Monthly Archives: June 2011

“Summer kicks off”: Upcoming highlights

  June 30, 2011 - 3:22 am |
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Event listings have been updated. Check out www.events.to-music.ca for information on numerous shows through the summer. July this year keeps up its tradition of great music. Some shows to check out in the next couple of weeks: Details on the event listings page.   Fri. Jun. 30: Kabakuwo at the Lula Mandingue music, featuring dual koras. Among the players: Sadio Sissoko whom many have seen recently wiith Okavango African Orchestra plus Dieli Mori Tounkara, nephew of the great Super Rail Band guitarist Djelimady Tounkara. Bela Fleck & the Flecktones at the Toronto Jazz Festival “Hispanic Extravaganza” at the Living Arts … Continue reading →

Afrofest in Queen’s Park 3 weeks away

  June 18, 2011 - 2:48 am |
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Email announcement from Music Africa: AFROFEST AT QUEEN’S PARK ON JULY 9th & 10th Afrofest, a free celebration of the richness and diversity of African culture, is set for Queen’s Park in Toronto on Saturday July 9th and Sunday July 10th.  Featuring world-renowned African musicians and top African groups based in Canada, an African marketplace, food and craft vendors, artistic displays, music workshops, and organized activities for youth and children. Afrofest is THE cultural event of the summer. Discover Africa in the Heart of Toronto! African music legend Thomas Mapfumo will be a feature act of Afrofest 2011. “The Lion of Zimbabwe” is considered both the Bob Dylan and … Continue reading →

Yemen Blues, and other event and musical notes

  June 14, 2011 - 1:23 am | , , , ,
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Event notes: (See www.events.to-music.ca for full details of these and other upcoming shows & events) Luminato Festival is now in full swing, with events all over the map (figuratively and literally), including free concerts nightly at Metro Square (now David Pecault Square) at King & John, including Art of Time Ensemble, Delhi 2 Dublin with Malkit Singh, kd lang, and closing with a double bill of Tasa & Nitin Sawhney. Two highlights for me: Yemen Blues: Tue. June 14. Free, 8pm By all accounts, the show might be one of the highlights of the year — at least for those of … Continue reading →

Desandann: Receiving long-deserved recognition

  June 6, 2011 - 1:32 pm | ,
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Sometime in the late 90’s, I first saw Grupo Vocal Desandann, a 10-member vocal group of Haitian descendants living in Camaguey Cuba. They played that night at Harbourfront, and I fell in love with their music.  However, commercial success and wider critical notice has been sadly a long time in coming. Despite their alliance with Jane Bunnett and Larry Cramer, and periodic appearances in the Toronto area and around Canada, they were little known. The effective ban on Cuban musicians in the US did not help. In 2009, Bunnett and Cramer recorded what was only the group’s second CD (Pwan … Continue reading →