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“Under African Skies”: Documentary on “Graceland”, 25 years on (updated)
Update, May 24: See this page for details on the various CD/DVD/Blu-ray packages being released June 5. Update (May 18): The film will be shown on A&E (TV), May 25 at 10pm. Update (May 13): A couple of film reviews: LA Times (May 11) The Age (Australia) (May 14) And, to capture a bit of […]
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May Days (and down the road)
Check www.to-music.ca/events for details on these and many more shows. Great stuff to look forward to this month including… A big-time highlight: Khaira Arby at the Lula May 8. More on her here The Annual Lulaworld Festival kicks off the next day, marking 10 years of this Toronto musical treasure. This year’s festival focuses on […]
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Njacko & Friends: supporting Bazou at the Gladstone, May 12
This is the third annual fundraising event for this project to raise much-needed funds for Njacko Backo’s childhood school, École St. Albert Le Grand in Bazou Cameroon. The school, which receives no government support was lacking in so many basic facilities, that Njacko and his wife Valery, on visiting in 2009, decided to embark on […]
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Don’t miss Khaira Arby May 8: “It’s boom! It’s flash! It’s great!”
Anyone who’s followed this website, or my newsletter for the last couple of years, knows that I’m a huge fan of the Malian singer Khaira Arby. Over the summer of 2010, I followed news & reviews of her first-ever North American tour, and finally saw her perform in Toronto that September, at the Ashkenaz Festival […]
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Doc Pomus: documentary, biography & appreciation
A new documentary, AKA Doc Pomus will screen on May 13 at the Bloor Hot Docs Theatre as part of the Toronto Jewish Film Festival. (Screening details here) I don’t know the documentary, but highly recommend this, based only on what I know of Doc Pomus’s life. Doc grew up as a short, overweight Jewish […]
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Benefit for Billy Bryans tonight at Lula
A reminder of the night for Billy Bryans tonight at the Lula Lounge. The producer, musician, publicist, promoter, DJ and friend of music (especially Cuban and Latin music in recent years) has been suffering from lung cancer for some time and is now in palliative care. His impact to the local music scene has been […]
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Bombino: London concert still on (Fri. Apr 13)
It’s unfortunate that the visas for the Bombino and band did not come through in time for Thursday’s Lula Lounge show; no doubt the band would have rocked the place again. They may be back later this summer, but the good news is that they did finally get the visas this afternoon, and their Friday, […]
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CANCELLED: Bombino concert at Lula Lounge, April 12
Sadly, it looks like the return of this great Tuareg guitarist to Toronto won’t be happening. From Small World Music: It’s with considerable regret and frustration that we’re forced to cancel tomorrow’s Bombino performance at Lula Lounge. Due to visa complications, the band was unable to enter Canada for this show. We hope for their […]
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Khaira Arby at the Lula May 8
Great news, that Malian singer Khaira Arby is finally playing a concert in town with her band. Of course, given the situation in Mali, especially in her region, around Timbuktu, we can all hope not only that she gets here, but that the fighting is resolved soon, and the people there can enjoy peace. She, […]