Category: World Music

Browsing: World Music

Jacques Lacombe (Credit: Brent Calis)

Newswire | 200 years of Ukrainian classical music with the OCM

By Newswire on 25 September 2023 Classical Music, Montreal, Newswire, World Music

Montréal, September 25, 2023 – For the first orchestral concert of the season, the Orchestre classique de Montréal (OCM) will shine the spotlight on Ukraine’s rich musical heritage with a varied program spanning more than 200 years of classical works by renowned Ukrainian composers. This will be Maestro Jacques Lacombe’s first appearance this season as the OCM’s new Artistic Director. The concert will take place on Tuesday, October 17, at 7:30 p.m., at Salle Pierre‑Mercure and will serve as a fundraiser for Ukrainian artists through the Canada-Ukraine Foundation’s “Aid for Artists” fund. In addition to a world premiere by Ukrainian‑Canadian composer Joanna Estelle Storoschuk, this all‑Ukrainian…

New Releases (September 2023)

By Wah Keung Chan on 1 September 2023 CD and Book Reviews, Opera, Piano, World Music

This section is an advertising supplement. To announce here, contact [email protected]. Kevin Lau: Under a Veil of Stars Kevin Lau Rachel Mercer, cello; Scott St. John, violin; Angela Park, piano Leaf Music LM273; release date Sept. 15, 2023 Kevin Lau: Under A Veil of Stars invites you to explore the spectrum of human emotions and experiences. Across nine captivating tracks, each brimming with its own distinct mood and theme, Kevin Lau’s composition invites you to interpret their profound meaning through the prism of your own unique perspective. This album was recorded in a studio at Western University in London, Ont.,…

CD Review | Butterfly Lovers (Sony Classical, 2023)

By Paul E. Robinson on 1 September 2023 CD and Book Reviews, World Music

Butterfly Lovers Joshua Bell, violin; Singapore Chinese Orchestra, Tsung Yeh, conductor Sony Classical, June 2023 The Butterfly Lovers is an ancient Chinese legend dating from about the 4th century AD. The story tells of an ill-fated love affair that concludes with the lovers joined together for eternity, as butterflies. Chen Gang and He Zhanhao wrote a violin concerto on this subject in 1958, based on Chinese folk songs using the Pentatonic scale, which immediately became a popular hit. The original version is written for soloist and orchestra, both playing Western instruments. In this new version, Joshua Bell is accompanied by…

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 | Weyn Allah (Self-published, 2023)

By Zenith Wolfe on 31 July 2023 CD and Book Reviews, Contemporary, Vocal, World Music

Weyn Allah Al Qahwa ensemble Self-published, 2023 Their first album explored the traditional songs of the Middle East; the second, Egypt, and the third, South Africa. Al Qahwa’s latest addition to their discography, Weyn Allah, is a much more ambitious venture: uniting humanity through original world music. No two songs are alike on this album. The titular Weyn Allah (Where is God) addresses social issues of inequity and racism to the tune of a qanun, saxophone and busy backing choral group singing in Arabic and English. Peace and Safety (Salma Ya Salama) incorporates French lyrics that promote acceptance, and Humanity…

CD Review | 2023 Syli d’Or Compilation (Les Disques Nuits d’Afrique, 2023)

By Hassan Laghcha on 31 July 2023 CD and Book Reviews, Montreal, World Music

2023 Syli d’Or Compilation La Tribu Salsa Band; Abondance; Lil K HPB Les Disques Nuits d’Afrique, 2023 This compilation includes nine tracks by the three world music finalists of the annual Syli d’Or competition, recorded during the gala evening at La Tulipe on April 27, 2023. One of the best salsa band in Quebec, La Tribu (Syli d’Or winner) presents beautiful pieces that remain true to the salsa tradition of 1970s New York, where this music took root. Thanks to the talents of its quartet of singer-actors, this colourful band stands out for its original blend of humour and fiery…

CD Review | Calcutta 1789 (Atma Classique, 2023)

By Hassan Laghcha on 31 July 2023 CD and Book Reviews, World Music

Calcutta 1789 Notturna; Christopher Palameta, conductor Atma Classique, 2023 As the most recent addition to its world music catalogue, Atma Classique presents Calcutta 1789: À la croisée de l’Europe et de l’Inde, by Notturna, conducted by Christopher Palameta. A portrait of musical life in colonial India, this work illustrates early associations between Indian classical music, with its voluptuous, haunting melodies, and compositions by Purcell, Handel and J. C. Bach, among other European composers. The project highlights the complicity between the Notturna ensemble and musicians Uwe Neumann (sitar) and Shawn Mativetsky (tabla). Both Neumann and Mativetsky bring a musical depth and…

Pablo Ziegler and Masae Shiwa (Credit: São Paulo State Symphony Orchestra)

Pablo Ziegler: Music and Beyond Welcomes Back the Piazzolla Pianist

By Zenith Wolfe on 26 May 2023 Contemporary, Ottawa, World Music

This summer, composer and Piazzolla quintet pianist Pablo Ziegler is bringing experimental Argentine tango to Ottawa. On July 4, Ziegler will host the Opening Gala: Homage to Piazzolla concert for his third Music and Beyond season. It’s his first time as the festival’s gala performer, and his first time back since the start of the pandemic. But he’s kept busy with international performances in the meantime. During lockdowns, Ziegler and his wife Masae Shiwa started experimenting as a piano duo before visiting Japan, Brazil, and Argentina for duet concerts, with New York lined up later this year. Their concert at…

Tomson Highway (Credit: Sean Howard)

Tomson Highway: Music and Beyond Meets “Cree Bossa Nova”

By Zenith Wolfe on 26 May 2023 Indigenous, Ottawa, World Music

In the last two years, Cree composer and playwright Tomson Highway has published two books, recorded his newest album Cree Country, won the Governor General’s Lifetime Artistic Achievement Award for Theatre, and become an Order of Canada officer. With plenty of passion left, he’s now on a new mission: introducing the country to Cree bossa nova. On July 6, Highway will perform for his second season at Ottawa’s Music and Beyond festival. He last played at its summer 2018 concert, which he called a sign of the music industry’s post-pandemic “resuscitation.” He’s being accompanied by cellist and festival organizer Julian…

Newswire | Stella Musica Festival: Cultural Crossroads, from Spain to The Balkans

By Newswire on 1 May 2023 Classical Music, Montreal, Newswire, World Music

Montreal, Monday May 1, 2023. For an 8th edition, the Stella Musica Festival, under the artistic leadership of its founder Katarzyna Musiał, is back in order to promote women in music. The three events scheduled as part of the festival will take place from Wednesday, May 31 to Friday, June 2. Its unique formula includes an intimate concert, a round table and a Grand Concert. The festival presents artists of exceptional talent, offering an innovative programming highlighting various cultural traditions, from Spain to the Balkans as well as the music of Indigenous peoples. During this 8th edition, the public will…

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