This article does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (December 2009)

Vas County
Coat of arms
Country	Hungary
Region	Western Transdanubia
County seat	Szombathely
Area
• Total	3,336 km2 (1,288 sq mi)
Population
• Total	261,900
• Density	79/km2 (200/sq mi)

Vas (German: Eisenburg, Slovene: Železna županija or županija Železna) is the name of an administrative county (comitatus or megye) in present Hungary, and also in the former Kingdom of Hungary. The county is a part of the Centrope Project.

Geography[link]

Vas county lies in western Hungary. It shares borders with Austria and Slovenia and the Hungarian counties Győr-Moson-Sopron, Veszprém and Zala. The capital of Vas county is Szombathely. Its area is 3,336 km².

History[link]

Vas is also the name of a historic administrative county (comitatus) of the Kingdom of Hungary. Its territory is presently in western Hungary, eastern Austria and eastern Slovenia. The capital of the county was Szombathely.

Vas county arose as one of the first comitatus of the Kingdom of Hungary.

In 1918 (confirmed by the Treaty of Trianon 1920), the western part of the county became part of the new Austrian land Burgenland, and a smaller part in the southwest, known as Vendvidék became part of the newly formed Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (Yugoslavia). In the Vendvidék in 1919 was founded an unrecognized state the Prekmurje Republic, alike in Burgenlad the Lajtabánság. The remainder stayed in Hungary, as the present Hungarian county Vas. A small part of former Sopron county went to Vas county. Some villages north of Zalaegerszeg went to Zala county, and a small region west of Pápa went to Veszprém county.

Since 1991, when Slovenia became independent from Yugoslavia, the Yugoslavian part of former Vas county (around Murska Sobota) is part of Slovenia.

The Vas county is home to a small Slovene minority, which lives in the area between the town of Szentgotthard and the Slovenian border (see Hungarian Slovenes).

Regional structure[link]

Aerial photography: Szombathely - Hungary

City with county rights[link]

• Szombathely (county seat)

Cities and towns[link]

(ordered by population, according to the 2001 census)

• Sárvár (15,651)
• Körmend (12,616)
• Kőszeg (11,731)
• Celldömölk (11,650)
• Szentgotthárd (9,090)
• Vasvár (4,705)
• Csepreg (3,640)
• Vép (3,546)
• Bük (3,122)
• Répcelak (2,697)
• Őriszentpéter (1,293)

Villages[link]

Aerial photography: Ikervár - Palace

Ják - temple from above

• 

  Zsennye - Bezerédi Palace

Presidents of the General Assembly[link]

v t e Vas County County seat: Szombathely Cities and towns Sárvár Körmend Kőszeg Celldömölk Szentgotthárd Vasvár Csepreg Vép Bük Répcelak Őriszentpéter Villages Acsád Alsószölnök Alsóújlak Andrásfa Apátistvánfalva Bajánsenye Balogunyom Bejcgyertyános Bérbaltavár Bő Boba Bögöt Bögöte Borgáta Bozsok Bozzai Bucsu Cák Chernelházadamonya Csákánydoroszló Csánig Csehi Csehimindszent Csempeszkopács Csénye Csipkerek Csönge Csörötnek Daraboshegy Döbörhegy Döröske Dozmat Duka Egervölgy Egyházashetye Egyházashollós Egyházasrádóc Felsőcsatár Felsőjánosfa Felsőmarác Felsőszölnök Gasztony Gencsapáti Gersekarát Gérce Gór Gyanógeregye Gyöngyösfalu Győrvár Halastó Halogy Harasztifalu Hegyfalu Hegyháthodász Hegyhátsál Hegyhátszentjakab Hegyhátszentmárton Hegyhátszentpéter Horvátlövő Horvátzsidány Hosszúpereszteg Ikervár Iklanberény Ispánk Ivánc Ják Jákfa Jánosháza Karakó Katafa Káld Kám Keléd Kemeneskápolna Kemenesmagasi Kemenesmihályfa Kemenespálfa Kemenessömjén Kemenesszentmárton Kemestaródfa Kenéz Kenyeri Kercaszomor Kerkáskápolna Kétvölgy Kisrákos Kissomlyó Kisunyom Kiszsidány Köcsk Kondorfa Kőszegdoroszló Kőszegpaty Kőszegszerdahely Lócs Lukácsháza Magyarlak Magyarmádalja Magyarszecsőd Magyarszombatfa Meggyeskovácsi Megyehíd Mersevát Mesterháza Mesteri Meszlen Mikosszéplak Molnaszecsőd Nagygeresd Nagykölked Nagymizdó Nagyrákos Nagysimonyi Nagytilaj Nádasd Nárai Narda Nemesbőd Nemescsó Nemeskeresztúr Nemeskocs Nemeskolta Nemesládony Nemesmedves Nemesrempehollós Nick Nyőgér Olaszfa Ölbő Ólmod Orfalu Őrimagyarósd Ostffyasszonyfa Oszkó Pácsony Pankasz Pápoc Pecöl Perenye Peresznye Petőmihályfa Pinkamindszent Pornóapáti Porpác Pósfa Pusztacsó Püspökmolnári Rábagyarmat Rábahídvég Rábapaty Rábatöttös Rádóckölked Rátót Répceszentgyörgy Rönök Rum Sajtoskál Salköveskút Sárfimizdó Sé Simaság Sitke Söpte Sorkifalud Sorkikápolna Sorokpolány Sótony Szaknyér Szakonyfalu Szalafő Szarvaskend Szatta Szeleste Szemenye Szentpéterfa Szergény Szőce Tanakajd Táplánszentkereszt Telekes Tokorcs Tompaládony Tömörd Tormásliget Torony Uraiújfalu Vámoscsalád Vasalja Vásárosmiske Vasasszonyfa Vasegerszeg Vashosszúfalu Vaskeresztes Vassurány Vasszécseny Vasszentmihály Vasszilvágy Vát Velem Velemér Viszák Vönöck Zsédeny Zsennye Other topics History Geography Government Economy Culture Tourism

v t e Counties of Hungary Counties Bács-Kiskun Baranya Békés Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén Csongrád Fejér Győr-Moson-Sopron Hajdú-Bihar Heves Jász-Nagykun-Szolnok Komárom-Esztergom Nógrád Pest Somogy Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg Tolna Vas Veszprém Zala Urban counties Békéscsaba Budapest (capital) Debrecen Dunaújváros Eger Érd Győr Hódmezővásárhely Kaposvár Kecskemét Miskolc Nagykanizsa Nyíregyháza Pécs Salgótarján Sopron Szeged Székesfehérvár Szekszárd Szolnok Szombathely Tatabánya Veszprém Zalaegerszeg

Coordinates: 47°10′N 16°45′E / 47.167°N 16.75°E / 47.167; 16.75

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Vas County

This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (May 2010)

Franco De Vita
Background information
Born	(1954-01-23) January 23, 1954 (age 58)
Origin	Caracas, Venezuela
Genres	Latin pop
Years active	1982–present
Associated acts	Wisin & Yandel
Website	Official Website

Franco De Vita (born January 23, 1954 in Caracas, Venezuela) is a singer-songwriter. His first disc as a solo artist garnered three Spanish-language hits in Venezuela. He signed with the Sony label in 1988, and in 1990, his album Extranjero had a song that reached No. 1 on the U.S. Latin charts and won an MTV Video Music Award. His 2004 album Stop reached the Top 10 throughout Latin America and on the U.S. Latin charts.

Career[link]

1980s[link]

One of four children born in Venezuela to Italian immigrants, De Vita’s family returned to Italy when he was 3. The family moved back to Venezuela when De Vita was 13. Due to his upbringing in Italy, De Vita learned Italian as his first language and did not learn Spanish until he returned to Venezuela at age 13. He later studied piano at the university level. In 1982, De Vita formed the group Icaro, which released one self-titled album in his homeland. Two years later, he released his first disc as a solo artist, simply titled Franco De Vita. The album spun off three Spanish-language hits: "Somos Tres", "No Hay Cielo", and "Un Buen Perdedor". His 1986 album Fantasía produced several more hits, including the title song and "Aquí Estás Otra Vez". "Sólo Importas Tú", taken from the album, was used as the theme song to the Spanish-language soap opera La Dama De Rosa. He appeared in the end credits of every episode, performing the song at the piano.

Seeking wider international exposure, De Vita moved to the Sony label for the 1988 album Al Norte Del Sur.^[1] The album showed his socially-conscious, adult-oriented pop, particularly through the tunes "Te Amo" and "Louis". The latter song, about a daydreaming cabbie who idolizes The Beatles, was promoted with a music video considered quite advanced for its time. De Vita's 1990 album Extranjero featured the song "No Basta", which spent four weeks at No. 1 on the U.S. Latin charts and won an MTV Video Music Award.

1990s[link]

Most albums have included the live release En Vivo Marzo 16 (1992); Voces a mi Alrededor in 1993; the acoustic-flavored Fuera de Este Mundo (1996); and 1999's world-beat inspired Nada Es Igual. He left Sony for the 2002 album Segundas partes también son buenas, but returned to the label the following year.

2000s[link]

His 2004 album Stop reached the Top 10 throughout Latin America and on the U.S. Latin charts, spurred by the hits “Tú De Qué Vas” and “Si La Ves,” the latter a collaboration with pop group Sin Bandera. That same year, he toured arenas in the United States on a co-headlining tour with Ricardo Montaner, a fellow Venezuelan songwriter. He also has recorded in Italian and Portuguese. As a songwriter, he has written songs for Ricky Martin and Chayanne.

In 2005, an expanded edition of Stop was released, titled Stop + Algo Más, that included remixes and live recordings, as well as No Sé Lo Que Me Das, De Vita's first recording in English. The following year saw the release of Mil y Una Historias En Vivo, a two-disc live album that also featured four studio tracks, including collaborations with Alejandro Fernández and Diego El Cigala. A DVD version was released simultaneously.

In 2007, De Vita collaborated on a single with reggaeton duo Wisin & Yandel called "Oye Donde Esta El Amor", which borrowed the chorus from his composition "Donde Esta El Amor." They released an updated version of "Un Buen Perdedor" that peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot Latin Songs chart. In 2008, he re-recorded "Que No Muera La Esperanza" (originally featured on Voces A Mi Alrededor) with Wisin & Yandel, as well as releasing a new studio album, Simplemente La Verdad.

Spanish-language album discography[link]

• 1984 Franco De Vita
• 1986 Fantasía
• 1988 Al Norte Del Sur
• 1990 Extranjero
• 1992 En Vivo Marzo 16
• 1993 Voces a mi Alrededor
• 1996 Fuera de Este Mundo
• 1999 Nada Es Igual
• 2002 Segundas partes también son buenas
• 2004 Stop
• 2005 Stop + Algo Más
• 2006 Mil y Una Historias En Vivo
• 2008 Simplemente La Verdad
• 2011 En Primera Fila

(excludes compilations)

Album discography (non-Spanish)[link]

• 1993 Straniero (Italian)
• 1993 Isto é America (Portuguese)

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official Franco De Vita Web Site
• Franco De Vita Donde Esta el Amor

Anouar Brahem

Anouar Brahem (in Arabic أنور ابراهم) (born on October 20, 1957) is an oud player and composer. He is widely acclaimed as an innovator in his field.^[1] Performing primarily for a jazz audience, he fuses Arab classical music, folk music and jazz and has been recording since at least 1991, after becoming prominent in his own country in the late 1980s.^[2]

Biography[link]

Brahem was born in Halfaouine in the Medina of Tunis, Tunisia. He studied oud at Tunisia's National Conservatory of Music.^[2] In 1981, he left for Paris in search of new vistas. This enabled him to meet musicians from a variety of genres. He remained there as a composer for four years, notably for Tunisian cinema and theatre. He collaborated with Maurice Béjart for his ballet Thalassa Mare Nostrum and with Gabriel Yared as lutist for Costa Gavras’ film Hanna K..

After a period back in Tunisia in the late 1980s, when Brahem was appointed director of the Ensemble musical de la ville de Tunis, he toured in the USA and Canada and then signed with ECM Records^[2] with whom he has recorded a series of critically acclaimed albums.^[1][3] These include "Thimar", recorded with saxophonist John Surman and bassist Dave Holland^[4][5]

In playing style, Anouar Brahem is often compared to Rabih Abou-Khalil, though his compositions tend to be more mellow and spare. Most often he utilizes an ensemble of three or four musicians. He has collaborated throughout his career and on several albums with other musicians: Tunisian percussionist Lassad Hosni and violinist Bechir Selmi and Turkish clarinetist Barbaros Erköse. He has also performed live concerts with these same ensembles.

Discography[link]

• 1991 - Barzakh (ECM 1432) with Lassad Hosni and Bechir Selmi.
• 1992 - Conte de l'Incroyable Amour (ECM 1457) with Barbaros Erköse.
• 1994 - Madar (ECM 1515) with Jan Garbarek and Ustad Shaukat Hussain.
• 1995 - Khomsa (ECM 1561) with Richard Galliano and Bechir Selmi and Francois Couturier.
• 1998 - Thimar (ECM 1641) with John Surman and Dave Holland.
• 2000 - Astrakan Café (ECM 1718) with Barbaros Erköse and Lassad Hosni.
• 2002 - Charmediterranéen (ECM 1828) with Orchestre National de Jazz and Gianluigi Trovesi.
• 2003 - Vague (ECM) (Selection).
• 2002 - Le Pas du Chat Noir (ECM 1792) with Francois Couturier and Jean-Louis Matinier.
• 2006 - Le Voyage de Sahar (ECM 1915) with Francois Couturier and Jean-Louis Matinier.
• 2009 - The Astounding Eyes of Rita (ECM 2075) with Klaus Gesing, Björn Meyer and Khaled Yassine.