This news is actually a couple of months old, but I just came across it today.

Waleed, a native of Sudan, and one of the busiest musicans working in the Toronto African music community last may received the 2011 New Pioneers Award for the Arts.

The award is organized by Skills for Change, a non-profit agency based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Our mission is to provide learning and training opportunities for immigrants and refugees to access and fully participate in the workplace and wider community.” The award “recognizes the accomplishments of remarkable immigrants”.

Read more about Waleed here, and watch an interview with him below.

NOTE: Waleed and the African Jazz Ensemble will be playing the Trane Studio, 964 Bathurst on Sat. Jul 30 at 8pm.