ENSEMBLE ZAMAN
Transcending language barriers, Ottoman music was born out of vast empires as musicians from Baghdad, Cairo, Andalusia and beyond, traveled from court to court. Inspired by these multi-layered influences, Ensemble Zaman, revives a rare repertoire of the Levant region, covering dialects from classical Turkish Sanat Musigi, to classical Arabic chants, the Muwashahat.
Ilaria Graziano & Francesco Forni
Singing in their native Italian, along with English, French and Spanish, their performances are fascinating travelogues that take listeners across Mexico and Texas, into the American heartland of blues and folk, and beyond into Argentinean Tango, Central European cabaret, and Neapolitan song
MOHSEN NAMJOO & FARAUALLA
Iranian music maverick Mohsen Namjoo and his band, with special guests the Italian female a-capella quartet Faraualla will perform Mohsen Namjoo's new album "On the string of a tear's bow".
FIESTA MEXICOLOMBIANA
A Super Fiesta evening featuring three very distinct groups playing the music of Mexico and Colombia… Mariachi, Son Jarocho, Huasteco, Vallenato and Cumbia. With special guest direct from Guanajuato Mexico, Son Del Monton. Get ready to dance to these vibrant groups and later dance the night away to the tropical selections of DJ Marc Fournier.
CHE MALAMBO – Direct from Argentina
Combining the lightning-fast footwork of Riverdance with the smouldering intensity of flamenco and tango, Che Malambo will storm the stage this spring with a breathtaking new program of fleet-footed precision and intensity
Ventanas & Lache Cercel Roma Ensemble
A unique double bill featuring the music and dance of migratory cultures that intersected from Eastern Europe to the Iberian Peninsula, including Sephardic Jewish, Spanish-Roma flamenco, Balkan-Roma, Romanian, Turkish, and more. From Toronto, singer-dancer Tamar Ilana leads the Balkan-Flamenco group Ventanas. From Vancouver, virtuoso Romanian-Roma violinist Lache Cercel leads his Roma-swing ensemble, with special guest Moroccan singer Meriem Ben Amor
TAMAR ILANA & VENTANAS
Tamar Ilana and her trans-Mediterranean ensemble Ventanas fuse passion and intimate dialogue, embracing the varied instrumental and melodic traditions of North Africa, the Balkans, Turkey and Spain to create fresh interpretations and original songs
“ILLUMINATION” – Persian & Turkish Sufi Concert
A sublime evening of Persian and Turkish music, reuniting international-renowned Turkish Sufi musician Omar Faruk Tekbilek with Vancouver’s premiere Vashaan Persian Music Ensemble, and whirling dervish Raqib Burke, Israeli-Canadian guitarist Itamar Erez. They will embark on a new presentation called “Illumination”, led by female santour player and musical director, Saina Khaledi.
ZIMBAMOTO Album Release
After nearly a decade of electrifying festival and club shows across Canada, ZIMBAMOTO is finally releasing its first album, Tambai. Latin fusion band MNGWA will be warming up the night!
NOMADIC MASSIVE
NOMADIC MASSIVE is a unique crowd-rocking, multilingual hip hop crew based out of Montreal. Known for their explosive shows and sharp socially conscious lyrics, the 10 piece band has captivated audiences worldwide with their own mix of global beats, based on live instrumentation and the art of sampling.