Public concerts in El Valle and Panama City:

The camp is an annual tradition organized by the National Concert Association.

A great opportunity to enjoy the talent of young Panamanian and U.S. musicians will be offered to visitors this month, during the annual Music Camp (January 14-28) organized by the National Concert Association.

One of the highlights of the actictivity is the camp's traditional concert at the Catholic church of the mountain resort community of El Valle de Antón, located 126 km northwest of Panama City (January 28, 7:30 p.m.) A popular retreat among Panama City residents, El Valle harbors many eco-tourist and leisure opportunities.

Encompassing numerous workshops and performances directed by renowed international directors, the Music Camp is a decades-old tradition in which young Panamanian musicians share the stage with students from the Oberlin Conservatory (U.S.A.)

The National Concert Association is a private, non-profit organization that promotes world-class concerts in Panama. Its regular concert season extends from April to September. For more information, call: (507) 214-7236, e-mail: luvmusic@cableonda.net

Panamanian Jazz star Danilo Pérez, one of the main promoters of the Festival.

Top Jazz performers of Latin America and the U.S. Will take part in Panama City's 2006 International Jazz Festival, January 18-21.

This year, the festival will be a tribute to the late Mauricio Smith, a Panamanian-born flautist who played in the bands of Frank Sinatra, Harry Belafonte, Tito Puente and others.

The list of international performers includes guitarrist Kurt Rosenwinkel, the Sounds of Ashé ensemble (University of Massachussets) and the New England Conservatory's Jazz Ensemble. Their Panamanian hosts will be Alex Blake, Neil Clarke, Santi Debriano, Ricaurte Villarreal, Carlos Ubarte, Ricky Snánchez, Randy Weston, Patricia Elena Vlieg, Carlos Garnet, Toñito Vargas, and Manuelito Corrales, among others.

Activities will start on Jan. 18 with a Night of Jazz Fusion at Restaurante La Casona at 11:p.m., featuring Ibrahim merel, Chale Icaza, Eduardo Crócamo and Ibrahim Oscar. The zenith of the festival, however, will be three grand performances, the first of which will be "Sax and Panamanian Folklore Night" (Jan. 19, Atlapa Convention Center, 7:30 p.m.); "Guitar, Piano and Panamanian Jazz Night (Jan. 20, Atlapa, 7:30 p.m.) and "Jazz at Cathedral Plaza" (Jan 21., San Felipe district, 1:00 p.m.) Other performances will take place at the Club Sparkles, at Miramar Intercontinental Hotel (19-21, 11:00 p.m.) and at the University of Panama.

Panama's International Jazz Festival is organized by Panama City’s Mayoralty and Danilo Pérez, a Panamanian Jazz pianist who has enjoyed success in Europe and North America.

Tickets: $30.00, $20.00, $15.00 and $10.00. For more information, call TicketCenter, 279-1010, or visit the page www.panamajazzfestival.com

Make plans. Boquete’s International Flower and Coffee Fair, the largest event of its kind in Central America, starts on January 13.

Millions of roses, petunias, daisies and other specimens from around the planet are shipped to Boquete every year to create beautiful displays and floats. Coffee lovers also enjoy sampling the grain variety produced in the Chiriquí highlands, as well as imports from major international producers.

Known as Panama’s “Land of Eternal Spring”, Boquete enjoys cool weather year round. Nevertheless, the town seems to be changing its image of a tranquil retreat community to become a center of eco-tourist adventures, including white water river rafting and rock climbing. Yet, the area’s forests continue to attract bird watchers, who look for species such as the rare, Resplandescent Quetzal.

The event is the second of a long list of colorful country festivals which take place between the months of December and May, taking advantage of the season’s fair weather. Other recommended, upcoming fairs include the San Sebastian de Ocú Fair (early January) and David International Fair (March).

Boquete is a six and-a-half hour drive from Panama City and about 30 minutes from David, the provincial capital. To get there, visitors can either travel by rented car from Panama City or fly to the provincial capital of David, where car rentals are also available (Flights to Chiriquí depart from Marcos A. Gelabert Airport). Another way is traveling by bus to David, and making the corresponding connection to Boquete (Buses depart from the National Bus Terminal, also located in Albrook .

There are hotels and cabins in Volcán, Cerro Punta and Guadalupe. Excellent accomodations can also be found in David. Being one of the highest points in the republic, Boquete is sweater and jacket country.

Justine Pasek, the first Panamanian-born Miss Universe, has launched her 2006 calendar, which features spectacular photos of Panama’s most famous super-model, combined with fashion, health and beauty tips.

The calendar is for sale at Grand Morrison, and Arrocha stores, as well as in 94 other locations throughout Panama.

Justine was crowned Miss Universe in 2002 and has become one of the country’s most beloved and respected personalities. She is currently involved in a number of social projects and charities, including PROBISIDA, the country’s most important private organization dedicated to the well-being of AIDS patients.

Proceeds from the sale of the calendar will be donated to PROBISIDA and to FANLYC (a charity for children with cancer and leukemia.)

Don’t miss the grand fair of Ocu:

The long parade of regional festivals that spans Panama’s dry season (January-April) will make a stop in Ocú, province of Herrera this month for the town’s grand International Fair, scheduled to take place Jan. 19-23.

Ocú will honor its fame of being one of the most folklore-oriented towns in the republic with a plethora of vivid presentations by local dance troupes. These dance groups, which are made up in some cases by professional dancers and in others by elementary-school children, will give visitors an overview of the main rhythms of each part of the country.

In addition to pop and folklore music concerts, public dances and games, the fair will also feature agricultural and farming exhibits.

The town of Ocú is located in western Herrera and it’s approximately a one-and-a-half hour’s drive from Chitré, the provincial capital, which boasts the best lodging facilities of the region, including Hotel Hong Kong (996-4483), Hotel Versalles (996-4422) and Hotel Rex (996-4310) and Hotel Los Guayacanes (996-9758).

A folklore dance troupe.

Nationwide Tour Movistar Panama Championship 2006

For the third consecutive year, Panama will host the "Movistar Panama Champion-ship" –one of the most important tournaments of the Nationwide Tour south of the Rio Grande. A group of directors from the PTA recently visited Panama to supervise the final arrangements for the event, which will take place January 26-29 2006 at Club de Golf de Panama. The event, which will be broadcast by prestigious international cable TV channels, has attracted 132 players.

Nelly Healy, General Manager of the club, told The Visitor that one of the reasons the PGA chose Club de Golf de Panama was the level of difficulty of the course, which features two of the toughest holes of the entire tour. The year the tournament was held for the first time in Panama, 2004, 26 former PGA players declared the club "The Field of the Year".

Many current international golf stars have played in the Panama tournament, such as Jimmy Walker, the winner of the 2004 tourney, who was chosen "Player of the Year" and joined the PGA tour along with 19 other players. The list also includes Vance Veazy, winner of the 2005 version, Colombian-born Camilo Villegas, and Jason Gore, who after ranking 44th in Panama, classified for the U.S. open and became the leader of three rounds. He has won three times this year at the Nationwide tournament, including the 84 Lumber Pensylvannia Classic ($792,000), thus becoming the first player to win the PGA Tour after playing in Panama.

"We are sure that another group of future stars will surprise us all at next year’s tournament", said Healy.

The total prize of the Movistar Panama Champion-ship 2006 amounts to $55,000.00 –the largest in Latin America.

Surrounded by the forest-clad mountains of Chagres National Park, Club de Golf de Panama is located northeast of Panama City, off the road leading to Tocumen International Airport.