Category Archives: Video & film

Music videos and film

Event notes

  May 6, 2011 - 7:21 pm | ,
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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 7-15: Toronto Jewish Film Festival. As Hot Docs winds down, this winds up, and it always features some music-themed films. This year’s include: “The Three Lenny’s”: a series of films featuring and about Leonard Cohen, Leonard Bernstein and satirist Lenny Bruce. Also, look for The … Continue reading →

New rap star: Muamar Gaddafi

  May 6, 2011 - 6:26 pm | ,
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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 “inch by inch, room  by room, home by home, alley by alley”. An Israeli journalist & musician, Noy Alooshe, watched the speech and  thought Gaddafi’s appearance, gestures and speech looked like something out of a trance party. He put out a video with Auto-Tune technology, … Continue reading →

Bo Diddley documentary (1966)

  April 21, 2011 - 2:58 am | , ,
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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 more Bo: live in concert  

Event updates

  April 14, 2011 - 3:19 am | ,
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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, in the Gladstone Hotel Ballroom may add an extra dimension, given their increased familiarity with each other; the more relaxed and informal setting… and the added energy of dancer Saba from Jaivah Nouvel Exposé Apr. 16: Freddie Gwala & Platform One with Tich Maredza Band … Continue reading →

Muslim World Music Day: April 12

  April 14, 2011 - 2:28 am | , ,
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Muslim World Music Day is an idea that came from Bob George of the Archive of Contemporary Music in New York City. The ARChive collects, preserves and provides information on the popular music of all cultures and races throughout the world from 1950 to the present. Since the ARChive’s founding in 1985 our holdings have grown to over 2 million sound recordings, making the ARChive the largest popular music collection in the United States. The Day, is “an online effort to identify and catalog all the recordings of Muslim music in the world. It will be a step towards making … Continue reading →

Toronto Rock & Roll Stories: Great documentary on Toronto’s rock & roll scene in the 50’s & 60’s

  April 5, 2011 - 2:27 am | ,
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This March, Bravo screened a highly recommended three part documentary on the early Toronto rock & roll scene in the 1950’s and 60’s: Yonge Street: Toronto Rock & Roll Stories, directed by Bruce McDonald. From the early roots of r&b and soul, to the raunchy atmosphere of the Yonge Street bars, and the original Club Bluenote, it features some classic sounds and photos, and interviews with some of the key figures – famous and not.  Among its highlights: Charting the growth and influence of Robbie Robertson, from a 14 or 15 year old guitar star, to the brilliant guitarist with … Continue reading →