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In this issue:
1. Event highlights
2. Past shows: Hugh Masekela & Salsa Africa: photos, review & radio rebroadcast
3. Worlds of Music Winter Workshops
4. Video, audio & more
 

1. EVENT HIGHLIGHTS
Some upcoming shows of interest, and a few a bit further down the road that weren't listed in the previous newsletter. As always, check www.to-music.ca/events.htm for details on these and many other shows.

Fri. Feb. 22:
Like last Friday, an opportunity to make double header night. Start at the Gladstone, with the free show by Eritrean krar player Dawit Sium. Another local krar player, Daniel Nebiat has become recognized recently beyond the Eritrean community; Dawit is one of the busiest musicians in the Eritrean community. Free, 7-10pm in the Melody Bar.

Then, trek a few blocks north for the CD Release by one of Toronto's very best Cuban musicians, pianist Roberto Linares Brown at the Lula. Read an interview with him on the Live Music Report.

Earlier that day, fans of 60's/70's British rock, may want to catch the appearance of The Kinks' Ray Davies at HMV's main store at 6pm.
 

Feb. 24: "Winter Nowruz" at the Lula. Presented by Small World Music, featuring some of Canada's top Iranian musicians.

Feb. 26: Adam Solomon (solo and with Tikisa) at the Silver Dollar

Feb. 27: Rebroadcast of Salsa Africa show on CBC Radio 2. (see "past shows" below).

Feb. 28-9: Calypso king David Rudder at the Glenn Gould Studio

Feb. 29: A free double-bill to mark the end of Black History at the Gladstone's Melody Bar. South African band Jabulani is on 7-10pm, followed by the Brazillian sounds of Samba Porrada with Batucada Carioca Stage Band.

The same night: Richard Underhill is at Hugh's Room, and Safari Village restaurant hosts a Kenyan fundraiser with Sue & Dwight and the Black Kings.

Mar. 1: Trio Joubran: the amazing oud-playing brothers from Nazareth, Palestine. I wrote about them in the last newsletter.

Mar. 2: Tannis Slimmon & Mansa Sissoko at Hugh's Room

An interesting double-bill. Slimmon is releasing a CD, but the show will also features excerpt from the film Road to Baleya (to be shown on Mar. 11, 9pm on Bravo TV). The movie chronicles Tannis' trip to Mali with other Canadian musicians, and their interaction with Malian musicians including griot and kora player Mansa Sissoko, who now lives in Canada and will also be performing.

Mar. 3: Benefit for US War Resisters in Canada at the Lula

Performers include Layla Zoe, Bill King, Brent Titcomb, Julia Churchill and Liam Titcomb. Times have changed in Canada from the days when a Prime Minister (Trudeau) would say  "Those who make a conscientious judgment that they must not participate in this war…have my complete sympathy, and indeed our political approach has been to give them access to Canada. Canada should be a refuge from militarism.” For information wee www.resisters.ca

Mar. 9: Kiran Ahluwalia at Hart House. Free.

Mar. 9: Odessa/Havana at the Lula. David Buchbinder & Hilario Duran follow up their successful CD combining Ukrainian Jewish and Cuban musics.

Mar 13-Apr. 17: The annual Small World Jazz Series every Thursday at the Lula

 

Salsa Africa (Feb. 8 at the Lula). A first-time experiment, joining some of the city's best Latin, African and jazz musicians, we can only hope their will be a repeat of the show. You can hear some of the show rebroadcast this Wednesday, Feb. 27 on CBC Radio 2's "Canada Live" (8-10pm, 94.1 FM in Toronto). The second hour will feature another Lula show with Nick "Brownman" Ali and Randy Becker.  I have some photos posted here; the Live Music Report has photos and a review.

The next Friday, Hugh Masekela also put on a terrific show, energizing a big Phoenix crowd with the help of an excellent band, featuring some terrific performers, especially the tremendous singer Sibongile Khumalo. My photos are posted here.

 

Again, Worlds of Music Toronto ("Listen globally - play locally") has scheduled hands-on workshops with some of Toronto's best world musicians. Courses are:

South Indian & Jazz Singing with Suba Sankaran (autorickshaw)
African Hand Drumming with Waleed Abdulhamid (Radio Nomad)
Latin Percussion with Rodrigo Chavez (Cassava)
Klezmer Music Ensemble with Eric Stein (Beyond the Pale)
Canadian Fiddling with Anne Lederman
Dumbek Drumming with Suleiman Warwar
Samba Batucada with Maninho Costa
North Indian Tabla with Ritesh Das
Kathak Dance with Joanna de Souza

See Worlds of Music Toronto for details.

 

4. ODDS AND ENDS: AUDIO, VIDEO & THE COASTERS

a) BBC Radio 3:
Last week, I mentioned the excellent BBC world music show presented by guest host Lopa Kothari. Her second show is now online, on this page, Click the "Listen Live" link. (Her show starts after 1 minute). It will be available until Monday, Feb. 25.

Also on BBC, an excellent one hour show (first of four parts) on "Redneck Music". This episode covers some of the history, including interviews with Earl Scruggs and Charlie Louvin of the Louvin Brothers. Good coverage, interviews and music. This episode will be available until Saturday (Feb. 23). The next show will cover Jimmie Rodgers, among other music.
 

b) Gospel Videos
A great webpage that has collected links to a huge collection of classic and modern gospel ranging from the Soul Stirrers to the Sacred Steel of the Campbell Brothers; from Mahalia Jackson to Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. It includes links to musicians bios, and background on gospel.
 

c) Little Richard
Last week, I included a video link of Little Richard "with" George Bush, and also referenced an older video of Little Richard, however the link was missing. Here's that link -- Little Richard the rocker, at his finest.

Richard had quit rock & roll in 1957 to study for the ministry, and for the most part had kept his promise. In the fall of 1962 he was booked to play England on a tour with other American rock musicians.

The story goes that his first show was strictly gospel, and was an audience disaster. The next night Sam Cooke joined the show, and his performance, along with Gene Vincent's convinced Richard to do his old hits. This clip catches a bit of his energy of the time. It's part of a 38 minute TV special filmed near the end of that tour. (It was released as Don't Knock the Rock -- the same title as a 1950's R&R movie with Richard and Alan Freed).

A side note: his backing group, Sounds Incorporated, performed the same role for the several opening acts a few years later at my first rock concert: The Beatles at Maple Leaf Gardens.

d) The Coasters
While on the topic of old rock & rollers, for any Coaster fans, here's an excellent publication entitled "Those Hoodlum Friends" available online. 130 pages of information, biographies, plus a huge selection of great old photos, concert posters and record labels. The Coasters were one of the very biggest selling acts of the 1950's rock and rollers.

John Leeson
www.to-music.ca