Following a successful inaugural show last year, Neeya Jacob, creator of Urban Exotic Fashiontainment, is back with a new line-up of Canadian designers whose fashions have a global appeal.

Luxury line Karamea by Michelle Turpin; eco-friendly Passenger Pigeon’s designer duo Heather Schibli and Wendy Traas; and Fieerce will walk the runway at Urban Exotic Fashiontainment 2007. Luxury fabrics, organic fabrics and designs for the confident modern woman who likes to be classy, funky and culture conscious – there is a style for each mood.

This year Urban Exotic is committed to supporting OneChild, founded by young Canadian children’s rights activist Cheryl Perera.

OneChild is a Canada-based, non-governmental organization dedicated to the elimination of the commercial sexual exploitation of children abroad.

"Cheryl Perera has been honoured as a recipient of the 2006 World of Children Founder’s award. Her efforts to protect children have distinguished her as one of ‘Canada’s Top 20 Under 20’ and she is the recipient of the Desi News-Grant’s Achiever’s Award. We are honoured to be able to support her work," said Jacob.

Urban Exotic will also lend the stage to other emerging artistes in the entertainment industry who will bring energy and life to the fashion show. This year, dancers from Hannan’s Bellydance Studio vow to keep the audience mesmerized with graceful dance routines.

Jacob created Urban Exotic to give emerging designers an opportunity to showcase their work to buyers, press and the general public. Born in Bahrain and raised all over the world, Jacob has seen and experienced fashion with a plethora of international influence.

"Designers chosen for the show only have to provide their pieces. We provide the venue, the models, makeup, hair and music. Toronto is a fashion capital, but our emerging designers still need more opportunities to have their designs seen. We’re here to give them a platform on which to shine," she says.

Urban Exotic will be held on September 20 at the Spin Gallery, 1100 Queen St. West, 2nd floor, Toronto. Doors open: 8 pm. Show starts: 9 pm. Tickets: $20 advance, at Bogamoda (10 Wellesley St. West), $25 at the door.

• To learn more about Urban Exotic 2007, visit www. urbanexotic.ca. Neeya Jacob can be reached atat 416-737-7746 or neeya@aria-events.com

ICC Twenty 20 World Cup

Asian Television Network International Limited (atn) has secured the exclusive Canadian broadcast

rights for the inaugural icc Twenty 20 World Cup Championship Cricket through espn Star Sports.

This world-class cricket event commences September 11.

These exclusive broadcast rights include all forms of television broadcasting including via internet and mobile phone across Canada.

The event is organized by the sport’s governing body, the International Cricket Council (icc). These international games include teams from South Africa, West Indies, England, Zimbabwe, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Kenya, Pakistan, India and Scotland.

In a press release, espn Star Sports stated that it has secured broadcast partnerships with leading broadcasters across the globe.

espn Star Sports is a 50:50 joint venture between two of the world’s leading cable and satellite broadcasters. As Asia’s definitive and complete sports broadcaster and content provider, espn Star Sports combines the strengths and resources of its ultimate parent companies Walt Disney (espn, Inc.) and News Corporation Limited (Star) to deliver a diverse range of international and regional sports.

Twenty 20 has helped the sport of cricket move with modern times with a fast paced format.

Gauri Guha with gaduka player Ivan Stefanov and Bulgarian vocalist, Radhka Stefanov

Toronto-based Gauri Guha, a highly acclaimed North Indian classical vocalist, attended the biggest dance and music seminar in Europe.

The seminar, which took place at Academie dete de Wallonie, Neauchateau in Belgium, attracted 300 participants from 25 different disciplines such as, tango, Cuban-African vocal, Kongo drums and dance, flamenco and Indian classical music (vocal, sitar, bansuri and tabla), Bulgarian and Romanian music, gypsy jazz, Belgian tiptar and Iranian percussion instruments, etc.

Apart from solo performances, Guha, the recipient of many grants from the Shastri Indo-Canadian Institute, the Ontario Arts Council and the Canada Council, performed with Bulgarian vocalist Radhka Stefanova, gaduka player Evan Stefanova and tiptar player Daniel Schell. The Academy appointed Guha a teacher to teach Indian classical vocal music.