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Pre-Fest Launch Party / Amazing sounds!

Sep 16, 2015

Tomorrow evening, our pre-festival launch party takes over Artscape’s Youngplace building on Shaw St. It’s going to be a blast, featuring the Toronto debut of Fanfaraï, the 11-piece French/Algerian brass band that’s been winning over fans on their first North American tour. It takes place as part of the building-wide Recess event at Artscape’s Youngplace so come early and stay late!

The festival itself starts a week later and fourteen years on, it’s looking great! From the intimacy of the Small World Centre to the open spaces of Fort York, the two week run takes music lovers on a journey that encompasses some of the best of global music. A slew of Toronto debuts will showcase artists from Estonia to Ethiopia. From star DJs like Nickodemus to Korean innovators SUM, Palestinian rockers 47Soul to the meditations of Maarja Nuut it’s an amazingly diverse array, as you’ll see in our video below. Tickets for all shows are available now!

Meanwhile, Friday the Centre hosts a concert to celebrate the life of Som Naimpally, father of our friend and tabla virtuoso Ravi. Som was an avid supporter of Indian classical music and in a fitting tribute, one of the world’s pre-eminent tabla players, Anindo Chatterjee will perform. An inspirational figure in Indian music, he’ll be joined by the Monsoon Trio with Ravi Naimpally on tabla.

Pre-Festival Launch Party featuring Fanfaraï – Toronto debut

Thursday September 17th at 8PM – Small World Music Centre

47 Soul

Thursday September 24th at 10PM – Lula Lounge

Small World On Common Ground

Sat Sept 26th & Sun Sept 27th @ Fort York 

Ester Rada

Sunday September 27th at 9pm – Revival

Orquesta Buena Vista Social Club Adios Tour

Sunday September 27th at 7PM – Koerner Hall

sum –숨[su:m]

Tuesday September 29th at 8pm – Small World Music Centre

Picadillo + Santerias

Wednesday September 30th at 8:30M – Lula Lounge

Vieux Farka Touré feat. Julia Easterlin

Thursday October 1st, 9pm – Revival Bar

Maarja Nuut

Friday October 2nd at 8pm – Small World Music Centre

Focus on Flamenco – EviscerArt

Saturday October 3rd at 8PM – Aga Khan Museum

Krar Collective

Sunday October 4th at 9:00PM – Lula Lounge

Volunteer with the Small World Music Festival!

Pandit Anindo Chatterjee: Tabla solo to celebrate the Life of Somashekhar Naimpally (1931-2014)

Friday September 18th @ 8PM at Small World Music Centre 

Community Events

Small World Music supports our community partners and family of world music artists performing around the greater Toronto area. Visit the Small World Music site to learn more about all the great events happening in the city.

Support Small World

Small World Music Society is a charitable organization and presenter of culturally diverse music, supported by the Department of Canadian Heritage, the Ontario Arts Council, the Ontario Trillium Foundation and the Toronto Arts Council, as well as community and corporate partners.

Pre-Festival Launch Party / Silk Roads & More!‏

Sep 10, 2015

This year for the first time, we’ll be hosting a pre-festival party at the Small World Centre, in association with our friends at Toronto Artscape and Koffler Gallery. We’re particularly excited that the evening will feature the Toronto debut of an amazing brass band that’s gong to blow the roof off the place! Fanfaraï are an eleven-piece French / Algerian crew that does the gypsy marching band with a distinct North African flavour. The fact that event is FREE? Well, that’s just gravy!

That means the festival itself starts in exactly two weeks! A stellar lineup that ranges from the glamorous cool of Ester Rada to the ancient modernism of SUM; from the dance floor of Lula Lounge to the stage of Koerner Hall and the lawns of Fort York, there’s a great global tour on tap and we hope to see you there!  If you want to get more deeply involved, we’re accepting new volunteers – please click the link below for more info.

Meanwhile, next Tuesday the 15th, a star-studded event at Massey Hall brings the music of the near and far east together as the amazing Silk Road Ensemble return to town. Led by the one and only Yo Yo Ma and featuring our old friend Kayhan Kalhor on kamancheh, the group also includes pipa master Wu Man and the TSO’s bassist, Jeffrey Beecher. Newsletter readers are eligible for a reduced price by using the discount code SMALLW15 for tickets.

Pre-Festival Launch Party featuring Fanfaraï – Toronto debut

Thursday September 17th at 8PM – Small World Music Centre

47 Soul

Thursday September 24th at 10PM – Lula Lounge

Small World On Common Ground

Sat Sept 26th & Sun Sept 27th @ Fort York 

Ester Rada

Sunday September 27th at 9pm – Revival

Orquesta Buena Vista Social Club Adios Tour

Sunday September 27th at 7PM – Koerner Hall

sum –숨[su:m]

Tuesday September 29th at 8pm – Small World Music Centre

Picadillo + Santerias

Wednesday September 30th at 8:30M – Lula Lounge

Vieux Farka Touré feat. Julia Easterlin

Thursday October 1st, 9pm – Revival Bar

Maarja Nuut

Friday October 2nd at 8pm – Small World Music Centre

Focus on Flamenco – EviscerArt

Saturday October 3rd at 8PM – Aga Khan Museum

Krar Collective

Sunday October 4th at 9:00PM – Lula Lounge

Volunteer with the Small World Music Festival!

The Silk Road Ensemble with Yo-Yo Ma  
Tuesday September 15th @ 8PM at Massey Hall 

Community Events

Small World Music supports our community partners and family of world music artists performing around the greater Toronto area. Visit the Small World Music site to learn more about all the great events happening in the city.

Support Small World

Small World Music Society is a charitable organization and presenter of culturally diverse music, supported by the Department of Canadian Heritage, the Ontario Arts Council, the Ontario Trillium Foundation and the Toronto Arts Council, as well as community and corporate partners.

Deep Grooves & Hot Sounds!

Sep 03, 2015

We’ve added some serious beats to the upcoming 14th Annual Small World Festival! We’re delighted to announce that on the second night, Friday September 25th, we’ll host two of the pivotal figures in the Global Groove genre.Nickodemus and Zeb aka The Spy from Cairo are among the founders of the long-running Turntables on the Hudson night. For over a decade this has been one of New York City’s most celebrated dance parties, featuring a who’s who of international DJs. Nickodemus has a worldwide following for his funky Urban / Organic / Electronic / Global sound, while the Spy From Cairo is known for his unique mix of Dub and Arabic music. Dozens of albums, as well as stellar remixing have cemented his rep. Our old friend DJ medicineman, this city’s premier cross-cultural mixologist rounds out the night at a superb venue – Studio Bar on Dundas St.Labour Day weekend marks the inevitable winding down of summer, but also that the festival’s just around the corner. From Vieux Farka Touré to Maarja Nuut, it’s going to be a blast. Tickets are on sale now!  Check out our Small World friends inviting you to join us in the video below!This weekend if you want some top-notch Indo-jazz to beat the heat, the great L. Subramaniam returns to town on Sunday the 6th, uniting his extraordinary karnatic violin playing with a crossover band that should provide sonic fireworks.

Looking forward to September, Small World friends can use promo code FALL2015 for Music Appreciation courses at the Royal Conservatory including Lula World Music Tour.

Pre-Festival Launch Party featuring Fanfaraï – Toronto debut

Thursday September 17th at 8PM – Small World Music Centre

47 Soul

Thursday September 24th at 10PM – Lula Lounge

Small World On Common Ground

Sat Sept 26th & Sun Sept 27th @ Fort York 

Ester Rada

Sunday September 27th at 9pm – Revival

Orquesta Buena Vista Social Club Adios Tour

Sunday September 27th at 7PM – Koerner Hall

sum –숨[su:m]

Tuesday September 29th at 8pm – Small World Music Centre

Picadillo + Santerias

Wednesday September 30th at 8:30M – Lula Lounge

Vieux Farka Touré feat. Julia Easterlin

Thursday October 1st, 9pm – Revival Bar

Maarja Nuut

Friday October 2nd at 8pm – Small World Music Centre

Focus on Flamenco – EviscerArt

Saturday October 3rd at 8PM – Aga Khan Museum

Krar Collective

Sunday October 4th at 9:00PM – Lula Lounge

Best of India, Best of Jazz 
Ernie Watts, L. Subramaniam & Kavita Krishnamurthy  
Sunday September 6th @ 7PM at Toronto Centre for the Arts  

Community Events

Small World Music supports our community partners and family of world music artists performing around the greater Toronto area. Visit the Small World Music site to learn more about all the great events happening in the city.

Support Small World

Small World Music Society is a charitable organization and presenter of culturally diverse music, supported by the Department of Canadian Heritage, the Ontario Arts Council, the Ontario Trillium Foundation and the Toronto Arts Council, as well as community and corporate partners.

Fest News / Music & Camping!‏

Aug 26, 2015

Only a month out from the 14th Annual Small World Festival and we’re full of anticipation for a great run. We’re always pleased to host artists for their local debut, but this time out – nothing short of seven acts will be playing Toronto for the first time! We’re really proud to be bringing new sounds to the ears of the city!Tickets are now on sale for the festival’s opening event. Not only the launch of our run, it’s also the opening of the 8th Annual Toronto Palestine Film Festival. We have brought one of the most exciting acts from the Middle East – 47Soul have been creating a buzz across contingents with their electro-Arabic vibe. Should be a great party!Our collaboration with Fort York for a weekend of free music is looking better and better. On Saturday the 26th, one of our faves, returning to town after extended absence – eccodek will showcase their latest take on global dub. Should provide some fine vibes for lawn dancing. That same day, Jay Danley‘s Ethio Jazz Project will feature special guest Hilario Duran. This is really special – one of Canada’s premier Latin jazz pianists throws himself into Ethiopian music? Fantastic!

Tickets for Ester Rada, Vieux Farka Toure, Maarja Nuut and the res of the festival lineup are on sale now!

Meanwhile, the big news this final weekend of August (yikes!) is Camp Wavelength. Our friends at the Wavelength Music have assembled a tremendous three-day festival on Toronto Island, featuring some of the best forward-thinking rock, electronica and more. Small World is delighted to be part of the event, presenting Montreal’s Pierre Kwenders on Sunday evening. And yes, you can sleep over – so, get your sleeping bag out and see you on the ferry!

47 Soul

Thursday September 24th at 10PM – Lula Lounge

Small World On Common Ground

Sat Sept 26th & Sun Sept 27th @ Fort York 

Ester Rada

Sunday September 27th at 9pm – Revival

Orquesta Buena Vista Social Club Adios Tour

Sunday September 27th at 7PM – Koerner Hall

sum –숨[su:m]

Tuesday September 29th at 8pm – Small World Music Centre

Picadillo + Santerias

Wednesday September 30th at 8:30M – Lula Lounge

Vieux Farka Touré feat. Julia Easterlin

Thursday October 1st, 9pm – Revival Bar

Maarja Nuut

Friday October 2nd at 8pm – Small World Music Centre

Focus on Flamenco – EviscerArt

Saturday October 3rd at 8PM – Aga Khan Museum

Krar Collective

Sunday October 4th at 9:00PM – Lula Lounge

Small World at Camp Wavelength 
with Pierre Kwenders  Sunday August 30th @ 6PM
at
Artscape Gibraltar Point  

Community Events

Small World Music supports our community partners and family of world music artists performing around the greater Toronto area. Visit the Small World Music site to learn more about all the great events happening in the city.

Support Small World

Small World Music Society is a charitable organization and presenter of culturally diverse music, supported by the Department of Canadian Heritage, the Ontario Arts Council, the Ontario Trillium Foundation and the Toronto Arts Council, as well as community and corporate partners.