Cockburn tribute set for Luminato

By JANE STEVENSON, QMI Agency

The North American tour launch of Montreal’s Wainwright and an all-star Canadian tribute to the music of folk veteran Bruce Cockburn are among the music highlights of this year’s Luminato festival, which gets under way Friday and runs until June 20.

And there’s lots of free stuff too.

For all details on tickets, go to luminato.com. Here’s a look at the musical highlights during the festival:

R&B star Melanie Fiona and rocker Sass Jordan will be joined by late entry and R&B dynamo Jully Black at Luminato’s free opening-night concert at Yonge-Dundas Square on June 11 (7-11 p.m.).

n Free nightly concerts at Yonge-Dundas Square featuring a cross-cultural celebration of musical women with performances by Latin (INDIA “la princesa de salsa,”), gay (Carole Pope, among others, singing and Michael Urie from Ugly Betty is co-hosting), Bollywood, ’80s, and Japanese pop (superstar Maki Nomiya and the Moist Towelettes) artists from around the world. It takes place June 12-16 from 7-11 p.m.

n Global Music: Rock The Casbah & An African Prom, features American banjo virtuoso Béla Fleck and Mali’s Bassekou Kouyate, among others, and takes place June 12 (1-11 p.m.), at Queen’s Park, and it’s free.

Rufus Wainwright will kick off his North American tour in support of his new album, All Days are Nights: Songs for Lulu, on June 15 at the Elgin Theatre — and has added a second date on June 17.

Barenaked Ladies, Sylvia Tyson and Buck 65 are the latest additions to the Canadian Songbook/Bruce Cockburn tribute at Massey Hall on June 16. Others in the lineup include Cockburn himself — Neil Young sat out his tribute last year — Hawksley Workman, jazz guitarist Michael Occhipinti, Jason Fowler, and Blackie and the Rodeo Kings.

Global Divas and Global Blues — the former features four female vocalists, including Canada’s Alejandra Ribera and Cape Verde native Carmen Souza, and the latter featuring Salif Keita. It all takes place on June 19 (1-11 p.m.) at Queen’s Park and it’s free.

Orchester Wiener Akademie — the celebrated Vienna Academy Orchestra — performs symphonies by Vienna’s beloved classical composers Schubert, Haydn, and Mozart conducted by Martin Haselböck. June 12 at Trinity St. Paul’s Centre.

TSO Goes Late Night: Beethoven Symphony 9 on June 19 at Roy Thomson Hall at 11 p.m. is the Toronto Symphony Orchestra’s first late night concert. You can also stay after the concert for an audience-wide party with TSO musicians, guest artists and live music.