On Saturday, May 21, Njacko Backo & Valery Woloshyn are hosting their second benefit for École St. Albert Le Grand, the school Njacko attended as a child in Bazou Cameroon.

The money raised from last year’s event provided some urgently needed infrastructure repairs to the school, and also funded the purchase of some traditional African instruments.

This year’s event will help provide sanitation facilities including the rebuilding of latrines and construction of a handwashing station.

This year, there are two different events. The afternoon (3-5pm) is a children’s event with  Soli & Rob with Alistair Ant!, Marni’s Move-in Music, Bellwoods Trinity plus stories & music from Njacko. As well, Njacko will be selling copies of his first children’s storybook, Baki and the Magic Egg.

The evening features a diverse lineup:
Njacko Backo & Kalimba Kalimba, roots music legend Ken Whiteley, jazz duo Hannah Burgé & Paco Luviano, opera star Sahara Sloan with “Men Without Hats” Colin Doroschuk, Muhtadi & The World Drummers, plus The Marni Levitt Collective (with Terri Segal & Valery Woloshyn).

Video from last year’s event.
A great event to attend and support. Njacko is someone who has always been supportive of a wide variety of great causes that help make the world a better place (and he’s a great children’s entertainer as well) — and this day is a great way to provide some real help to some children who need it. Another small contribution to making the world just a tiny bit better..

Plus of course, some great kids entertainment — and terrific music for everyone. An excellent & diverse lineup in the venerable Gladstone Ballroom.

All moneys raised from donations go to the project. For more background, see  http://www.bazouschool.blogspot.com/

Afternoon: 3-5pm; Evening 8pm.  Suggested donation: $25 or pay what you can.  Gladstone Hotel Ballroom, 1214 Queen St. W. (Note: for anyone driving, the Gardiner will be closed over the weekend)