Toronto-based Ventanas weaves in and out of upbeat Bulgarian dance tunes, Greek, Turkish and Sephardic love songs and heart-wrenching Flamenco palos, leading captive audiences through windows into other lands and cultures. Lead singer Tamar Ilana’s powerful vocals, honed through a lifetime of performing internationally, evoke deep emotions. Add to this the intensity of Flamenco guitar (Dennis Duffin), Middle Eastern dumbek (Jaash Singh), Greek outi (Demetrios Petsalakis), Klezmer fiddle (Jess Hana-Deutsch) and Flamenco dance (Alexandra Talbot) and you have one incredible evening of music, dance and inspiration. Come prepared to learn some Balkan dance moves!
www.ventanasmusic.com
Equally enthralling is Vancouver’s unique Persian-Flamenco group Mashregh, led by singer/dancer Farnaz Obadi. Mashreg is a musical group combining the haunting and passionate flamenco music with the spiritual lyrics of Persian poetry. Farnaz will be joined by some of Vancouver’s top flamenco musicians and dancers.
www.mashreghmusic.com
Come early to Kosmik Zoo for dinner and drinks – featuring a variety of Persian and non-Persian food. Minimum $10 food/beverage purchase by each attendee, in order to support the venue. Call 604-875-9006 to make a table reservation.
https://thekozmikzoo.com/