GURPREET CHANA
Tabla player and groundbreaking fusion artist Gurpreet Chana presents TABLIX:
A breathtaking integration of tabla and technology. Hear algorithms and tabla rhythms blend seamlessly at the hands of The Tabla Guy. TABLIX is your invitation to experience contemporary electronic music culture from the perspective of one of Canada’s most sought-after tabla players. An exploration of the melodic potential of the tabla, TABLIX blends the ergonomics and sounds of a time-honoured tabla tradition with the infinite possibilities of the digital to create a new mode of artistic expression.
SAGAPOOL
As the accordionist, the violinist and clarinetist jammed together to The Godfather theme in the halls of the conservatory, they knew what they had to do: Start a klezmer band. But what happened was a completely different story. Sagapool went from Balkan and Gypsy-inflected impromptu shows on the streets of Old Montreal to crafting original instrumentals as a six-piece band—one so in sync that the guitarist jumps up to join the bassist for a thumping four-handed riff. Now the inventive ensemble turns inward, adding a Northern note to their swirling romps on Sagapool. Nonetheless, Sagapool can’t help but add an ample dose of the group’s quirky humour. This mix of good-natured shenanigans and Northern thoughtfulness won Sagapool a Felix (Best instrumental album 2012), Canadian Folk Music Award (Musical Innovation 2012 and Best Instrumental Album 2008) and gained them showcases at WOMEX (2010).
H’SAO
H’Sao: a family, a band. Caleb, Mossbass and Israel Rimtobaye and their childhood friends, brothers Charles and Service Ledjebgue are the group members. Made of virtuoso singers with amazing a cappella renditions mastered to perfection singling H’Sao out on the World Music scene, this young, talented group draws inspiration from Gospel, traditional African music and its Chadian roots. To this they add a love of soul, jazz and R&B. H’Sao blends all these styles with a joyous appreciation of African rhythms. The voices are magnificent, true and powerful, their original compositions, their unique style, the energy on stage, contagious. H’Sao’s African beat and message of hope has resonated throughout the world, from France to Australia, by way of Haiti, Sweden, Canada, New-Zealand, South Korea and South Africa.
LEELA GILDAY
A passionate, soulful Dene performer, Leela Gilday takes her audiences on a journey through a deep and vibrant landscape resonating with musical images shaped by her powerful voice. Her music unites melody, lyrics and language rooted in her Northern Canadian heritage. From her home in Yellowknife, NWT, Leela Gilday has carved out an international award winning career, with a Juno, Western Canadian Music Award and an Aboriginal People’s Choice Award to her credit. There is no doubt, Leela Gilday is an exceptional Canadian artist who hails proudly from Canada’s north.
TANYA TAGAQ
Tanya Tagaq's intense, evocative vocalizations, based on Inuit throat singing traditions, help reclaim the controversial 1922 film Nanook of the North. Tagaq, along with percussionist Jean Martin and violinist Jesse Zubot perform a live accompaniment to the film’s silent images of life in an early 20th-century Inuit community in Northern Quebec. Commissioned by the Toronto Film Festival for their First Nations Film Festival, Tagaq’s work with Nanook began with a sonic exploration of the film’s imagery, images that spoke deeply to the vocalist. Tagaq’s sense of the sound of the Arctic spaces shown in the film transforms the images, adding great feeling and depth to what is a complex mix of beautiful representations and racially charged clichés.
ALEJANDRA RIBERA
Alejandra Ribera draws her audience into a world of inventive songscapes & melodies woven in English, French and Spanish. Often compared to Tom Waits or Kate Bush, Ribera creates a timeless atmosphere with her distinctive voice and evocative performances. With producer Jean Massicotte (Patrick Watson, Lhasa, Arthur H), Ribera distilled her compositions into her new album "La boca".
A seductive performer. An innovative songwriter. Alejandra Ribera draws her audience into an intimate world of abandoned satellites, deep sea landscapes and mythical deities. A world where inventive melodies are woven passionately in English, French and Spanish. Often compared to artists such as Tom Waits and Kate Bush, creating a timeless atmosphere with her distinctive voice and evocative performances - Ribera lives between Paris and Montreal, mesmerizing audiences on both continents. Collaborating with renowned producer Jean Massicotte (Patrick Watson, Lhasa, Arthur H), Ribera distilled eleven original compositions and one cover into an exquisite album entitled La boca.
JARON FREEMAN-FOX
Canadian Folk Music Award Winner Jaron Freeman-Fox contorts his violin into new traditions, while redefining the boundaries of innovation. With a band described as “Tom Waits playing the fiddle, backed up by the Mahavishnu Orchestra”, his ensemble “Jaron Freeman-Fox & The Opposite of Everything“ maintain a busy schedule, recently performing at festivals from the Vancouver Folk Festival, to the Stockholm Jazz Festival, to an official showcase at WOMEX in Thessaloniki. Hailing from rural BC, Jaron grew up playing fiddle tunes, before studying jazz, classical music and Carnatic music in India. Now playing the 5-string violin left to him by his late mentor, fiddle pioneer Oliver Schroer, Jaron's tours year-round, and recently released his celebrated sophomore album.
