Month: August 2011

  • New Sonic Boom record store opens in Kensington

    Sonic Boom’s second location joins a music corner of Kensington Market. http://www.blogto.com/announcements/2011/08/new_sonic_boom_record_store_opens…

  • T.O. Music Pix on CKLN: Aug 12

    I will be guesting on Paul Corby’s “Corby’s Orbit” show on CKLN Friday, Aug. 12 around 1pm, featuring some music and talk. Tune in online to www.ckln.fm CKLN — Toronto’s oldest community radio station — is still around and broadcasting (online for the moment) while they face two battles: loss of their broadcasting licence and […]

  • Event notes: Aug 7

    A few items to watch for. See www.events.to-music.ca for more about these and many other upcoming shows: Stella Chiweshe is the big news in African music here, with performances Aug. 13, 20 & 21 and workshops. See elsewhere on this page for details Aug. 11-14: Two festivals: The Brampton Global Jazz & Blues Festival featuring […]

  • August Odds & Ends

    “The Strange Alchemy of Fool’s Gold” on NPR A radio feature on the LA-based indie rock/African sounds/Hebrew lyrics band. They’re just about to release a new CD (lyrics in English this time), and will be coming to Toronto this fall for the Small World Music festival. (Sep 22-Oct 2). More from NPR: “The Music of […]

  • Stella Chiweshe in town

    It’s a big deal when the Zimbabwean mbira player/singer/healer is here.  Last time she was in Toronto was 2007. (See my photos of her concert at the Berkeley St. Church). She’s back in town this month, and to date has the following appearances scheduled: Sat. Aug. 13: a solo performance at the Trane Studio Sat. […]

  • Newport Folk & WOMAD festival: audio, video, photos online

    Two major music festivals were held last weekend: The Newport Folk Festival and in England, WOMAD.  Some info, audio, video and photos from those events: NEWPORT Most concerts are archived online on the NPR website. Last night, I enjoyed Ramblin’ Jack Elliott’s performance (with Pete Seeger guesting). One of a kind, and a true treasure. […]

  • CKLN urgently needs new space

    CKLN, Toronto’s oldest community radio station, already struggling to regain its radio broadcasting license (it’s now broadcasting online at ckln.fm) is now facing eviction from its studios at Ryerson. See note below taken frorm the station’s website. On air, or online, CKLN has always filled a crucial need in Toronto broadcasting.  Anyone who can assist, […]

  • WOMEX Award to the creator of “Ethiopiques”

    WOMEX (the World Music Expo), which organizes and hosts the largest annual world music conference each fall today announced that the 2011 Professional Excellence Award has been given to Francis Falceto, the originator and curator of the great Ethiopiques CD series and “the music of Ethiopia’s greatest champion”. Some excerpts from the press release: Falceto […]

  • “Life could be a dream, sweetheart” : Toronto & the birth of rock & roll

    The Torontoist on Jul. 30, carried an interesting article on one Toronto group’s role in the birth of rock & roll. In 1954, a vocal quartet, The Crew Cuts, were, as their name suggests, a classic example of the then-prevailing trend to have white musicians cover popular songs recorded by black musicians. This phenomenon of […]

  • Exhibit: 50 years of the Mariposa Folk Festival

    Toronto’s Market Gallery is hosting an exhibit, through Oct. 15 celebrating the 50th anniversary of one of Canada’s great music festivals. From the press release: “Mariposa: fifty years of making music” documents five decades of one of Canada’s oldest and best known music festivals through historical photographs, festival programs, and sound recordings. Materials featured in […]