World Music & Arts Festival

Locarno is the Latin project of JUNO Award winning musician, Tom Landa. Like him, the music is equal parts Mexican and Canadian. Tom was born and raised in Mexico City, and moved to Canada in his teens. In the mid nineties he formed the Folk Roots band, The Paperboys, who have been touring world-wide for over 20 years. Tom has always dabbled in Latin music, and in 2005 decided to immerse himself more into genre, and started working on material for an album. In 2006 he was awarded a Canada Council Grant to study traditional Mexican Music in Veracruz, Mexico. Tom spent his days learning the jarana (an 8 string guitar), and learning songs from the Son Jarocho repertoire. Upon his return to Canada, Tom started working on what would be Locarno’s debut CD. 

Suzie Ungerleider’s gloriously emotive, crystalline voice and her bewitching performances have captivated audiences for over 25 years. A wordsmith with a keen mind for detail and a wicked sense of humour, Suzie’s songs and voice pierce the heart, inspire a knowing laugh or a welling of the eye. Born in the USA and raised in Vancouver, Canada, this award-winning singer-songwriter began performing under the name Oh Susanna in the mid-1990s, winning instant praise for her striking voice and poetic songcraft. Her musical path has criss-crossed the mountains and valleys of Americana, folk, and roots, yet throughout her journey she has remained true to her own artistic vision.

Fränder is a band from Sweden and Estonia that bring rock energy and invention to the traditional music of their home countries. Their music is commanding and intensely spirited, but at the same time nuanced and mystical. Its melodies and rhythms strongly evoke the magical beauty of their northern woodlands and their deep cultural roots. According to the band, “We are energized by, and find creative freedom within the expressive modern sound of nordic traditional music. But we have never been interested in merely reproducing the past, instead we strive to find new ways back into the future.” Their name evokes a sense of kinship, and comes from an old Swedish word referring to family, and beyond that to fellow human-beings in general.

A contemporary roots duo featuring sibling songwriters Leela Gilday and Jay Gilday. Sechile Sedare (pronounced ‘seh-chee-leh’ ‘seh-dahr-eh’) means ‘my younger brother, my older sister’ in the Dene language. This musical collaboration sees Jay and Leela co-write and co-create new repertoire together, harnessing their talents as deeply insightful and genuine storytellers. Their voices blend in perfect harmony, hitting notes of nostalgia, hope, humour and reflection. The songs, created during lockdown in 2021 and during a residency at the Banff Centre, share stories about their family history, their connection to the land and water, and the twists and turns of fate.

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.