Flavia Nascimento & Tio Chorinho
Flavia Nascimento & Tio Chorinho is an epic pairing of two of Canada’s top Brazilian roots music acts. Hailing from the rich musical wellsprings of Bahia in northeastern Brazil, Flávia is a prolific performer at major festivals, concert halls, and street parties everywhere, wowing audiences with her soulful voice and boisterous presence. Harrison Festival fans may remember her from her last visit here in 2016. Tio Chorinho is Canada’s first ensemble dedicated to choro, the “New Orleans Jazz of Brazil.” Fashioning their own distinctive approach to Brazil’s seminal music, listeners are charmed and thrilled by the group’s virtuosity, dynamics and unique repertoire. Together with Flavia they explore Brazil’s original soul music along with their own original tunes.
Tower of Song
When Leonard Cohen sang the phrase “the tower of song”, it was a metaphor for the inspiration that flows between songwriters, each toiling away on their own, but connected by their shared craft. Moved by this concept, celebrated BC singer-songwriters Oliver Swain and Glenna Garramone collaborated to produce a project that is both a dialogue through song and a tribute to the legendary songwriter. Re-imagining both rare and classic works of Cohen, the duo has crafted a sound that resonates with both longtime Cohen fans and a younger audience.
Zar Electrik
Whenever there is a meeting between Gnawa trance music from North Africa, looping sub-Saharan melodies, and bewitching electro sounds, the combination is bound to be explosive. The French/North African techno trio Zar Electrik includes singer instrumentalists Anass Zine and Arthur Peneau on gumbri, oud and electric kora, and Did Miosine on the machines. The enchanting voices and rhythms, bathed in electro colours, result in a powerful call to the dance. Zar Electrik takes you on a captivating trip to the borders of the Maghreb that will invoke an ecstatic and life affirming celebration.