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Billy Joe Shaver: videos from Buffalo show, Dec 1
I took a drive down the QEW last week to catch one of my favourite performers, the great singer and songrwriter from Waco, Texas, Billy Joe Shaver at Sportsman’s Tavern Billy’s music has always been about his life, and he has led a more than remarkable life. (www.to-music.ca/bjs.htm). A couple of videos from the night: […]
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Bombino: Nov 29 concert archived online & interview
Update: Full audio of this concert is archived here The excellent new Tuareg guitarist, Omar Moctar, known as Bombino, played a blistering set this past July at the Lula Lounge, to a highly enthusiastic, but much-too-small audience. He’s touring again, but unfortunately will miss Toronto this time around. Catch him live online though, in a […]
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Youssou N’Dour to Put Music on Hold and Turn to Politics
From the New York Times“Arts Beat”: With his country gearing up for a hotly contested presidential election early next year the Senegalese singer and songwriter Youssou N’Dour, one of the biggest stars of the “world music” genre, is putting his career on hold to plunge into the political fray. It’s not clear in what capacity […]
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Benefit concert for John Collins with Afrafranto: Dec. 11: Updated Dec 10
One of the greatest archivists and collectors of West African music, Professor John Collins of Ghana last month experienced a severe flood and mudslide, which damaaged and destroyed much of the material he has been assembling since the 1970’s. His home is in the same premises, and his family narrowly escapted drowning. The Bokoor African […]
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Odds, ends & catchups
As noted previously, I haven’t been able to post updates or newsletters recently. The events page (www.events.to-music.ca) now has extensive updates through the new year. Below are a few scatttered items that have been accumulating recently, in no particular order: “Music for Peace” Steve Paikin, on TVO’s “The Agenda” interviews David Buchbinder (Flying Klezmer Bulgar […]
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Boubacar Traore at Hugh’s Room, Oct. 3
A show not to be missed for African music fans. The Malian guitarist/singer makes a rare Toronto appearance on Monday. Get some background about him, and read a review of a show he did in NYC earlier this week here. And watch a couple of videos of him from that show here
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Benda Bilili! documentary opens Oct 14
A highly acclaimed documentary on the remarkable Congolese group, Staff Benda Bilili will open at the TIFF Lightbox on Oct. 14. The film was the first documentary to ever open the Cannes Festival, where it received a standing ovation. The group has achieved great international success in the last couple of years (but sadly hasn’t […]
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Tonight & upcoming
Updates will be infrequent here until sometime in November, but keep an eye here and on the events page (www.events.to-music.ca) as well as Twitter (@tomusicpix) Happening in town today. More details on these and many other shows on the events page. Small World Music Festival holds a free festival all day, 1-11pm at Yonge-Dundas Square. […]
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A few video treats
Today I was browsing the readers’ forum of the late British DJ, Charlie Gillett, and came across a few video treats… Boubacar Traore The wonderful Malian guitarist/singer will be at Hugh’s Room, Oct. 3. A nice, short video clip here Kandia Kouyate An amazing clip of the Malian griot at the age of 18. She’s […]