A major event this weekend presented by our friends at Link Music Lab brings the one and only Mohsen Namjoo back to Toronto. Saturday’s concert set in the gorgeous acoustics of St. Andrew’s Church has the singer, songwriter and provocateur teaming up with Faraualla, a remarkable quartet of Italian women, who add an an infusion of a cappella to the sound. The night showcases Mohsen’s recent album ‘On the String of a Tear’s Bow’ that traces the journey of a corpse from Mongolia to East Europe – powerful stuff no doubt. Then a second set of Mohsen’s favourites adds to the evening’s appeal. For our valued newsletter readers we are contesting a pair of tickets. In which city did this concert have its world premiere last year? Email us your answer for a chance.

Speaking of great artists from Iran, October 21st we present Shahram and Hafez Nazeri at the Sony Centre with Link Music Lab. It’s the first time in four years that the father and son perform in town. One of the most significant singers and beloved artists in Persian music, Shahram was among the first to bring the poetry of Rumi to Western audiences. Fittingly his son pioneered East-West crossover music with the Rumi Symphony Project, which will be revisited and revised for this special event. Watch “Existence: Life” for a taste.

Meanwhile this Sunday at the Small World Centre we host the Najva Ensemble performing their new eclectic album in Chahargah, Nava, Homayoun and Shoor.

Mark your calendars and get ready for a new party by the lake! We’re delighted to announce that for its 17th edition, the Small World Music Festival is moving squarely into the heat of summer from its traditional September slot. And it’s taking place at Harbourfront Centre, one of the city’s most cherished cultural destinations. And… it’s free!

It’s been a long held goal to offer up the Small World vision in a free outdoor festival format. We’ve had great experiences at Fort York and Yonge-Dundas Square over the years, and our memories of in/future at Ontario Place are still fresh. So… we now invite you to join us August 17 – 19 for a weekend immersion in the state-of-the-art in global sounds.

There’s lots to talk about but plenty of time to fill in the details, so we’ll keep it short. You can expect the usual passionate, genre-busting programming the festival is renowned for and we’re please to have a mix of old friends and new faces in the program. The nights resonating with beats from Morocco to LA, film screenings, along with workshops, food and drink in the day, and the stage rocking with Malian guitar hero Vieux Farka Touré and Cuban singer and rapper La Dame Blanche to name but two. This is La Dame Blanche‘s “Esa Noche” – much to get excited about.

Coming more immediately, some sweet concerts at the Small World Centre, starting with Bulgarian and Turkish sounds this evening. Ihtimanska is Montreal duo Ariane Morin on saxophone and accordionist Yoni Kaston, with a unique take on the traditions. Singer extraordinaire Brenna MacCrimmon and storyteller Ariel Balevi open.

Saturday it’s a party vibe to celebrate the Tich Maredza Band‘s 10th Anniversary! Tich is joined by Tichaona Gombiro on electric bass, Gordin Mapika on drum kit and vocals and Larry Lewis on lead guitar. Expect favourites from their record “The Journey,” and new work. Here’s to the next ten years!

Spring is certainly warming up and the stage of the Small World Centre is hot with activity.

This Saturday, ‘Garden of Eden’ brings some of the city’s finest Persian and Indian musicians to our room. The concert features our old friend Soley Vaseghi on vocals, Javad Bathaie on santur, tabla player Sirishkumar Manji and Siavash Kaveh on kamancheh. This intimate night of songs and improvisation is presented by Windcatcher Production and Rumi Canada.

Next Thursday it’s Bulgarian and Turkish music via Montreal and Toronto. Ihtimanska is a creative duo of Ariane Morin on saxophone and accordionist Yoni Kaston, who make unique, colourful, uplifting sounds. Their recently released 2nd album “Yüz Yüze” featured Brenna MacCrimmon as a special guest and the singer will join them on stage as well as performing an opening set with Judeo-Spanish storyteller Ariel Balevi. Watch their showcase at the 5th Vitrine des Musiques Locales Métissées two years before their record release.

The following evening, we stay in the Middle East as Rob Simms and Kianoush Khalilian present ‘Radif to Maqam’. With Persian ney, tanbur and Turkish ney, the two explore the common and contrasting grounds between the neighbouring traditions of Persian radif and Turkish maqam. Kianoush has performed in Iran, Canada and across Europe, and has won awards for his teaching. Rob Simms is a multi-instrumentalist and professor of music at York University.

Capping a busy week June 9th is a party vibe to celebrate the Tich Maredza Band‘s 10th Anniversary! Through thick and thin, the band has persevered and prospered over the past decade, operating as a laboratory for the fusion of traditional Southern African Styles with the global sounds of today. Ruben Esguerra, who has played percussion with them since the early days may join!

If you’re in the mood for Portuguese rock music, GNR return to Toronto June 15th for their first performance in 27 years as a feature presentation of the 31st Annual Portugal Week Festival.

The end of May approaches and our 16th Annual Asian Music Series is coming to a close. It’s been a great run of concerts and it ends with two exciting events.

Tomorrow at the Small World Centre, it’s a Far East culture-blending affair, anchored by intrepid erhu player Amely Zhou. The ensemble expresses cultural differences and commonality through their own musical language with Yi Wang on sheng, one of China’s oldest free reed polyphonic instruments, Lipeng Wu on dizi, Roa Lee on gayageum and Ravi Naimpally on tabla, returning to the Centre after Near East’s sold out show Saturday. Expect masterfully interpreted classics similar to this gem, performed in the 2016 Asian Music Series under Strings Across Asia, watch “Galloping War Horses.”

The evening also begins with a rare treat – Indonesian kacapi-suling music. Performed by Andrew Timar and Bill Parsons, the ephemeral sounds of the bamboo flute and zither transport to a place of meditation. Share the Facebook event page by 5pm for a chance to win a pair of tickets!

Saturday the series concludes with Tatsuya Nakatani’s Gong Orchestra presented by the Music Gallery. A unique enterprise, growing community engagement project and the only bowing gong orchestra in existence. The rich harmonies produced from multiple layers of bowed gongs are transformative, engaging and inspiring for both players and audiences. As per Nakatani’s instructions, an ensemble of fourteen local players will learn how to play his handmade gongs and perform later that day.

Looking past our series, the composers at Spectrum have created a distinctly Canadian repertoire for traditional Chinese instruments. Next Saturday Patty Chan on erhu, Di Zhang on the yangqin and Ziwen Qin on the gu zheng take up residence at the Alliance Française in “No Place Like Home.”