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Afropop: “The Field Recordings of Hugh Tracey”
Afropop Worldwide’s “Hip Deep” feature focused last week on the pioneer English musicologist Hugh Tracey who over half a century, beginning in the 1920’s, extensively recorded and catalogued African music, especially from Southern Africa. His fascination with Zimbabwean mbira music led him to manufacture a variation of the similar African kalimba. His version became known […]
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Happy 100th Birthday to Big Joe Turner
Slightly belated congratulations to the greatest of the blues shouters, who was born in Kansas City on May 18, 1911. I’m sure Joe won’t mind me being a day late, as he’s been playing a steady gig in R&B heaven since 1985. He started singing on the streets & in church, and later became known […]
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Event notes
Event listings (www.events.to-music.ca) have been updated. A few upcoming shows of note: Tonight (May 6) a rare chance to see music from Equatorial Guinea featuring Anastasio & Zalang Band in a free show at the Melody Bar, Gladstone Hotel. 1214 Queen W., 7-10pm. Part of “Gladstone World” co-presented with Batuki Music. Details on Facebook May […]
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New rap star: Muamar Gaddafi
He may be a murderer and war criminal, but one of the hot music videos out there, is “Zenga Zenga”, performed by none other than the crackpot criminal himself. The video was created back in February making use of one of his early threatening speeches against the protesters, when he vowed to wipe them out […]
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Afrofest 2011 confirmed in Queen’s Park
Announcement today from Music Africa: Music Africa is happy to officially announce that Afrofest 2011 will be taking place at Queen's Park on July 9th and 10th. Full details of the 2011 festival will be announced soon. Music Africa thanks all Afrofest fans for their great support and patience these last few months. […]
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Trane Studio struggling for survival
The following note comes from the Trane Studio, the great small music club on Bathurst which is a great booster of music and art, focusing in particular on jazz plus African, Latin, world & urban musics. It temporarily lost its liquor license last year, and has been fighting its way through a bureacratic mess to […]
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CKLN off the air for now & needs help
Toronto’s first community station is now off the air, having heard last month that the Federal Court of Appeal will not hear the station’s appeal of the CRTC decision to revoke their broadcasting license. That decision forced the station off the air immediately. However, the Chair of the station’s board of directors says CKLN intends […]
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Bo Diddley documentary (1966)
An excellent 20 minute documentary on the late Bo Diddley, made in 1966: See also Part 2, Part 3 A number of scenes were shot in Toronto’s Le Coq d’Or (or “The Le Coq d’Or” as it was often called). The club was home to Ronnie Hawkins & The Hawks for many years. A bit […]
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Okavango African Orchestra concert broadcast on CBC’s Canada Live on April 20 & 22
From Batuki Music (www.batukimusic.com): Canada Live on CBC Radio will broadcast the Okavango African Orchestra concert featuring Daniel Nebiat (Eritrea – krar/vocals), Donne Roberts (Madagascar – guitar/vocals), Pasi Gunguwo (Zimbabwe – marimba/mbira/vocals), Kooshin (Somalia – kaban/vocals), Sadio Sissokho (Senegal – kora/tama/djembe/vocals), Waleed Abdulhamid (bass/vocals) and Walter Maclean (Ghana – percussion) on the following dates: Wednesday, […]
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Event updates
Check www.events.to-music.ca for full event listings, including: Apr. 15: Drummer Tony Allen, a giant of Afrobeat at the Phoenix Apr. 15: Okavango: An African Orchestra The second Toronto concert featuring a collection of musicians from 7 distinct African musical traditions. The debut concert at the Glenn Gould Studio in February was sold out; this show, […]