Sunny and sad; freakish and beautiful; all can exist simultaneously, as deftly shown by Swedish indie art-pop artist they owe us in new single, “I’m Your Biggest Fan” — available now.
Fresh from they owe us’ new sophomore album, KRAM, “I’m Your Biggest Fan” starts out noisy — complete with driving drumbeats and clanging cymbals, and then suddenly turns lo-fi and melodic.
It’s a California sound that evokes a Polaroid kind of day: colorful, and bright, and timeless, while welcomingly hazy at the edges. There’s an ease to it, the feeling of lying in the sand and not having to go anywhere; meandering piano, some oohh-la-la harmonies, and some horns, for good measure.
“I mean the title says it all,” he said. “That warm, energized rush you get when you are floored by a person, a place, a song.
“I guess you could call it a love letter to one day in May.”
The vibes are fitting considering Kristoffer Ragnstam, the man behind they owe us, wrote it while watching pumped-up bodybuilders on Muscle Beach in Santa Monica. He was broke, and a little bit nervous about it — but determined to still try to have a nice trip.
From there, he recorded the acoustic guitar that very night, and cut the rest live with friends back in Sweden. Female vocalist IZHAV helped him create the gorgeous harmonies, and the corresponding music video features a person alone in a bar after hours, dressed as a geisha. We see the person put on some makeup, and then dance around the bar by him or herself.
There’s a sense of watching a private moment, possibly one usually kept secret. However, the gaze of the camera is one of pure acceptance, and the demeanor of the video’s lone star one of self-contentment. As the song reaches its end, the geisha walks out of the bar and into the night, where several people are milling around, still dancing just like she did inside.
Cut mostly live and recorded analog, KRAM is the second album from they owe us, and follows 2020’s Broken English & Sad Serenades. It’s an amalgam of raw drums, cheeky keyboards, and other sounds borrowed from the record store basement — mainly found in the ‘Do What The Hell You Want’ section.
Ragnstam worked with Anders Rane as a main co-writer and musician, as well as other well-known names such as Timo Räisänen, Andé Laos, Markus Hasselblom, Per Eklund and Klabbe Hörngren (Klabbes Bank). Other contributors include vocalist IZHAV, Adam Bolméus (Hästpojken), Axel Sjöberg (Graveyard), Jennifer Israelsson (Hot Breath), Viktor Turegård (Franska Trion), and Joel Lundberg.
The single “I’m Your Biggest Fan” and the album KRAM are available now.
This holiday, Gap has joined forces with global pop superstar and cultural icon Katy Perry to underscore the importance of love, kindness, and acceptance with its new campaign, ALL TOGETHER NOW. Gap shines at the intersection of culture, fashion, and music, with Katy’s remix of “All You Need Is Love,” bringing Gap’s modern American optimism to life like never before.
Concepted by Gap Global Creative Director Len Peltier and renowned American filmmaker Mark Romanek, ALL TOGETHER NOW amplifies the power of music and storytelling to convey a sense of love and joy that brings people together – the essence of the iconic song that inspired the campaign itself. The Beatles debuted “All You Need is Love” in 1967, just two years before Gap was founded in 1969 – a cultural decade defined by changemakers. Fast forward to today, ALL TOGETHER NOW spotlights Katy as herself, a dimensional culture shaper making an impact across music, philanthropy and empowerment – showing her fans the importance of being part of something greater than yourself.
Wearing holiday favorites, such as 90s icons including Gap’s arch logo hoodie and an oversized denim jacket, vintage soft joggers and a 100% recycled cropped puffer, Katy vocalizes the uplifting spirit of hope and togetherness at the most magical time of year. ALL TOGETHER NOW includes Gap’s holiday collection, featuring an assortment of seasonal icons for the whole family. Signature looks from the collection include matching family flannel PJs, cozy lounge and fleece sets, 90s-inspired denim fits, and a variety of recycled puffers and cold weather accessories available in bright colors and textures, perfect for mixing and matching.
Today, Katy will also release her recording of the full-length single, “All you Need is Love.” Gap will spread the love by donating $1 for every stream of the new track on Spotify, up to $100,000, to Baby2Baby – a nonprofit, long supported by Katy, that provides children living in poverty with all the basic necessities that every child deserves.
“I’m always excited to work with brands that are going the extra mile to make this world a better, happier place,” said Katy Perry. “Reimagining one of the most recognizable and emotional songs of our time with an iconic brand like Gap, having such a special and important message, has been a dream. And what better reason to partner than bringing people together to spread joy for the holidays and raise money for Baby2Baby, a charity that’s close to my heart. Children are our future. We need to lift kids and help them find their value, self-worth and self-respect.”
In honor of World Kindness Day, Gap will also be celebrating friendships of every kind and the people who cultivate them. Gap and Disney will issue an exclusive collaboration for all generations – Gap’s classic arch logo with Mickey Mouse, a friend to everyone. With this limited-edition logo collection, Gap will continue its support of EmbraceRace – a non-profit organization that supports parents and other adults to raise a generation of children who are thoughtful, informed, and brave about race. Gap’s $50,000 donation will support their emerging storytelling platform dedicated to sharing first-person stories at the intersections of race, culture, and other identities, inspiring all generations to embrace friendships of every kind.
Gap’s ALL TOGETHER NOW campaign debuts today, October 25, 2021, on TV and streaming video, and rolls out across out-of-home media and digital throughout the holiday season. Customers will have the opportunity to shop and experience the campaign through TV + TV for Cord Cutters, shoppable experiences on social media, digital partnerships featuring gift guides, creator content, livestream shopping and augmented reality.
The Polaris Music Prize has announced albums from Nomeansno and Faith Nolan have received 2021 Slaight Family Polaris Heritage Prize designation.
Nomeansno’s hardcore punk album, Wrong, from 1989 was chosen in the Heritage Prize public voting category, which ran this year from September 27 to October 16. Faith Nolan’s 1986 blues-folk release, Africville, received Heritage designation by the 11-member Polaris Heritage Prize jury.
This year’s Heritage Prize jury had a daunting task trying to narrow down its selections.
“Part of the role of the Heritage Prize is to shed light on great albums that may no longer be widely known and played, even though they laid the groundwork for many others,” said Heritage Prize jury foreperson Mary Dickie. “These two remarkable albums — a pioneer in fusing punk and metal and a song cycle about Black history in Canada — not only exhibit excellence in songwriting and musicianship, but are landmarks in Canadian music history.”
Heritage Prize juror Francella Fiallos says Nolan’s album expressed stories seldom told at the time.
“I first discovered Africville while working at CKDU, the campus radio station at Dalhousie University,” says Fiallos. “This powerful, moving collection of songs tells the story of Black Canadians in both city and rural landscapes. From songs about historical figures such as Marie Joseph Angélique and Mary Ann Shadd, to shedding a light on contemporary issues such as working in a box factory, Faith Nolan’s soaring voice and musicianship make this so captivating. This record is without a doubt a timeless treasure.”
Fellow juror Ken Kelley says Wrong’s un-Canadianness was one of the reasons it resonated so strongly.
“Nevermind the fact that in 1989 this album didn’t ‘sound Canadian,’ it flat-out sounded other-worldly,” says Kelley. “Nomeansno essentially tossed the rule book out of the window with Wrong, crafting an album that draws from punk, prog and so much more. Thirty-two years after its release, this is a record that has stood the test of time and with good reason.”
With the two new winners, 35 albums have received Polaris Heritage Prize designation since it was launched in 2015. Some other Heritage Prize winners include Glenn Gould, Feist, Harmonium, Kate & Anna McGarrigle, Dream Warriors, and Neil Young.
Like the Polaris Music Prize, winners and nominees for the Heritage Prize are Canadian albums of artistic distinction, without regard to musical genre or commercial popularity. This is the Polaris version of a hall of fame where we try to determine who would have been nominated or won the Prize before it began in 2006.
The Muppets perform the 70’s classic Mr. Blue Sky. It’s all part of the Dear Earth special; an epic global celebration of our planet and what we need to do to slow climate change. Sprinkled with musical performances Dear Earth also contains well-known climate activists, creators, and celebs who will all share ways to make our lives more sustainable.
TikTok announced today that the music of Led Zeppelin is now available to its community. The band has also launched their own official TikTok account (@ledzeppelin) that will feature Led Zeppelin artwork and graphics, classic live performances, and other video content.
TikTok users can now create videos soundtracked to any song from Led Zeppelin’s full discography, encompassing over 100 total songs across their landmark studio and live albums, including some of their most legendary tracks such as “Whole Lotta Love,” “Stairway To Heaven,” “Immigrant Song,” “Rock And Roll,” “Black Dog,” “Ramble On,” and “Kashmir.”
Led Zeppelin remain one of the most groundbreaking and popular groups in modern music, having sold more than 300 million albums worldwide. The band was founded in 1968 by Jimmy Page. Along with Robert Plant, John Bonham, and John Paul Jones, they began a 12-year reign during which the group was widely considered to be the biggest and most innovative rock band in the world. November 8 marks the 50th anniversary of their milestone fourth album Led Zeppelin IV, produced by Page, which continues to be one of the most artistically influential and commercially successful albums in the history of music and the sixth best-selling album of all time in the U.S. Led Zeppelin continues to be honored for its pivotal role in music history, counting a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction, a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, and the Polar Music Prize among its many accolades.
Sometimes you mess up, and a relationship ends. And even though it’s over, you’ve been okay with that, until one day, out of nowhere, that old flame starts haunting your daydreams. Delving deep into this type of deliciously torturous mental scenario is Canadian singer/songwriter Justin Maki and his new single and video, “Close To You” — available now.
A jazzy pop-funk cocktail, “Close To You” tells the story of catching sight of a former lover in a bar, and playing the stare-look away game. The song begins with a guitar riff nearly identical to the iconic opener of Prince’s “Kiss,” and it could very well be an intentional choice on Maki’s part, for he’s about to spend the entirety of the song trying to convince the woman to give him some of her extra time.
Let’s get out of this place
Will you stay?
Will you stay?
I don’t mean to impose
I just want to be, let me
Close to You
His persuasion is lighthearted, playful, and punctuated by groove-inducing bass, lush guitars, saturated synths, and decidedly danceable beats. To up the element of fun, there’s even a portion in one of the final repetitions of the chorus where Maki (purposely) squawks out the lyric like a teenage boy and then says “oops.”
The song was written back in 2016, when Maki was at his grandparents’ house during a short trip home for a family celebration. “Being away from my hometown of St. Thomas, Ontario inspired me to dream of what it would be like to be on tour, and how that might take a toll on a romantic relationship,” he said. “I imagined a situation where I came back from a tour, only to stumble across a previous lover at a certain club in my university town of London, Ontario.”
Thinking of how she might notice him, but ignore him, “I imagined pursuing her and eventually catching her attention,” Maki explains. “I then imagined trying to convince her to pick up where we left off.”
The song purposely does not provide closure, but leaves the ending ambiguous and open to interpretation. “Generally, this is a song about unrequited love,” he shares, “which, probably everyone has experienced, but to me it means something more personal.”
Justin Maki is a “Flirtatious Jazz-Pop” artist out of London, Ontario. He is the FCLMA’s 2021 “Pop Artist of the Year” and Top 8 in The Shot Canada. Japan born and Canada bred, Justin’s music carefully draws influence from R&B, Soul, Funk, and Jazz and packages it in an accessible Pop format; imagine blending Allen Stone, John Mayer, Bruno Mars, and Robin Thicke. He hopes that his music facilitates a joyful escape for all who choose to listen.
Tune in Saturday, November 6, 2021 at 7:00 pm for The Ottawa Mission’s second annual Blue Door At Your Door – a special one-hour TV fundraising show, hosted by internationally renowned comedian, Tom Green and presented by Caivan Communities on CTV Ottawa and via livestream nationally on The Ottawa Mission’s website at www.ottawamission.com
Blue Door At Your Door is a one-of-a-kind, star-studded television special, featuring some Canada’s top artists performing on one show for the very first time.
This year Blue Door At Your Door features performances by this stellar line-up:
Blue Rodeo
One of Canada’s most iconic bands, Blue Rodeo have sold over 4 million albums, won countless Juno awards, been inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame, received a star on Canada’s Walk of Fame, been named to the Order of Canada and have been honoured with the Governor General’s Performing Arts Award.
Bruce Cockburn
Internationally renowned singer/songwriter Bruce Cockburn is a legendary performer and Ottawa native, who has a long history of supporting great causes around the world, throughout his more than 50 year career. Bruce has just been announced as one of the 2021 inductees onto Canada’s Walk of Fame and he kicks off the reboot of the US leg of his 50th Anniversary Tour in December.
Sam Roberts Band
Montréal alternative rockers the Sam Roberts Band are without a doubt, one of Canada’s most amazing live bands. The multiple-Juno Award winners have released seven critically acclaimed albums, many of which have reached Gold, Platinum, or Double-Platinum sales. They hold six spots on the Billboard Top 150 Canadian Airplay Songs (rock). Having toured around the globe to their adoring fans, Sam Roberts Band released their latest album All Of Us, during the pandemic in October 2020 and will return to live touring again in 2022.
Alan Doyle
Alan Doyle— actor, producer, best-selling author, and best-known as lead singer for Newfoundland’s beloved Great Big Sea these past 20+ years hardly needs an introduction. With four solo albums under his belt, Doyle has been touring the world with his ace six-piece band for the last seven years. Doyle’s latest release Rough Side Out debuted #2 on the Billboard Canadian album chart, and #1 Canadian Country album upon release. Doyle has also released three best-selling books to date— Where I Belong (2014), A Newfoundlander In Canada (2017), and All Together Now (2020). Amidst these projects, Doyle found time to write music for and appear on CBC’s Republic of Doyle, guest on CBC’s Murdoch Mysteries, a role in 2014’s Winter’s Tale and 2010’s Robin Hood. Doyle hails from Petty Harbour, NL, and formed Great Big Sea in 1993 with Sean McCann, Bob Hallett, and Darrell Power, in which they fused traditional Newfoundland music with their own pop sensibilities. Their nine albums, double-disc hits retrospective, and two DVD releases have all been declared Gold or Platinum and have sold a combined 1.2 million copies in Canada.
Lindsay Ell
Lauded as “one of the most exciting and talented young artists in country music” (Forbes), Lindsay Ell is a triple threat: accomplished musician, unique vocalist and awe-inspiring songwriter. The Calgary native learned to play guitar while traveling with her father to country-bluegrass camps as a young girl. Ell honed her craft as a musical stylist and songwriter after being discovered by BTO and The Guess Who’s Randy Bachman (“American Woman” / “Taking Care of Business”) who discovered her at the age of 13. The multi-instrumentalist was soon touring alongside the likes of Luke Bryan, Buddy Guy, and Keith Urban. Ell also shared the stage with distinguished country group, Little Big Town, along with other powerhouse female artists in one the biggest moments of the 2019 CMA Awards where she was also nominated for Musical Event of the Year. Ell’s nominations do not stop there. She has been nominated for ACM New Female Artist of the Year in both 2019 and 2020, in addition to her 2020 ACM nomination of Music Event of the Year. Ell also won 2020 CCMA Interactive Artist or Group of the Year for the second year in a row. These wins and nominations are well earned after Ell exhilarated audiences as part of Keith Urban’s Graffiti U World Tour, Brantley Gilbert’s Not Like Us Tour, Brad Paisley’s Weekend Warrior World Tour and now Blake Shelton’s 2021 Friends and Heroes Tour. Ell’s first full-length album The Project debuted at No. 1 on the Country Album Sales Chart and was named Billboard’s “Best Country Album” of 2017. “What Happens In a Small Town,” Lindsay’s duet with Brantley Gilbert, claimed the top spot at country radio, marking her first No. 1 in the US. She has two No. 1 singles under her belt in Canada. Her critically-acclaimed sophomore album, heart theory was nominated for “Country Album of the Year” at Canada’s prestigious Juno Awards and is currently nominated in five categories at this year’s CCMA Awards.
Miss Emily (featuring Rob Baker & Gord Sinclair of The Tragically Hip)
Powerhouse singer and 3-Time Maple Blues Award winner Miss Emily hails from Kingston, Ontario and has been lighting up stages across Canada with performances at Ottawa Bluesfest, Montreal Jazz Festival, Nanaimo Blues Festival, Kitchener Blues Festivals amongst many others, in support of her latest studio album “In Between”. For this special performance on Blue Door At Your Door, Miss Emily will be joined by Canadian rock legends, Rob Baker and Gord Sinclair of The Tragically Hip!
Kellylee Evans
Six albums deep and Juno Award winner Kellylee Evans is still shaking it up on Come On, her latest Decca album. The stylistic connoisseur has tackled everything from jazz to R&B and pop in such previous tasty classics fight or flight?, Nina – her Juno-winning tribute to the legendary Nina Simone – and I Remember When. Praised by the Latin Jazz Network for a “gorgeous voice (that) rises to the heavens in rapturous wonder as if in consanguinity with a chorus of angels” and by the Yukon Arts Centre for “a stunning crystalline voice, both powerful and emotive,” Evans now pushes her muse firmly into the soulful pop territory with Come On: a wonderfully refreshing album about love and life that comes on the heels of two nearly careerending accidents: a freak lightning strike in her Ottawa kitchen and further effects of a concussion suffered during a fall at her home.
Tom Green (Host)
Tom Green exploded on MTV with the groundbreaking comedy show, “The Tom Green Show.” Before reality TV, YouTube and social media existed, Tom Green’s man-on-the-street pranks changed television forever. In his storied career, he’s graced the cover of Rolling Stone magazine, hosted “Saturday Night Live,” and appeared on “The Oprah Winfrey Show”, “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno”, “Jimmy Kimmel Live”, “The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon”, “Conan”, and “The Daily Show” among them. And, in a very rare television event, Tom guest-hosted “Late Show with David Letterman.” The success of “The Tom Green Show” landed him roles in major motion pictures like, “Road Trip”, “Freddy Got Fingered” (which he also directed), “Stealing Harvard”, and “Charlie’s Angels.” Currently, while prepping new TV projects, Tom Green’s sold-out stand up comedy tour is getting rave reviews worldwide. Don’t miss the insanely hilarious comedy of Tom Green when he comes to your city.
The Ottawa Mission has 17 programs to meet the needs of our most vulnerable community members, including: emergency food and shelter; health services; mental health; addiction treatment programs; hospice care; dental services; housing services; educational support; job training; spiritual care; and clothing to thousands in need in our community.
The impact of the ongoing pandemic has been especially hard on those who are homeless and precariously housed, with many services these communities closed or only partially reopened to minimize the risk of Covid-19.
The pandemic has also been difficult for many people who were before just making ends meet. Given the collective impact on Covid-19 on people’s mental health, finances and perceived risk of homelessness, The Ottawa Mission expects to remain the first place of refuge for increasing numbers of vulnerable people for the next several years.
That’s why events like Blue Door at Your Door are so important to sustain The Mission’s programs and services that so many in our community rely upon, such as the Food Services Training Program, which provides the skills and credentials needed to work in a commercial kitchen, mental health programs, and addiction and trauma programs.
And that’s why The Mission is committed to bringing residents of Ottawa world-class music and food in the comfort of their own homes so they can relax and tune in for a great cause on November 6 to CTV Ottawa at 7:00 pm or the Ottawa Mission’s website.
Since 1906, The Ottawa Mission has been serving those who are homeless, hungry and lost by providing food, clothing, shelter and skills. In 2020-2021, The Ottawa Mission provided emergency shelter to an average of 185 men every night and served an average of 1,994 meals every day. The Ottawa Mission also provides to men and women health services, mental health and addiction treatment programs, hospice care, dental services, housing services, educational support, job training, spiritual care, and clothing to thousands in need in our community. In September 2020, The Ottawa Mission marked the one millionth hour that the shelter has been in existence since its founding in 1906. In 2019, the Mission became a housing-focused shelter reflective of its commitment to a home for everyone as a human right with the launch of its housing department. Visit ottawamission.com to learn more.
Risking it all for love over a game of chance has never sounded like it feels so good until multi-award winning East Coast Acadian country artist Laurie LeBlanc sings about it in his new single, “All In” — available now.
The fourth release from LeBlanc’s 2021 ECMA and Music NB Country Recording of the Year-nominated album, When It’s Right, It’s Right, “All In” goes all out for a rollicking good time over a high romantic stakes, poker tournament for two.
With its steam train, chugging beat, and playful interchange of tasty guitar, pedal steel, fiddle and piano riffs, “All In” sounds like full-on Saturday night fun, and it’s no accident that it does. “The idea of the song came while playing a game of poker one Saturday Night,” recalls LeBlanc. “The story is about a guy and a girl at the final poker table. The hot babe is making a pretty cute poker face at her opponent, and he thinks they have something special going on.”
“All In” is the one song that LeBlanc co-wrote for his latest album with his wife and manager, Jeannette. So, who won the real poker game that inspired their collaboration? While we may not know that outcome, LeBlanc does place bets for us on how the cards will play out in the song with this semi-spoiler. “He’s getting more and more interested in the girl thus losing focus on the game.”
“All In” also signifies success in a new focus for LeBlanc. “I’ve written numerous French songs, and most of them are based on fun ideas that I hope make people smile,” he says. “So I wanted to try to do that in English.”
The song has already made people smile, and dance, in Europe; through music agent Romuald Kosmidrowiez, 10 videos from European Country Dance Associations have been produced featuring choreography created specifically to “All In;” the dance was also presented at the European Championships, and finished 5th among 31.
LeBlanc didn’t have to look far from home to stack the deck for creating his first, all-original English album, When It’s Right, It’s Right, released in June 2020. The Buctouche, New Brunswick-based artist partnered up with multi-Canadian Country Music Award winning producer and guitarist Jason Barry to record at his CCMA honoured Barrytone Studios also located in New Brunswick. The album features some of the crème de la crème of Nashville writers (Grammy winner Don Schlitz, Mike Reid, and Dallas Davidson, as well as Ireland’s Don Mescall) and the musical contributions of members of Dean Brody’s touring band.
This first, all-original foray into the English country music market is supported by a decade of well earned success in francophone country music. Since 2011, LeBlanc has been honoured by the Canadian Francophone Country Awards, Music NB Awards, Josie Music Awards and more over 15 times including wins for CFCA Entertainer of the Year and Male Artist of the Year in 2018. Plus, with almost 4 million streams of his music and counting, LeBlanc has racked up a flourishing following across the digital realm in both official languages.
With all those francophone music accolades under his belt, it was definitely a leap of faith for LeBlanc to record his new all-English project. “I needed to step out of my comfort zone, and it turned out to be a truly gratifying experience,” he notes.”I’ll always love singing in French and cherish the support I get from my francophone audience, but hearing one of my songs on the radio alongside the Canadian and American country artists I admire gives me so much joy.”
While the music game is shaping up to be a win-win for LeBlanc, one big question remains: Will our romantically distracted poker player get played and end up with a losing hand, or will he hit the jackpot and win the girl?
Dubbed by Maverick Music Magazine as the “very epitome of world music: no boundaries, no rules,” NY Times and BILLBOARD charting Canadian supergroup Sultans of String have released their brand-new single, “Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)” — available now.
The song features the four core Sultans, as well as incredibly talented and inspiring special guests Tara Salah Moneka and Ahmed Moneka, and arrives ahead of this November’s upcoming album, Sanctuary.
Originally written by Sonny Bono, and sung by Cher and Nancy Sinatra, this is a new take on the song that speaks to people from the perspective of marginalized voices; it is a benchmark of how the world has changed with the Black Lives Matter movement, and the thirst for equality around the world.
Toronto-based Sultans of String worked with Ahmed on their previous album, Refuge. An artist and a musician from Baghdad, Iraq, Ahmed came as an artist to Canada, and then stayed as a refugee in order to save his life towards the end of 2015. “I love what I’m doing here now, and Toronto gave me a lot of opportunity to continue my journey as an artist,” he shares. “I used to be an actor, and a lot of projects and my work focus on human rights and supporting the story that no one has told before. I came to TIFF, the Toronto International Film Festival, as a main actor in a film called The Society, and this movie was the first film talking about the history of homosexuality in Iraq, and the first film like of its kind in Iraq.
“We filmed the film, but we were scared to screen it until 2015,” Ahmed continues. “Then, the first premiere was at the Cannes festival, and it was a nice, amazing exposure to the film.
“At the same time, there was a revolution in Baghdad in the summer of 2015, with a lot of ISIS in the North of Iraq, and people fighting. There was crazy chaos. Several people, like the open minded people, were taking over. So I was part of the revolution as well.
“And then, in September, I came to Toronto, and TIFF were screening the film. They made a big exposure of this film; they went to my father because my father is very well known as an actor in Iraq, as well, and told him ‘hey listen, if Ahmed comes back, we’ll cut his body into little pieces, so you’re not allowed to come back, let him stay in Toronto’.
“I was exiled, literally, from my country, and that was really crazy. I started my journey without knowing any English, and then started learning in an ESL school as a political refugee, in a new country, and that’s why I ended up in Toronto.”
It was just this past year that his super talented younger sister Tara, and the rest of his family, would join him here, with an emotional greeting at the airport in the midst of the COVID 19 pandemic that risked derailing the entire settlement process. She was also forced to flee the country with her parents after receiving multiple threats from militiamen against her singing. To them, Tara’s music is considered forbidden (haram), and would see them shutting down events where she would appear, and directly threatening her life.
The whole arts community of Toronto and Canada is so grateful for their presence here. “Ahmed and Tara are amazing individuals,” Sultans of String bandleader Chris McKhool says. “They are so strong, and full of hope for a better tomorrow.
“And I think, in a way, they teach us to be better Canadians by seeing our country through their eyes!”
“Toronto made me a musician, to be honest,” Ahmed shares. “I have African heritage, so that made me know how to play drums. When I was still young, we sang as a ceremony, a ritual thing, the family. And then, without knowing how to speak and to communicate with people, I felt that music is the best way to share and express myself.
“Love is the main reason for a great future. And I feel the privilege of art, and this amazing collaboration happening, like what’s happening in this album, is in home and nationalities. How many people, how many different backgrounds… Toronto makes you feel like you’re not a stranger because it’s based on immigrants.”
Since his arrival, Ahmed has certainly ingratiated himself to his adopted country, and has collaborated with many artistic institutions including the Canadian Opera Company, Tarragon Theatre, Aga Khan Museum, Tafelmusik, Driftwood Theatre Group, Toronto Jazz Festival, Koerner Hall and many others. He is one of the founders of the band Moskitto Bar and is the creator and leader of Moneka Arabic Jazz — a 2019 Stingray Rising Stars Winner at the Toronto Jazz Festival. His sister Tara seems to be following in his footsteps and becoming a key player in the local arts scene.
And continuing to teach us about how to be better people.
Tara Salah Moneka & Ahmed Moneka will also be appearing on BACKSTAGE with Sultans of String, a free livestream broadcast at www.facebook.com/sultansofstring that features in-depth connections with guest artists, fan interactive conversations, video premieres, and up close and personal interviews with the artists, discovering their stories behind the songs that include tales of both struggles and success, and of course live music.
BACKSTAGE SCHEDULE:
Oct 29 – Anh Phung
Nov 5 – Donné Roberts / Yukiko Tsutsui
Nov 12 – Tamar Ilana
Nov 19 – Amir Amiri
Nov 26 – Duke Redbird
Sanctuary is the highly anticipated eighth album from Sultans of String, and the second instalment in their Refuge Project. The first, simply entitled Refuge, was heralded as “a fantastic, moving, dreamlike, epic, timely album.” – Ken Micallef (Jazz Times, Stereophile, Downbeat) and won many awards including Producer of the Year at the 2021 Canadian Folk Music Awards for bandleader and violinist Chris McKhool.
This ambitious, diverse, inclusive and passionately political album puts the band face-to-face with a VIP roster of global ‘ambassadors’, some of whom are recent immigrants and refugees to Canada, as well as important Indigenous voices. All are masters of world music that communicate with each other through the global language of music.
Addressing the struggles of life on Mother Earth has always inspired Toronto-based quintet, Sultans of String. On Sanctuary, Sultans of String bring their unique brand of musical synergy and collaboration to bear on 11 songs that speak to the challenges facing the world’s displaced peoples–their stories, their songs, their persistence and their humanity.
Joined by an international cast, some of whom are recent immigrants to North America, the celebrated quartet immerses themselves in the plight of the international refugee on Refuge, and the humanitarian response that should greet everyone in search of a home.
“The larger Refuge Project is centred around the positive contributions of refugees and new immigrants to Canada,” McKhool explains. “We are bringing in special guests that are newcomers to this land, as well as global talents that have been ambassadors for peace. We wish to celebrate the successes of those who make the journey here, and bring their extraordinary talents with them, in this case music. Each one of us has a remarkable story to tell, and we are excited to share the beauty of these collaborations with you.”
Sanctuary features seven new tracks with stellar performances by Tara and Ahmed Moneka from Iraq, Amchok Gompo from Tibet, Donné Roberts from Madagascar with partner Yukiko Tsutsui from Japan, Algeria’s Fethi Nadjem, Juan Carlos Medrano, Syrian refugee Leen Hamo, Iran’s Padideh Ahrarnejad, Nyckelharpa player Saskia Tomkins,
It also includes three stunning new versions of songs off Refuge. These include an astonishingly gorgeous orchestral version of The Power of the Land featuring Indigenous performers Duke Redbird and Twin Flames, Turkish mega-pop star Suat Suna singing Hurricane, and flamenco dancer and singer Tamar Ilana singing a version of Asi Soy that will rip your heart out.
Thrilling their audiences with their genre-hopping passport of Celtic reels, flamenco, Gypsy-jazz, Arabic, Cuban, and South Asian rhythms, 3x JUNO Award nominees and 3x CFMA winners Sultans of String celebrate musical fusion and human creativity with warmth and virtuosity. Fiery violin dances with rumba-flamenco guitar, while bass and percussion lay down unstoppable grooves. Acoustic strings meet with electronic wizardry to create layers and depth of sound, while world rhythms excite audiences to their feet with the irresistible need to dance.
Since releasing their debut album Luna in 2007, Sultans of String have continually strived to make each chart-topping album more original and meaningful than the last. That includes working with an orchestra (2013’s Symphony), teaming with Pakistani sitarist Anwar Khurshid (2015’s Subcontinental Drift) and even crafting a world-music holiday album (2017’s Christmas Caravan), which landed them on the Billboard charts and the New York Times. Their ambition and work ethic have garnered them multiple awards and accolades, including three JUNO nominations, first place in the International Songwriting Competition (out of 15,000 entries), three Canadian Folk Music Awards and countless other honours, plus a Queen’s Diamond Jubilee medal (for bandleader Chris McKhool). Their 2020 release Refuge garnered many awards including two Independent Music Awards for Instrumental Song of the Year and World Music Producer of the Year, two songwriting awards from Folk Music Ontario, as well as the 2021 CFMA for Producer of the Year for Chris McKhool and John Bailey.
McKhool has an Egyptian-born mother who happened to play piano, teach classical theory, and feed her young son as much Middle Eastern cuisine as she did music lessons. From there, the powerful violinist developed a taste for multi-genre string sounds and found a like-minded crew of all-world enthusiasts. When McKhool first heard founding guitarist Kevin Laliberté’s (Jesse Cook) rumba rhythm, their musical synergy created Sultans of String’s signature sound – the intimate and playful relationship between violin and guitar. From this rich foundation, the dynamic duo grew, featuring such amazing musical friends as in-the-pocket bass master Drew Birston (Chantal Kreviazuk), and the jaw-dropping beats of percussionist Chendy Leon.
Their live resume is similarly stellar. Equally at home in a concert hall, folk and jazz club or festival setting, the Sultans have gigged at JUNOfest, the legendary club Birdland in New York, Celtic Connections Festival (Glasgow) and London’s Trafalgar Square. They have sold out Koerner Hall three times (Toronto’s Carnegie Hall), and performed with the Annapolis, Toronto, Vancouver, Edmonton Symphony Orchestras. They have played live on CBC’s Canada Live, BBC Radio, BBC TV, Irish National Radio, and the syndicated World Café, Woodsongs, and SiriusXM in Washington. Sultans of String’s musicianship and versatility are also showcased in collaborations with such diverse luminaries as Paddy Moloney & The Chieftains, Sweet Honey in The Rock, Richard Bona (Paul Simon), Alex Cuba, Ruben Blades, Yasmin Levy, Benoit Bourque, Béla Fleck, Crystal Shawanda & Ken Whiteley.
Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down) is available now in standard stereo as well as Dolby Atmos. Sanctuary is available November 10, 2021.
