The Honda Celebration of Lights is set to kickoff the first of three, dazzling pyrotechnic displays over Vancouver鈥檚 English Bay this Saturday.
India will delight the 麻豆传媒映画audience with a show that the Mumbai-based Amir Morani Fireworks team hopes will, 鈥渨in people鈥檚 hearts.鈥� And while the group has done a number of festivals and celebrations in India, it will mark the first time that the team of five have performed at an international festival. In fact, it鈥檒l be the first time ever that India will be represented at an international fireworks festival.
鈥淭here will be a mix of Indian songs, English songs, a little bit of Cold Play 鈥� it鈥檚 a little bit of everything,鈥� says Amir Morani, team owner, told 麻豆传媒映画. 鈥淲e are very excited.鈥�
Morani adds that he鈥檚 received a great deal of support back in India, too.
鈥淲e have received a lot of messages on our FaceBook page, and on our Instagram page.鈥�
Of course, the Mumbai-based group won鈥檛 be orchestrating the event on their own. Kelly Guillle, President, Archangel Fireworks Inc, explains that the event involves months of preparation 鈥� as well as a great deal of effort in the final days.
鈥淲e have catering feed us here so we don鈥檛 have to leave the barge to go for lunch,鈥� he describes. 鈥淚f every day could be eight to five that would be wonderful 鈥� but life isn鈥檛 like that during fire week.鈥�
Guille notes that although a great deal of the products are imported, many of them simply can鈥檛 be. In these cases, Guille sources products from his facility in Winnipeg and others from Quebec. Further, he works directly with the directors of each team to ensure that the products work with their vision.
Before any of that happens, however, Guille says teams must meet a certain standard to simply be considered for the competition.
鈥淚 need to vet the teams if I haven鈥檛 worked with them before. We don鈥檛 just bring teams to 麻豆传媒映画who have a fireworks company. We need to know that they are capable of putting on a show.鈥�
Altogether, Guille reports between 16 and 20 crew help assemble the show on the barge.
鈥淥nce the shells are in the gun, we put foil on them so that each one is protected from sparking,鈥� he notes.
Have a look at how the pyrotechnicians create the dazzling effects over English Bay.
鈥淭hese are what we call 鈥榗akes,鈥� explains Guille as he points to some rectangular-looking boxes.
鈥淚t has one fuse and between 15 and 540 shots 鈥� it is what you鈥檒l see kind of lower in the sky 鈥� kind of peacock tails, or the repetitive sort of break. They are scattered around the barge and if you see layers in the sky, then they are probably going off at the same time.鈥�
He also brings out a 鈥榮ingle shot,鈥� which he explains has no fuse involved, and goes right into the lit charge. 鈥淭his is what you鈥檙e going to see when you鈥檝e got intricate patterns that are super timed to the music.鈥�
Finally, Guille takes us to the 鈥榮hooting shack鈥� 鈥� a red shack located at the end of the barge that houses the computers that orchestrate the show.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 where we fire from.鈥�
TransLink is boosting transit service and adjusting bus routes to deal with the huge crowds expected on Celebration of Light nights.
Music simulcast can be heard on The Breeze 104.3 FM and through the festival鈥檚 mobile app.
India kicks off this year鈥檚 festival followed by Canada (July 31) and Croatia (Aug. 3). Fireworks begin at 10 p.m. each night.
The winning team will be announced on Aug. 6.
