After much work and anticipation, it’s finally the big weekend – BRASH takes over the Opera House Friday and Saturday with a truly kick-ass program. To quote Lemon Bucket mastermind Mark Marczyk – it’s like GUCA meets MARDI GRAS meets CARNIVAL meets NEW YEAR’S EVE meets THE END OF THE WORLD. Twice.

Friday‘s lineup has Gypsy Kumbia Orchestra (Balkan brass & Colombian groove), Rambunctious (improvised New Orleans party music) and Lemon Bucket Orkestra (Balkan-klezmer-Gypsy-party). The following night, it’s the Detroit Party Marching Band (manic 21-piece band), the ageless Shuffle Demons (dance street funk) with Lemon Bucket Orkestra (Toronto’s “best band” according to NOW Magazine). It’s going to be a blast and advance price tickets are still available!

Next weekend at the Small World Centre, Lenka Lichtenberg performs with her band to celebrate the release of a new recording. More about that and our big announcement about the upcoming Asian Music Series in next week’s newsletter.

Get ready to groove on Saturday evening at Round in Kensington Market, as we launch the Globetrotter series. The new monthly starts off with the sublime sounds of David Starfire, whose new album was released yesterday. In addition to David and resident DJ medicineman, we’ve just added DJs Advizor & Gobi from the Sound Advice collective to the mix. It’s going to be a great, late night! Advance tickets are still available if you want to save on the door price.

The following week, it’s two nights of Brass band mayhem at the Opera House. One last addition to an already impressive lineup for the BRASH Festival on the 11th & 12th. None other than the ageless Shuffle Demons will add their one-of-a-kind street funk to Saturday’s party. So, we have the Lemon Bucket Orkestra headlining both evenings, with Montreal’s Gypsy Kumbia Orchestra, Rambunctious, the 21-piece Detroit Party Marching Band and the Shuffle Demons. I’m breathless just thinking about it!

Speaking of brass, on Sunday at the Small World Centre, it’s a special day of live recording with Rambunctious. In order to capture the vibe of a full-on party, they’ll be setting up a bar and playing their hearts out to get you dancing! Two shows at 3:30 & 7:30 – and it’s only $10 to join them and get your voice in their new CD!

We’re looking forward to the launch of ‘Globetrotter‘ our new monthly DJ event at Round in Kensington Market. Headliner David Starfire launches his new CD, Karuna which is released March 1st.

There’s a compelling backstory to the new record, that makes him even more relevant to the Small World vision. It’s a Kickstarter-funded album that enabled him to collaborate with Burmese refugee musicians in Northern Thailand. Combining David’s quintessential deep vibes with traditional vocals and instruments, this is the first collaboration of its kind. All profits from sales go to Thai Freedom House, a non profit that gives free education to Burmese refugee children.

Rambunctious are performing during a live recording at the Small World Centre on Sunday March 6th, previewing before the big BRASH! party the following weekend.

Speaking of BRASH!, the two nights March 11 & 12 are shaping up to be a smashing party! On Friday, the ultimate Balkan Gypsy Party band, Lemon Bucket Orkestra shares the night with Montreal’s Gyspy Kumbia Orchestra, whose potent mix of Afro-Colombian music with a Balkan Brass section has been taking over dance floors across the country. On Saturday, the LBO team up with the Detroit Party Marching Band, whose guerrilla events have won fans in the US and beyond. How to choose? Don’t – come to both!

This weekend at the Centre, our friends in musical meditation, DroneDoctor will perform with a full compliment of seven musicians Sunday night. No stranger to the Small World stage, DroneDoctor fuses the influences of the East and West in their creative use of a free-flowing Indian drone style, with a cool blues/rock sensibility.

Lastly, tonight, Union Events presents one of the most admired voices in world music, as Bebel Gilberto returns to town at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre. Should warm up the night in a most pleasant way.

It’s with no small degree of sadness and frustration that we have to announce the cancellation of the Boban Markovic Orkestra appearance on March 12, after the band cancelled their North American tour. It’s unfortunate, but we’re doing our best to make it up. If you’ve purchased tickets for the event, you will be contacted by email shortly.

The good news is that the Brass will go on! The Opera House will still rock with the manic intensity of the Lemon Bucket Orkestra‘s Gypsy Balkan party music. Montreal’s Gypsy Kumbia Brass Band, Rambunctious and more will join ‘Toronto’s best band’ – (NOW Magazine) for a rollicking weekend.

Globetrotter, our new monthly ‘Global DJ’ series kicks off in just a couple of weeks with David Starfire and resident DJ medicineman. We’re anxious to get back on the dance floor and want you to join us! To that end, we have a couple pairs of tickets to give away for the March 5th launch. Share the event at GlobetrotterTO.com for a chance to win a pair of free tickets now!

New York’s annual globalFEST, has recently been touring some of its projects and Tuesday at the Winter Garden, Toronto audiences can experience globalFEST on the Road: Creole Carnival. The evening features our good friends Kobo Town, with their original take on Caribbean tradition; Emeline Michel, the reigning Queen of Haitian songs; and Rio’s samba masters, Casuarina. Newsletter readers can use the promo code SMALLWORLD for an exclusive 10% discount!