Sultans of String - Walking Through the Fire

from Victoria Jubilee Hall 2023-2024 Entertainment Season

Suzie Vinnick

Sunday, November 12, 2023 @ 2 p.m.

Part of the Jubilee Arts & Music Series (5 for $175) Individual Tickets: $55

Thisperformance brings the magic of collaboration to the stage, with award-winning First Nations, Métis, and Inuit artists from across Turtle Island / Canada joined by BILLBOARD charting 3x JUNO Award nominees and 3x CFMA winners Sultans of String!

From Métis fiddling to an East Coast Kitchen Party, from Rumba to Rock, to the drumming of the Pacific Northwest, experience the beauty and diversity of musicians onstage with Alyssa Delbaere-Sawchuk of the Métis Fiddler Quartet, Ojibwe/Finnish Singer-Songwriter Marc Meriläinen (Nadjiwan), and Coast Tsm’syen Elder and Singer-Songwriter Shannon Thunderbird, as well as virtual guests on the big screen, including Dr. Duke Redbird, the Northern Cree Pow Wow group, and more!

The songs beautifully reveal the depths of contemporary Indigenous experience and music, expressed in the spirit of the Truth and Reconcili- ation Commission’s 94 Calls to Action, and Final Report that asks that Indigenous and non-Indigenous people work together as an opportunity to show a path forward.

"The very fact that you're doing this tells me that you believe in the validity of our language, you believe in the validity of our art and our music, and that you want to help to bring it out. And that's really what's important, is for people to have faith that we can do this... That's really good”

- Honourable Murray SinclairOjibwe Elder - former chair of the TRC

"We are opening doors for each other, as Indigenous peoples, as settler peoples. It's just about further creating more openings and more connections through being a conduit... and through creating more spaces."

- Alyssa Delbaere-Sawchuk - violist

-Métis Fiddler Quartet Continued on page

SULTANS OF STRING BIO:

New York Times feature pick Sultans of String creates “Energetic and exciting music from a band with talent to burn!” (UK’s Maverick Magazine). Thrilling their audiences with their genre-hopping passport of flamenco, Celtic reels, roots and Cuban rhythms, the group celebrates musical fusion and human creativity with warmth and virtuosity. Fiery violin dances with rumba-flamenco guitar, while bass lays 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.

Equally at home in a concert hall, jazz club or festival setting, the Sultans have gigged at the legendary club Birdland NYC, the renowned U.K.'s Celtic Connections Festival, and the San Jose Jazz Festival. They have performed with symphonies across North America, and played live on BBC TV, Irish National Radio, World Cafe and SiriusXM in Washington. They just released their feature length film "Refuge - Visual Album" at a dozen film festivals worldwide.

ALYSSA DELBAERE-SAWCHUK

Born in Winnipeg, Alyssa has completed a doctorate in classical and fiddle music traditions on the viola at the Université de Montréal. Upon learning about her Red River Métis roots, she discovered the old native and Métis style of fiddling traditions. Alyssa’s mentorship with Ojibwe elder fiddler Lawrence “Teddy Boy” Houle led her to collaborate with his brother, James Flett, in creating Oméigwessi, Reel Métis: A Tribute to Walter Flett, which won Best Fiddle and Best Instrumental Album at the 2008 Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards. She is also a member of the Métis Fiddler Quartet.

Their release, North West Voyage, received the Best Traditional Album award at the 2012 Canadian Folk Music Awards.

Alyssa's passion for access to arts education has led her to develop innovative Indigenous inspired methodologies that integrate teachings of Métis history, music and culture with movement and dance. She has led her workshops at the Art Gallery of Ontario and Royal Ontario Museum. Most recently, Alyssa was selected as the Indigenous representative and artistic producer of Kuné: Canada’s Global Orchestra, a project incubated by the Royal Conservatory of Music in 2017.

Marc Merl Inen

Born in Lynn Lake, Manitoba and raised in Thunder Bay, Marc Meriläinen’s heritage can be traced to the Chippewas of Nawash, Cape Croker. Transforming the sound and image of Indigenous music has been one of Marc Meriläinen’s goals from the very beginning, and his prodigious output has been recognized in many corners, including the Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards, the Native American Music Awards, the Indigenous Music Awards, and Toronto’s Dora Mavor Moore Awards for the Performing Arts, along with invitations to perform at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics and the 2015 Pan-Am Games in Toronto.

From his early days as creator and performer of the multi-award nominated contemporary indigenous rock project NADJIWAN to currently producing the next wave of Indigenous musical artists, Marc has worked with numerous artists to help launch and further their career development. In addition to writing & producing acts Marc has also promoted and produced various live shows and events including Planet

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Did you know that the first electric installation at Victoria Jubilee Hall consisted of 15 lights, which cost $3.30 per month?

Continued from page 15

IndigenUs at Harbourfront Centre and the Original People, Original Songs concert series.

SHANNON THUNDERBIRD

Shannon (M.A., B.A. Hon.), is proudly descended from the northern British Columbia Coast Tsm’syen (Tsimshian) people: Gilut'sau Band of the Royal House of Niis'gumiik, Gispudwada (Orca) Clan. She is an international Singer/Songwriter, Recording Artist, Artist/Educator, and Author.

She is a well-known Speaker/Storyteller; her fireside talks and original music open the minds and hearts of audiences to the power, impor- tance, and majesty of Canada's First Peoples. She is the Creator of Amgan Łiklgaawks (Red Cedar Sisters) Vocal Trio, Artistic Director of the Thunderbird Indigenous Theatre, and performs with choirs across the country.

Many thanks for the support of nonIndigenous funding streams of the Ontario Arts Council and Canada Council for the Arts for their support of this project.

Please follow the link below to learn more, including how we are including cultural safeguards in our work on this project: https://igg.me/at/sultansCD

The Hall was designed by A.R. Denison and constructed by contractor Henry Clark, using marl brick, clay and local fieldstone, intended to replace the original wooden structure used by the town. The marl clay was taken from an area which was gradually filled in with water, creating Marl Lakes.

The Slocan Ramblers

Saturday, December 2, 2023 @ 7:30 p.m.

Part of the Jubilee Arts & Music Series (5 for $175) Individual Tickets: $40

TheSlocan Ramblers (2020 IBMA Momentum Band of the Year Award Winner & 2019 Juno Award Nominee) are Canada’s bluegrass band to watch. Rooted in tradition, fearlessly creative and possessing a bold, dynamic sound, The Slocans have become a leading light of today’s acoustic music scene. With a reputation for energetic live shows, impeccable musicianship and an uncanny ability to convert anyone within earshot into a lifelong fan, The Slocans have been winning over audiences from Merlefest to RockyGrass and everywhere in between.

On their new album Up the Hill and Through the Fog, the all-star Canadian roots ensemble channels the past two years of loss into a surprisingly joyous collection of twelve songs intended to uplift and help make sense of the world. Bluegrass music is nothing short of catharsis for The Slocan Ramblers.

Though the past few years have brought the group accolades, that same momentum was abruptly halted by the pandemic’s brutal impact on live music. Over the next year, bandmates Adrian Gross and Darryl Poulsen both lost close family members and their bassist decided to step back to spend more time at home. They channeled these tumultuous changes into some of their most honest and direct compositions yet. Up the Hill and Through the Fog showcases the breadth of their varied influences while staying true to their roots in the rough and tumble bluegrass scene of Toronto’s no-nonsense bars and dancehalls. From Frank Evan’s classic, dusty vocals, to John Hartford-inspired lyrical musings, it’s all buttressed by impeccable musicianship, and emotionally raw songwriting from the three core members. This is roots music without pretension, art powerful enough to cut through the fog of the past two years and chart a more hopeful course forward.

Say hello to your new favourite band.

The Slocan Ramblers are:

Frank Evans: Banjo/Vocals

Adrian Gross: Mandolin

Darryl Poulsen: Guitar/Vocals

With Charles James: Bass/Vocals

Amanda Martinez

Saturday, February 17, 2024 @ 8 p.m.

Amanda Martínez is one of the great new voices in Spanish language Latin music…where slow cadence Cuban rhythms meet sensuous Mexico.”

Angel Romero, World Music Central Amanda Martinez is a Canadian singer-songwriter whose music is an original blend of influences from her Mexican and South African roots.

Amanda credits her longtime band for being a huge support to her career. “They are world class musicians who I feel lucky to play with. Each one contributes to our overall sound.” Her band features her long time guitarist and now-producer Kevin Laliberté, husband/bassist Drew Birston, and Cuban Canadians Rosendo “Chendy” Leon (percussion), Alexander Brown (trumpet), Osvaldo Rodriguez (violin) and Pablosky Rosales (tres). She often tours with Mexican bassist Paco Luviano.

She has released four albums and her latest recording Libre is her most eclectic creation to date. Her songs have been selected for four Putumayo world music collections.

Career highlights include headlining the Blue Note jazz club in NYC, the FIFA World Cup in South Africa and the Pan American Games in Mexico and Canada. She has also been a guest recording and touring artist of award winning guitarist Jesse Cook. She has sold out Toronto’s Koerner Hall multiple times and Ottawa’s National Arts Centre and Winter Garden Theatre.

Amanda has been recognized with multiple nominations as Latin Jazz Artist of the Year (Canada’s National

Jazz Awards), Best World Music Artist (Canadian Folk Music Awards) and she was the winner of Best World Music Artist (Toronto Independent Music Awards). Her albums have reached the top 10 on iTunes World Music charts. Amanda also works as an actor in film and television and has guested on shows including Designated Survivor, Suits, Regenesis and Kim’s Convenience and will be guest starring on an episode of Private Eyes with Jason Priestly. Film credits include My Mother’s Darkest Secrets and I was Lorena Bobbitt for the Lifetime Network.

She hosted Panamania during CBC’s coverage of the PanAm Games and the web series Ingredients for a Good Life, showcasing Mexico to Canadians. Ms. Martinez is a musical ambassador for SOS Children’s Villages Canada and was awarded Top 10 Most Influential Hispanic Canadians by the Hispanic Congress.

Amanda lives in Toronto with her husband and their three young children. She holds a Master’s in International Business from York University’s Schulich School of Business.