Popular Music - my/maSCENA

La Nef: Riding Local and International Seas

By Justin Bernard on 30 August 2024 Baroque and Early, Popular Music, Vocal

Mixing old and new repertoires has always been part of La Nef. Their 2024-25 season is another dazzling demonstration of this, with four concerts equally inspired by the exploration and meeting of cultures. Claire Gignac, co-founder of La Nef, offers a preview of the key elements of the season. To open, flutist Vincent Lauzer and percussionist Ziya Tabassian present an exceptional musical fusion project entitled Pulsations. On the evening of Oct. 9, medieval, baroque, jazz, Persian and Japanese music will freely inspire the two musicians. “Vincent is one of the members of our artistic committee, so I approached him first…

CD Review | Dark Side of the Moon Redux (SGB Music Limited, 2023)

By Zenith Wolfe on 24 November 2023 CD and Book Reviews, Popular Music

Roger Waters is still kicking around in the hometown of his musical legacy with Dark Side of the Moon Redux, a 50th anniversary re-recording of Pink Floyd’s iconic album.

Lebrecht Weekly | Folk Songs: Magdalena Kozena/Simon Rattle (Pentatone)

By Norman Lebrecht on 24 November 2023 Folk, Lebrecht Weekly

Nothing seemed to add up on my first encounter with Magdalena Kozena’s trawl through four sets of folk songs orchestrated by Bela Bartok, Luciano Berio, Maurice Ravel and the Spaniard Xavier Montsalvatge.

Madame Tussaud wax sculptures of The Beatles (Photo by Abi Skipp, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Beatles_%286826714059%29.jpg)

Highlights | Opinions Mixed on Final Beatles Song

By Zenith Wolfe on 10 November 2023 Highlights, Music Competition, Opera, Orchestral, Popular Music

The release of the “final” Beatles song, Now and Then, has been bittersweet for fans of the 1960s boy band.

Sacré-Cœur de Gilgamesh

Fall Highlights: World music

By Hassan Laghcha on 1 September 2023 Folk, Montreal, Popular Music, Vocal, World Music

Place des Arts This season’s Place des Arts program includes a concert by Italian singer Gigi D’Alessio on Oct. 6 at Théâtre Maisonneuve. On Oct. 8, Iranian pop singer/songwriter Shahram Shabpareh presents The Last Tango at Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier. On Nov. 12, the same venue welcomes Iranian artist Alireza Ghorbani, successor to Mohammad Reza Shajarian, the great master of classical Persian singing. Don’t miss the TEMPÉO Danse et Musique festival, on the Esplanade, from Sept. 14-16 and 21-23. Hosted by Philippe Fehmiu, it will consist of six festive evenings of dance, offering an introduction to different dance styles. The Bollywood music…

CD Review | O Sun O Moon (True North Records, 2023)

By Zenith Wolfe on 31 July 2023 CD and Book Reviews, Contemporary, Folk, Strings, Vocal

O Sun O Moon Bruce Cockburn, vocals and guitar True North Records, 2023 O Sun O Moon marks Bruce Cockburn’s 37th album, an incredible feat for any musician. While some of the songs on this new release serve as a reminder of why Cockburn is considered among Canadian folk-music greats, others suggest he is aiming for quantity over quality. The guitar in O Sun O Moon is naturally where his writing shines most. Cockburn turns even the simplest chord progressions and rhythms into wonderfully transfixing experiences, most noticeable in Haiku – Instrumental. He pairs his distinct lyricism with varied vocal…

Sharon Azrieli: Tribute to Michel Legrand

By Charles Geyer on 26 March 2023 Orchestral, Popular Music, Vocal

Versatile musical prodigy Sharon Azrieli has enjoyed a distinguished and far-flung career as an operatic soprano, Broadway and pop song stylist, and even synagogue cantor (Montreal’s first woman in such a role). Now, Azrieli has made what she calls “a deep dive” into the copious oeuvre of the late, legendary film and jazz composer Michel Legrand with her album Secret Places – a Tribute to Michel Legrand. The collection features 14 lavishly orchestrated and lovingly delivered performances of songs by the prolific French composer—some well-known, some cannily culled from obscurity by Azrieli’s determined research efforts—comprising a panoptic view of the…

Shawna Caspi (Photo by Roni Hoffman)

Folk singer Shawna Caspi returns to her roots

By Zenith Wolfe on 17 March 2023 Folk, La Scena Online

Over the last two decades, Shawna Caspi has grown from a local performer to an internationally touring folk musician with five albums and two award nominations. Now, the Ottawa-born singer-songwriter is coming home. She’s performing an acoustic version of her latest album, 2021’s Hurricane Coming, at Westboro Masonic Hall in Ottawa on Mar. 19. She’s accompanied by harmony singer and backup guitarist Sarah Hiltz, with an opening act from Renfrew County’s Khloe B. Caspi’s journey began in early 2000s Ottawa at renowned folk music venue Rasputin’s Folk Cafe. A dedicated singer and guitarist since her high school years, Caspi found…

2023 Singing Valentines: Spreading the Love!

By La Scena Musicale Team on 6 February 2023 Art Song, Classical Music, Opera, Popular Music, Vocal

“Over the last year and a half, I lost both my 86-year-old father-in-law and my 99-year-old father, and I want to do something special for seniors.” – Wah Keung Chan La Scena Musicale’s Singing Valentines Fundraiser is back for its 13th edition, and we are here to spread the love. We have 20-plus amazing professional singers involved in this year’s project. Previously, we have used this incredible service as a fundraiser for La Scena Musicale. This year we have a new objective: to show love to our community by offering 100 FREE serenades for seniors 65+. “Over the last year…

Andrew Balfour: Storytelling through Music

By Catherine Kustanczy on 6 February 2023 Folk, Indigenous

Medicine is an important element of composer Andrew Balfour’s creative pursuits. “People think of music as a refuge, but music can also be a powerful entry point to healing,” he says. The notion of healing is one close to the Cree composer’s heart. His work is characterized by the combination of polyphony and Indigenous themes related to history and identity. He skilfully pokes holes in the Eurocentric narrative of classical music even as he uses its foundations to explore serious issues. Such a creative instinct has painful roots. As an infant, Balfour was taken away from his Cree mother as…

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