Covering
African, world & roots music
Photos, events,
news & comment from in and around Toronto
Website & photos by John Leeson. email:
info@to-music.ca
Subscribe
to the T. O. Music Pix email newsletter:
Click here
for info or past issues!
Note: because of the length of the events
page, I've noted listings that are new or updated within the past
week in red. Click the link above for a lengthy listing of concerts
and shows.
The next week or
two has some excellent and varied shows, including:
Caribana & lots of related shows. Watch
for Queen Ifrica at Haboufront
Seu Jorge, Shelby Lynne, Holmes Brothers
next week
The weekend of Aug 6-8 has a raft of
music, including Kobo Town, Mamaya (concert and festival), Tamsir Seck's
Senegalese Xawaré, plus a fascinating "What Is Classical Weekend" at
Harbourfront
A lot more going in August
Listings for fall (and spring)
T.O. MUSIC PIX NEWSLETTER
If you like the kind of music covered in this website, click the link above
for more information about this email newsletter, to subscribe, or to see
past issues. Some recent items:
1. This weekend: L'Orchestre Sepentrional from Haiti: concert & film More at Harbourfront's Hot Spot & Corso Italia 2. Other events: a) Afrofest next weekend: lineup updates b) Other shows: Lula this month & others c) Congolese stars on July 25
3.Down the road: Eliades Ochoa & the "original" Buena Vista
Social Club Eliades Ochoa at the Lula; and a dream African-Cuban lineup. 4. "Wavin' Flag" the World Cup and original versions
1. Tonight: "Grievous Angel" and the story of Gram Parsons and Emmylou
Harris
2. Toronto Jazz Festival: some roots music highlights
3. Other upcoming events
4. Miscellaneous notes:
a) Luminato: Bassekou! and others
b) Fela! report from Broadway
c) Son House: "John the Revelator"
1.Luminato notes
a) More on "The Concert", June 12
b) Other concerts and events
2. Upcoming events
3. Jazz Festival & Angelique Kidjo on radio
4. A huge African July weekend
5. Last weekend: Ethio Stars & Ricardo Lemvo
Eliades Ochoa, Royal Theatre, Apr. 24, 2010
SOMETHING TO WATCH FOR:
A long-awaited project, now featuring an African music lineup "to
die for"...
Eliades Ochoa, the Cuban
guitarist (Cuarteto Patria, Buena Vista Social Club), who sold out two
nights in April at the Royal Theatre will be performing in the more intimate
Lula Lounge on Aug. 20. Show details TBA. A rare opportunity to see
this great musician in a club setting
However, the big news
concerning him
As noted
here previously when discussing the ngoni player Bassekou Kouyaté, the
project that eventually evolved into the Buena Vista Social Club originally
had much different intentions. The plan was to connect top African and Cuban
musicians: Eliades Ochoa, Malian guitarist Djelimady Tounkara and Bassekou
Kouyaté. Unfortunately, passport mixups prevented the Africans from
travelling to Cuba, and the idea changed to that of recording many of the
older Cuban musicians.
13 years
later, they finally did get together, and a CD, AfroCubism will be
out later this year on the World Circuit label, also produced by the BVSC's
producer, Nick Gold. It will feature not only the the original 3, but also
plus kora master Toumani Diabaté, and one of West Africa's greatest voices,
Kasse Mady Diabaté along with other African and Cuban musicians.
They will
be touring North America this November. Most details and dates are not yet
announced. No sign yet of them coming to Toronto, but tickets are now on
sale for a
Nov.
5 Montreal show, and
Nov. 9 in New
York.
I already
have my tickets for the New York performance!
Some info
at www.afrocubism.com, and a video
of their first recording is
here. (This song is
definitely of the "cubism" flavour).
Some 2009
photos include: Mahmoud Ahmed, Choclo y la Orgia Cosmica (David West)
- "Africa Meets First Nations", Oliver Mtukudzi, Iris DeMent, Madagascar Slim, Getatchew Mekuria & The Ex, Brazilian Day (with
Carlinhos Brown), some Afrofest highlights, Femi Kuti, Anacona, Masaisai, "The World of Slide Guitar" (Luminato); Grupo Vocal
Desandann, Habib Koité and Béla Fleck's Africa Project with Toumani Diabaté, D'Gary, Vusi
Mahlasela and Anania Ngoglia.
Hundreds more, including Salif Keita, Baaba Maal, Youssou n'Dour,
Seun Kuti, Hugh Masakela, Orchestra Baobab,
Billy Joe Shaver, Mighty Sparrow, Bettye LaVette, Jamaica to
Toronto, Amadou & Mariam, Tinariwen, African Guitar Summit,
Bembeya Jazz, Ba Cissoko, Wanda Jackson, K'Naan, Los Munequitos de Matanzas, and ...
ARTICLES, ARTISTS & LIVE
REVIEWS(updated Nov. 16/09)
Click the link above for some articles,
comment, artist profiles, and a few live music reviews.
The Healing Power of Music: A
reminder of the power and spirit of music -- from the Bloor-Yonge Subway
Station (Sep. 23/09)
Buddy Miller: Gradual recognition
for the country/Americana singer, guitarist, producer. (June 2/09)
Award Congratulations: Kiran
Ahluwalia, Jayme Stone/Mansa Sissoko, Jane Bunnett (and Grupo Vocal
Desandann)
Béla Fleck's Africa Project: an
article on the CD, documentary and tour by the American banjo master with
African musicians. Includes photos from an amazing concert in Nashville's
Ryman Auditorium.
RIP, Tlahun Gessese: The great
Ethiopian singer dies at the age of 68
Music and Social change: events,
performers, recording helping to push for social and political change
The "history" of world music. The
birth of a sometimes-controversial term.
Music Reads: noting interesting
books, magazines and other sources.
A few older articles:
Kemer
Yousef Toronto singer returns to Ethiopia for the first
time in 24 years. He's now a star in the country he fled. Watch
a video from
his triumphant Addis Ababa concert.
Solomon Linda, Wimoweh & The Lion
Sleeps at Night: the sad story of the most popular song in African
History
K'Naan: Sending a different
message? (Dec. 06/Jan. 07). Does
K'Naan's video send a new, disturbing message about violence?
Chuck Berry: The Brown Eyed
Handsome Man turns 80(Oct. 06)
Solomon Burke: (July/06): A
great story from his Massey Hall concert
Tarig Abubakar: A memorial
night for the late Sudanese-Canadian musician, Jan. 20, 2006
Bettye LaVette: "The Greatest
Unknown Soul Singer in the World". A review of her Nov. 28/05 show
at Lee's Palace.
Billy Joe Shaver: "A Life in
Music"
(Jul. 21/05). An appreciation of the music and life of the
great American Honky Tonk Hero poet
Wanda Jackson: "Rock On, Wanda!"
(Oct. 18/05) The Queen of Rockabilly rocked The Cadillac Lounge on Oct.
14/05. A report on the first of her two nights, some background on her,
and why we should help get her into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
Mansa Sissoko, Jayme Stone, Hugh's Room, June 2008
2008 REVIEWED
(Updated May 7) A three-part
section:
CD's
of the year: Picks from numerous other websites & music critics from around the
world. Updated with Songlines Award winners, plus Grammy and Juno
winners. Congratulations to Jayme Stone and Mansa Sissoko for their
well-deserved World Music Album of the Year Award for Africa to
Appalachia which is gaining notice around the world.
Also to Kiran Ahulawalia who won
the Songlines (U.K.) world music award for "Newcomer of the Year".
Of course, she's no newcomer to those of us here.
RIP 2008:
Notes & videos on some of the great musical figures who passed
away in 2008.
NOTE: As of December, 2008, this page is being updated for the first
time in quite a while. Please bear with me as links get added, updated
and removed.
Music links in Toronto, around the world,
plus Internet radio and other music sources on the Net.
Includes audio links to virtually all of the 2004 and 2005 U.K. Womad
concerts!
This page contains a collection of some of the best video (and some
audio) clips I've come across recently.
New:
Taraf de Haidkouks,
Buddy Miller, Emmylou Harris,
Mandékalou,
Franco,
Fela Kuti (1971), Wanda Jackson, Ronnie Hawkins, Beatles,
Ned Sublette, Big Joe Williams,
early Salif Keita, Tinariwen documentary,
Madagascar guitar,
Muddy Waters, Miriam Makeba, Odetta & lots more.
Eclipse photo, March 26, 2006 by Brendan
Seaton
REPORT
FROM LIBYA
The photo-journal of my March/April 2006 trip to Libya and the solar
eclipse -- including a midnight Sahara concert -- is posted
on a separate website.
Coming: report & photos from my
return visit in 2007.