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A unique show happening this  Friday night:

1. "KALIMBA SUMMIT": Mar 28

The kalimba and the various related "thumb pianos" are found in various African countries. This show "celebrates Toronto's role as a cross-cultural meeting place" and unites musicians from various backgrounds who use the kalimba in widely different ways:

• Kahil El'Zabar is a world renowned avant-garde percussionist and composer, who ploys a variety of African instruments.
• Laura Barrett: "A classically-trained pianist and self-taught everything else-ist, I'm currently focusing on a solo kalimba project, wherein I sing whimsical ditties about amorphous terror, planned obsolescence, and  mind-body dualism."
• Njacko Backo, from Cameroon is Toronto's best known kalimba player whose band is known as Kalimba Kalimba.
• Matt Smith of the experimental group Nifty "often feeds mbiras through looping pedal and effects"

Solo performances, followed by a group jam. 292 Brunswick Ave. 7-11pm. $12 adv (Soundscapes), $15 door. Presented by Wavelength Music Arts Projects

Other Mar. 28 shows:
 - CIUT-FM "We Got the Funk" 20th anniversary celebration. at the Gladstone
 - Eric Andersen : at Hugh's Room
 - Eliana Cuevas at the Lula

A few "alt country" (or whatever term works) shows in the next week:
 - Luke Doucet: Mar. 29 at the Horseshoe
 - Shelby Lynne: Mar. 31 at the Mod Club (See this week's NOW article)
 - Tift Merrit: Apr. 1 at the El Mocambo

Small World Music treats:
 - Their Jazz Series continues with Souljazz Orchestra, plus Chris Bottomley's Brainfudge with Donné Roberts: Apr. 3 at the Lula.
 - Persian rock songstress Haale: Apr. 4 at the Lula
 - Indian slide guitar masters: Debashish Battacharya (Apr 13) and Salil Bhatt (son of V.M. Bhatt) & Doug Cox (Apr 14) at the Lula

More Indian music: the great Bollywood singer, Asha Bhosle at Roy Thomson Hall: Apr. 4

Sacred Steel:
The Campbell Brothers at various locations Apr. 9-13. Gospel music built on steel guitars.  When I saw them several years ago at a festival in New York State, they played one absolutely blistering song featuring lap, and pedal steel and electric guitar. When they finished, one of the brothers announced, "That's what we call church". Get a taste of what they meant by watching a couple of You Tube clips of them actually performing in church:  Clip1;  Clip 2

They play St. Catharines, Oakville, Brampton and Markham. Check my events page for details.

John Leeson
www.to-music.ca