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Volume 10 Issue 7 - April 2005

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WoRLD View BY KAREN AGES

WoRLD View BY KAREN AGES SPRING 1s HERE, and with it comes a fresh face on the world music scene. Co-presented by Small World Music and Music Africa, Korongo Jam is in town from Cameroon, part of their first North American tour. Formed in 1999 by ticipatory cultural activity," huslead vocalist Erik Aliana, this band delivers a mix of funk and Afri- can folk music informed by the traditional rhythms of central Cam- eroon. Instruments used include kryin (wooden drum played with sticks), balafon, djembe, nyass (gourd shaker) and mvet (gourd guitar), along with modern elec- tric ones. This promises to be - a lively evening of dance and mu- sic, April 7 at the Lula Lounge. American tour. All proceeds will go to charities both in Canada and India. Visit www.ammacanada.ca for more information on these art­ ists and the foundation. Not a concert but rather a "par­ band and wife team Alan Gasser and Becca Whitla present Village Square, community singing from around the world, April 14 at Holy Trinity Church behind the Eaton Centre. Join in singing music from a variety of traditions including North American shapenote music, Shaker tunes, music from South Africa, Eastern Europe and more. April 14 at the Lula Lounge, Fado fans will enjoy the Fado- Arabesque Dance Academy Blues ensemble "15". Described continues its series of Sunday as "pushing the definition of Porevening "Layali Arabesque," fea- tuguese Fado to new areas", voturing a different bellydancer each calist Catarina Cardeal and guiweek accompanied by live tradi- tarist/percussionist Mike Siracutional Arabic instrumentalists. sa deliver this passionate Portu­ These cabaret style events begin guese genre with a contemporary at 8pm at Gypsy Co-Op (815 Queen St. West). Arabesque also presents two larger events this is a group of high calibre volunmonth: "Hezz Ya Wezz," featur- teer musicians who present qualiing ten bellydancers with live mu- sic, April 2 at l Gloucester St., heard. Their April 23 concert, tiand "Mamo Kadous Gala Perform- tied "The Global Beat" will feaance," April 30 at Lithuanian House (1573 Bloor St. West). Dancers will be accompanied by the Arabesque Orchestra led by Dr. George Sawa (qanoon, oude) with Suleiman Warwar (dumbek), Bassam Bishara (oude, qanoon, vocals), George Barbas (dhaholla) and Sebastion Gatto (duft). Visit www.arabesquedance.ca for more details. April 9, Amma Foundation of Canada presents Aditya Kalyan- pur (tabla) and Rahul Sharma (san- wor) in a concert of Indian classi- cal music. Residents of India, they are in Toronto as part of a North twist. The Toronto Wind Orchestra ty concerts of music not often ture works inspired by music from around the world. Included are Hans Werner Henze's "Ragtimes and Habaneras", the Balinese in­ spired Colin McPhee's "Concerto for Wind Orchestra" and other works. If you were unfortunate, as I was, to miss Maryem Tollar's March 31 concert with colleague Jayne Brown, you have another chance to hear this wonderfully versatile singer, April 27 at the Lula Lounge. Along with Levan lchkhanian (strings), Rich Brown (electric bass), Daniel Barnes (drums), Ernie Tollar (sax & Dave Snider Music Centre 3225 Yonge St. PH (416) 483-5825 cMa1 I: snidermusicsnidcrmusic.com www.snidcrmu!!.ic.com One of Toronto's Oldest Music Stores ... With The Best Selection of Pop, Jazz & Broadway Sheet Music in the city - For Begiuuers and Professionals - Come in and browse over 25,000 sht music publications. We have a wide array of Woodwind, Brass, Keyboards, Guitars and Accessories. Music Lessons offered on site. flutes) and Yvette Tollar (vocals), this concert will feature songs from her CDs, including some with texts by Maryem's uncle, Montreal poet Ehab Lotayef, songs from North Africa, songs sung in Ladino, as well as a few new ones. . The Royal Ontario Museum continues its series of free Friday evening concerts. April 29 it's "Raj to Aaj: Celebration of South Asia," featuring music, dance. and film from Nepal, India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Please check the ROM's website for details. Toronto's Shevchenko Musical Ensemble has a couple of concerts in early May. Their May 1 concert features Slavic, folk, classical and Canadian music for choir, mandolin orchestra and dancers. May 8, the Ensemble is joined by the Kaniv Dancers Cameroon's Korongo Jam in a comedy dance review titled "Let's Dance ... Tango," at the Betty Oliphant Theatre. If you've been thinking of getting involved in a world music ensemble but haven't decided which, a couple of educational facilities that offer classes to the general public will be holding their end-of-season shows. Worlds of Music Toronto presents their workshop participants'recital April 7 at Hart House; and the Royal Conservatory of Music Community School holds its World Music Showcase May 6, at 90 Croatia St. Both concerts will feature an array of ensembles representing traditions from around the globe. And speaking of education, the Toronto District School Board holds its annual Spring Music Concert May 4 at Massey Hall. Though this event will likely be sold out, I mention it here because the board has in the last few years begun introducing its pupils to world music. Featured on the program will be grade 5 and 6 students of the Gamelan Club at Leslieville Public School, under the direction of Andrew Timar (of the Evergreen Gamelan and Gamelan Toronto), with choreography and . music by Sutrisno Hartana. There are also a few World Music concerts in Brampton, Guelph and Barrie this month; please see our Beyond the GT A listings, commencing on page 60. Karen Ages is a free/,ance oboist who has also been a member of several world music ensembles. She can be reached at 416-323-2232 or worldmusic@thewholenote. corn. PHILIP L. -nA VIS Luthi er fom1erly with f.]. Schroder: Ftankfurt, West Gennany A Fine Selection of Small and Full Sized-Instruments and Bows • Expert Repairs (416) 466-9619 67 Wolverleigh Blvd., Toronto, Ontario, M4J I R6 APRIL 1 - MAY 7 2005

SOME-THING New BY JASON VAN EYK I AM STILL preoccupied with the many thoughts and ideas that surfaced at last month's L 'Oreillefine symposium and series of concerts - a resounding success pulled together by Continuum's Jennifer Waring and the ROM's Institute for Contemporary Culture. My first attempt at reconciling a full day of symposium presentations brought a sense of reassurance. Here was a group of six nonmusic practitioners exploring the psychological, sociological, philosophical and cultural foundations of contemporary classical music, none of them an expert, but all of them deeply involved in their thoughts and feelings about what we contentiously refer to as "new mus is:". The reassurance came from the fact that these individuals were giving their time and expertise to consider, carefully and passionately, what is often portrayed as a challenging and rarified art form. Their passion was a true testament to the power that even the most "difficult" music has in all our lives, and how necessary music is to our being. As I continue to contemplate all that was said, I am starting to see the thread that binds all new music together. And that is, at its"root, new music is exciting, challenging and fundamentally human, because it embodies all contradictions. New music is pleasur·able, but not because it is simple and solacing, but rather because it is complex and involving. It breaks path with classical conventions, yet is inescapably linked with its classical history. It is irrational and emotional, and sometimes appears inhuman, yet it is rational, theoretical, and elegant. It is a system that mirrors pattern and makes meaning of the universe, while also being an infectious mirror of our own physical map of nerves, brain Kelly-Marie Murphy activity and body motion. It eschews the past, yet it borrows, fragments and reframes it. It is bewildering and alienating, yet intensely personal and affirming. It is fleeting and ephemeral, yet persistent and resilient. It is all these things, in its infinite and exciting levels of detail and complexity. But where does this leave us? Well, I think we can.pull all the pieces together by saying that new music is a context, a forum ; a free space outside of the cares of our daily lives where we can openly explore all those connections and contradictions that make us human. Naturally, this month's upcoming concerts embody examples of these exact same elements. The TSO is bridging continental, historical and artistic divides in its inaugural New Creations Festival (March 30th - April 7th). New commissions by Canadian composers Gary Kulesha, Raymond Luedeke and and Kelly­ Marie Murphy will be flanked by re-hearings of recent European premieres by Dutilleux, Henze, and Iranian composer Behzad Ranjbaran. Even Beethoven's Opus 131 String Quartet will receive a new orchestral treatment by maestro Oundjian himself. The Roy Thompson Hall lobby will be recontextualized with audio, video, Jorg Widmann Wild, Wired West Co-presented u•itb Goethe lnstitut Toronto Co.presented wilb The Music Gallery a11d 1\vo New Hours on CBC Radio 1\vo Consiclerecl the "rising star" of Keith Hamel curates a concert of young German composers, new music with computers NMC Ensemble I Robert Aitken clarinetist Jorg Widmann Joseph Petric, accordion performs his music with the Max Christie, clal'inet • music by NMC Ensemble and Accordes +Hamel, +Pritchard,+ Radford ( 4 Canadian premieres) +Berezan and +Steenhuisen Bfe Canada Council Conseil des Aru .... ' for the Arts du Canada . JlA,_ M : 94.7 6DETH£ INSTITUT .._ . ... to ront dart sbou n c i I ...... ,,,_, r1 .. soc,;,v 1·'otmt111,;.,1 ,P: LFoidlo,1v1. ;r INTfl NATIDNU (DC•i}H di9'7H

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