LARA WONG & MELON JIMENEZ – Flamenco Jazz
Rooted in flamenco and tinted with jazz, Melón Jiménez & Lara Wong’s music echoes flamenco’s nomadic roots—from India to Africa to Latin America. Together, they share a unique musical dialogue between the Indian bansuri and the flamenco guitar—mysterious, bold, and passionate.
Balkan Vibes: Dumai Dunai and Super K
An evening of Eastern European vibes, featuring Slavic dub-punk missionaries Dumai Dunai from Montréal with local Balkan surf rockers Super K. Dumai Dunai brings the deep grooves of dub with the raw ecstasy of the blasting horns of Balkan wedding brass bands, and the joys and sorrows of Ukrainian village polyphony. Super K is a four-piece, instrumental group whose songs intertwine melodies inspired by traditional Balkan music with contemporary sounds of surf, psych and synth
TIO CHORINHO with FLAVIA NASCIMENTO – Free Brazilian Concert – Vancouver
Flávia Nascimento & Tio Chorinho is an epic pairing of two of Canada’s top Brazilian roots music artists. Hailing from the rich musical wellsprings of Bahia in northeastern Brazil, Flávia is a prolific performer at major festivals, concert halls, and street parties everywhere, wowing audiences with her soulful voice and boisterous presence.
AL QAHWA – Free Middle-Eastern Concert – Vancouver
Al Qahwa, a dynamic ensemble of virtuoso musicians from Toronto, for an unforgettable musical journey that bridges cultures and hearts. Led by the mesmerizing vocals of Egyptian-born Maryem Tollar, who also enchants audiences with her mastery of the riqq (Arabic tambourine) and qanun (Arabic table harp), the band features Ernie Tollar on evocative wind instruments, Iranian-born Naghmeh Fahrahmand on dazzling percussion, and Sudanese-born Waleed Abdulhamid on bass and vocals.
Dumai Dunai – Balkan/Ukrainian Free Concert – Victoria
Montreal's Slavic dub-punk missionaries Dumai Dunai have been winning the hearts of audiences all over the world since they first burst onto the scene in 2022. With members from Ukraine, Bulgaria, and Canada, the multi-lingual seven-piece combines the deep grooves of dub with the energy of punk rock, the raw ecstasy of the blasting horns of Balkan wedding brass bands, and the joys and sorrows of Ukrainian village polyphony.
Inn Echo (PEI) – FREE Celtic Folk Music Concert – Victoria
Making waves on the national stage as 2025 JUNO and Canadian Folk Music Award nominees. From their intricate arrangements to their undeniable chemistry and electrifying musicianship, PEI's Inn Echo has cemented themselves as a force in contemporary folk, Celtic and trad music. For Inn Echo, a lilting fiddle is the voice, with its accent and expression. A strong and nimble percussive acoustic guitar attack is a foundation on which the fiddles climb. You will hear blues, pop, and dub in the music, artfully woven by the fiddles who are master chameleons after all. There’s no denying the Celtic roots within, but this is something new.
THE ZAWOSE QUEENS – from Tanzania
There is spirit and fire in the music of The Zawose Queens, coming direct from Tanzania! There's the vibrations of the ancestors, coming through on traditional instruments — soaring chizeze fiddle, buzzing illimba thumb piano, ngoma drums that chatter and thunder — and voices that go deep, high and out there. There's the connection to nature, to ceremony and ritual, in their dance-inspired fusion, their blend of the organic, harmonic and modern-day electronic. There are lyrics that tell, in their native kigogo, of the passion for music, the wonders of life. Of pride in environment, in tradition. In their East African roots.
Fandango at the Coda: El Balcón & Locarno
Two-night offering of Latin / Mexican vibes from Montreal to Vancouver. Friday, July 11: Locarno (Vancouver) Saturday, July 12: El Balcon (Montreal)
BOHEMIAN BETYARS -direct from Hungary
Since its inception in 2009, Bohemian Betyars has captured the hearts of a considerable audience not only in Hungary but worldwide with its speed-folk-freak-punk style, an electrifying and energetic musical experience. Their concerts radiate a raw, instinctive, and life-affirming atmosphere that frees emotions, resonates deep within, and gets every foot dancing.
ETRAN DE L’AIR – Saharan Blues from Niger – Vancouver
Etran de L’Aïr welcomes you to Agadez, the capital city of Saharan rock in Niger. Playing for over 25 years, Etran has emerged as stars of the local wedding circuit. Beloved for their dynamic repertoire of hypnotic solos and sun blazed melodies, Etran stakes out a place for Agadez guitar music and Desert Blues rock.