she significantly contributes to music programming. Among other things, she also coordinates activities related to Akropolis' membership in the international club platform Liveurope, which was created to support emerging European musicians.
She is the founder of the event agency 8PM promotion, under which she organizes concert series such as Femme Fatale, focused on premier concerts by foreign female musicians in Prague. She has experience in music management of several successful bands and worked with musician Never Sol for 6 years.
Since 1996, she has been part of the DJ team of the legendary Rádio 1.
In 2002, she was involved in the establishment of Stanice O (later TV Óčko), where she initially worked as an editor of genre programs and hosted her own show Frisbee about the electronic music scene.
Marton
NARAY
HUNGARY/CZECH REPUBLIC | Head of SoundCzech
Márton has been working in the creative and cultural sector for over 20 years. During this time, he had the opportunity to explore the music industry through a 360° viewpoint, as a record store manager, a festival programmer (Sziget Festival, Babel Sound, European Music Day, OZORA Festival, West-Balkan, Akvarium Klub – Budapest, among others), a booking agent, a project manager for a governmental music export agency (Music Export in Hungary and Czech Republic), a city program manager, a conference organizer (regiON, SoundQuest, Overhead, Nouvelle Prague, ReConnect – Brno), club promoter, tour manager, musician, radio presenter, and of course as a music addict. Since 2017, Márton has worked as the head of the SoundCzech, Czech music export office.
Martyna van
NIEUWLAND
NETHERLANDS | Artistic Director of Music Meeting Festival
Since 2022, Martyna van Nieuwland has been the artistic director of Music Meeting Festival in Nijmegen, the Netherlands. She specializes in curating interdisciplinary and social projects within international programmes (Upbeat platform is one of them). She was a member of the team that organized WOMEX 2017 in Katowice and a member of the board of the Europe Jazz Network (2018-2021).
Svenja
MAHLSTEDE
GERMANY | Sync Licensing Manager at Universal Music Publishing
Svenja is a Sync Licensing Manager at Universal Music Publishing which is the world’s second largest music publishing company. UMPG’s catalogue consists of over three million songs, with offices in over 30 countries.
"As a Sync Licensing Manager, I license music for advertising campaigns. I work with brands such as Ferrero, Mercedes, Porsche and Vodafone as well as with music supervisors all over Europe. My job is to make our writers and the brands happy by providing opportunities for both sides, therefore connecting the music & advertising industries."
Agnieszka
MATECKA
POLAND | ACKiM UMCS Chatka Żaka
Anieszka is a representative of the Academic Centre for Culture and Media of Maria Curie – Skłodowska University from Lublin; coordinator of the International Folk Music Festival “Mikolajki Folkowe” organized every second weekend of December since 1991; journalist of Folk Magazine: the newspaper published by the ACKiM UMCS Chatka Żaka for more than 20 years; and manager of Polish folk group: St Nicholas Orchestra.
Martin
NOGA
SLOVAKIA | Festival director, promoter and musician
Martin Noga has organized many concerts and festivals as a promoter and is familiar with the Slovak world music scene and cultural background. Martin is also a musician (Balkansambel), CEO of the festival Hudba sveta Žilina.
Fabiola
PAZMIÑO
ECUADOR | Coordinator of the Sucre National Theater in Quito
Fabiola is responsible for producing festivals such as Ecuador Jazz, the International Festival of Sacred Music and the Quito Festival of the Performing Arts. She has spearheaded the Ecuadorian production of operas and musicals such as "The Magic Flute of the Andes" and "West Side Story". She is a programmer of the academic content for the Isla Viva Galápagos Music Conference; advisor to the International Market of the Musical Industry of Ecuador; co-founder of the HiloNegro cultural agency for strengthening the musical ecosystem; Production Director of Plan Arteria; active member of the international cooperation networks ADIMI, Frente Musical Ecuador and SateliteLAT, which makes the work of women in the music industry in Latin America visible.
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Gavin
POONOOSAMY
MAURITIUS | Producer
and communications strategist
A citizen of the world based in Mauritius, fascinated by Arts & related practices in civil,private and public spheres; involved in different ways with diverse initiatives having at hearta drive to (1.) stimulate Arts production and related activities, (2.) set up regularplatforms/spaces for artistic expression, (3.) Develop and diversify audiences around thecelebration of artforms, (4.) impact on Societal Development, (5.) contribute to constructivecultural, or general, sector specific policies or state decisions influencing legislative framesand working conditions of Artists and competences within the Professional Arts Sector, and(6.) local & international Arts Sector networking.
Piotr
PUCYLO
POLAND | Art director at GLOBALTICA World Cultures festival
Piotr Pucylo is an international music industry professional with over 20 years of experience working as a producer, booker, project coordinator, promoter, and journalist. In 2005, he co-founded GLOBALTICA World Cultures Festival – now one of the biggest and best world music festivals in Poland – he is the programming and artistic director of this exceptional event. Piotr, being also a graphic designer, in this presentation combines his experience in both musical and graphic fields.
Franki
RADEN
BALI | Art and cultural events manager, music and cultural critic
Since 2011, he has been active and organizing art and cultural events across Indonesia and abroad such as INDONESIAN MUSIC EXPO (IMEX) and TORAJA INT’L FESTIVAL (TIF). He is also active in performing music with INO, the 45-piece Indonesian National Orchestra he founded in 2010. Currently, he holds a position of the Consultant for Culture at the newly founded
Indonesian International Islamic University (UIII) in Jakarta.
Franki graduated in ethnomusicology, with minors in performance art and Southeast Asian studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He was the recipient of numerous artistic and research awards from prestigious institutions such as Ford Foundation (USA), Social Science Research Council (USA), and The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of the Republic of Korea. He also received the most prestigious CITRA awards for Best Film Scores for
“November 1828” (1978) and “Nagabonar” (1986) in Indonesian Film Festival (FFI).
Since 1975, he has been active as a music and cultural critic publishing articles on arts and culture in prestigious encyclopedia and books. Between 2003-2005, he was an assistant professor at the Fine Arts Cultural Studies Program,
York University, Toronto. In 2006-2007, he taught at the Visual and Performing Arts Program, Department of Humanities, University of Toronto. In 2007-2008, he was a Visiting Fellow at the Department of Southeast Asian Studies, National University of Singapore.
Maarten van
ROUSSELT
BELGIUM | Coordinator of the Artistic Departement at Flagey
He is the coordinator of the Artistic Departement at Flagey, which is a Brussels based venue focusing on music and cinema. He is also the jazz promotor and founder and artistic director of the Brussels Jazz Festival which exists since 2015.
Flagey is situated in the former Radio and Television house of Belgium and is a beautiful Art Deco building of the 30 ́s. They focus on music and cinema because of the origins of the building. On a musical level they mainly present jazz, classical music, world music and contemporary music. For their cinema program, they work together with the Royal Film Archive of Belgium.
Dudu
SARR
SENEGAL | Youssou NDOUR International Management, Founder of Dakar Music Expo (DMX)
Dudu Sarr is a recognized expert in the music sector in Africa. After 20 years spent in London, Dudu Sarr came back to Dakar, where he founded the Dakar Music Expo, an international music fair, which third edition was held in February 2022. Dudu Sarr is Youssou N'Dour's international manager and dedicates his experience to the development of new African talent.
Milan
TESAŘ
CZECHIA | Music director at Radio Proglas, Head of the World Music Charts Europe panel
Milan Tesař has been working as music director in Radio Proglas, Brno, Czech republic, since 1995. Since then, he has prepared several thousand interviews with musicians and other radio shows about folk, jazz, world, blues and alternative music. He has been writing for various magazines and newspapers about music. He has been cooperating with the Czech public radio (Czech Radio Jazz station). He worked also for the Czech television.
For many years he has been part of the juries of various music competitions. He is the head of the Folk and Jazz genre sections in the Czech Anděl Awards.
He is a member of the World Music Charts Europe expert panel. And since 2020, he has been the head of this panel.
Maria
THEESSINK
DENMARK | Artistic director of the Tønder Festival
Maria Theessink is the Artistic Director at Tønder Festival in Denmark. Tønder Festival is one of Europe´s most respected folk & roots festivals. The festival can celebrate its 50th birthday in 2024. The festival is a non-profit since 1974. The festival always takes place in the last full weekend of August.
Araceli
TZIGANE
SPAIN | Director of Mapamundi Música, music columnist
Araceli Tzigane is a cultural entrepreneur whose path combines the dissemination in specialized media and the work on management and booking, always in the field of world music. She started to work in written media in 2001 and in radio in 2002. Since then, she has always been working on dissemination of music in different media. Since 2007, she has directed Mapamundi Música, a cultural management agency dedicated to promote, distribute and produce world music live shows and to develop cultural and artistic projects related to the folk music of the peoples. Mapamundi Música is a founder member of the European Folk Network, of which Araceli has been a member of the board since October 2020.
In 2006 she joined Juan Antonio Vázquez in Mundofonías, radio show that is currently global leader about world music in Spanish language and is broadcasted in 17 countries of Europe and the Americas. She is also a founder member of the Transglobal World Music Chart, which produces monthly and annual albums charts and an annual festivals award. Araceli is also a frequent lecturer in festivals and conferences in the fields of world music, resources and skills for musicians‘ careers.
Veronika
VAJDA
HUNGARY | Project manager at Hangvető
Veronika has finished conservatoire studies as a fiddler playing folk music from Hungary and Romania and graduated as a music culture expert and ethnomusicologist with a special interest in Central Eastern and South Eastern European music cultures.
Since joining Hangvető's team as a project manager, she has been involved in large-scale international projects including MOST - The Bridge for Balkan Music and UPBEAT - The European Showcase Platform for World Music, a platform project with the aim to promote emerging artists through supporting European showcase festivals. Vera is also a member of the team behind BALKAN:MOST Festival, a showcase and conference celebrating the Balkan world music scene.
Jonathan
WALSH
GREAT BRITAIN | CEO at Kambe Events
Jon co-founded Shambala Festival in the UK over 20 years ago. Shambala is a multi-award winning independent festival that is recognised for pushing forward the sustainability agenda in the events sector, as well as always championing emerging talent.
He is an Executive Director and board member at Kambe Events Ltd that runs the festival, as well as other events and projects. As Chief Operating Officer for the company his day-to-day focus is on the delivery of Kambe’s overarching strategy, mission, vision, values.
Jon is a serial social entrepreneur having been involved in many non-profit organisations and businesses over the years. Kambe’s current partnerships include a stainless steel bottle manufacturing business (RAW bottles) and an independent event application enterprise focussed on festival apps with data ethics at their core - Boma.
He has a wealth of specialist experience in the music and events industry. He has been instrumental in many successful start-ups, is an experienced event and operations coordinator, promoter, music booker and spent his youth selling vinyl records in a successful independent shop he established in the late 90s.
He lived and worked in Tanzania for several years delivering NGO projects that supported environmental education and project development. He is currently on the board of the Association of Independent Festival (AIF) in the UK, was a founding trustee of Ecolibrium, is on the steering group of Vision 2025 and is a trustee of the Kelmarsh Windfarm Community Benefit charity, where he lives and Shambala is held.
Antonis
ZOUGANELIS
GREECE | Artistic Director of the AthensJazz Festival, Director of the Athens Music Week Conference
Artistic Director of the AthensJazz, Conference director of the Athens Music Week and huge admirer of the British Jazz explosion, Antonis Zouganelis is currently the music and events consultant of Technopolis – City of Athens and the Owner of the music consulting agency TheCluster. He grew up in Nikaia, Piraeus and studied at the American College of Greece.
Having worked in the music sector for more than 20 years, he has been moving around in various positions and businesses within the industry. From artistic direction to artists’ management and International bookings, from intellectual property to creative direction and production, from events & festivals production management to marketing management and from entertainment concept design to cultural management and consulting in music projects & businesses. He’s a versatile Gen X.
Dream Job: Running a campsite by the beach.