World Music - my/maSCENA

Mtl en Arts

Canadian Arts Festivals 2017: Our Picks

By La Scena Musicale Team on 1 June 2017 Circus, Dance, Film, Literature, Mainstream Jazz, Multimedia, Musical Theatre, Scena Arts, Theatre, Visual Arts, Vocal Jazz, World Music

Montreal St-Ambroise Fringe Festival Montreal, until June 18 The most convivial and bilingual event of the season, the Montreal St-Ambroise Fringe Festival takes place in the heart of the city on the Main. What makes it different? A program determined by lottery! Theatre, comedy, dance, music, and drag…no less than 153 talented companies from all over the world will be battling for your attention. The best way to pick is by reading the audience reviews posted in Parc des Amériques – an exercise that’s sure to make you a real fringier. My bets are on inVitro, by Pretium Doloris, the…

Edinburgh International Festival Reveals its 2017 International Festival Portraits Series

By Newswire on 19 May 2017 Classical Music, Newswire, Theatre, World Music

The Edinburgh International Festival has today revealed its 2017 International Festival Portraits series. Intimate filmed portraits with six celebrated International Festival artists talking about the art they love, the series offers a rare glimpse into the creative thinking of some of the world’s most renowned musicians, playwrights and artists. The Edinburgh International Festival is an unparalleled celebration of the performing arts and an annual gathering of the greatest creative minds in opera, theatre, dance and classical music. What inspires these giants of the arts to create? The 2017 International Festival Portraits feature playwright Alan Ayckbourn, violinist Joshua Bell, artist and musician Martin Creed, playwright Zinnie Harris, sitar…

New Canadian Global Music Orchestra, Photo: Nicola Betts

New Canadian Global Music Orchestra Touring and Recording after June 2 Concert in Koerner Hall

By Newswire on 16 May 2017 150/375, Newswire, World Music

A major initiative by The Royal Conservatory of Music, which celebrates the cultural diversity and pluralism of our great country as it turns 150, is the formation of the New Canadian Global Music Orchestra. This project, conceived by Mervon Mehta, Executive Director of Performing Arts, is led by Artistic Director David Buchbinder, the Juno Award-winning trumpeter, composer, bandleader, and cultural inventor. More than 100 Canadians hailing from 47 countries applied to be in the orchestra, out of which 12 members have been chosen after three rounds of auditions. The artists of the New Canadian Global Music Orchestra have been in…

Les Francos Celebrate Diversity!

By Newswire on 11 May 2017 Newswire, Popular Music, World Music

Montreal, Thursday, May 11, 2017 — In this year of celebrations around Canada 150, the FrancoFolies de Montreal proudly present the event Fêtons notre diversité (Celebrate Our Diversity)! On June 27, 2017, Canadian Multiculturalism Day, festival fans from every background are invited to assemble on the Parterre symphonique from 2 p.m. to midnight to enjoy a Gigantic BBQ while attending concerts and dance performances by tons of the finest cultural ambassadors from our local communities! This very special event is scheduled outside the official run of the 29th edition of the FrancoFolies de Montréal, presented June 8 to 18 by Bell…

In Memoriam (1917-2017): China’s Maestro, Huang Feili

By Paul E. Robinson on 8 March 2017 Classical Music, Education, Orchestral, World Music

China’s Maestro Huang Feili died at his home in Beijing this past month (Feb. 19, 2017) at the age of 99). The following article is a reprint of my tribute to Maestro Huang – “Huang Feili: The Father of Chinese Conductors”, which appeared in La Scena Musicale on June 1, 2013. ___________________________ In March 2009, I was a Guest Lecturer at the Central Conservatory of Music (CCOM) in Beijing, China. My audience was a class of young conductors. My lecture, titled “Stokowski: the Limits of Interpretation,” considered the many changes that Stokowski had made in the scores of the music he conducted…

This Day in Music – 1916: Rayén Quitral was Born

By Camilo Lanfranco on 11 November 2016 This Day in Music, World Music

A hundred years ago this week, on November 7, 1916, soprano Rayén Quitral was born in the small village of Iloca, near the world’s end in southern Chile. At the height of her career, she would tour Europe, Canada and the United States, and she would become a regular in Latin-American cities as Santiago, Mexico and Buenos Aires. Rayén Quitral, whose name means flower of fire in the language of the Mapuche people, would perform honouring her first nations’ heritage and dressed in traditional costumes and jewelry. She would become known for her of role as Queen of the Night…

Mundial Montreal, Photo: Imagine360

La Rentrée Musicale: World Music

By Hassan Laghcha on 1 September 2016 La Scena Spotlight, World Music

The stage is set to welcome world music to Montreal in 2016. Fans who enjoy a great mix of musical styles won’t want to miss the excitement this fall. Here’s a sneak preview of the main events. World Music at the Festival Market – 100% World Music! More than 30 artists from Colombia, Estonia, Madagascar, Algeria, Brazil, Israel, Mali, and Sweden will come together to host Mundial Montreal’s sixth anniversary. This high-level networking event for professionals in the world music industry is the only North American festival market that’s fully dedicated to world music. November 17 to 20 (activities in…

JMC Rhythmobile, Photo: Antoine Saito

La Rentrée Musicale: Concerts for Children

By Kiersten van Vliet on 1 September 2016 Classical Music, Education, La Scena Spotlight, Multimedia, Musical Theatre, World Music

Studies show that appreciation for classical music begins at a young age. Though it’s sometimes difficult to find a reason (or the means) to bring younger children to the symphony or opera, there are plenty of inexpensive children’s programs this fall that are enjoyable for the whole family. When the commitment is only an afternoon, children’s concerts are an easy way to enrich the lives of the youngest members of your family! Musical Exploration with JMC The Jeunesses musicales du Canada has unveiled a diverse program this year with many opportunities to explore something new. On September 28, join Architek…

Marie-Josée Lord, Photo Laurence Labat

Daily News Roundup: 19 July 2016

By Kiersten van Vliet on 19 July 2016 Chamber Music, Classical Music, Daily News Roundup, Orchestral, Scena Jazz, Vocal, Vocal Jazz, World Music

Today’s Daily News Roundup asks whether Classical music is as calming as we are lead to believe. Plus a new appointment to the Philadelphia Orchestra, and more. + Is Classical Music calming for our brains? Gramophone’s Andrew Mellor deconstructs the notion. “Let’s not deny great music its reassuring, contemplative and soothing qualities. But let’s not pretend that’s all it does either. Music of all kinds – whether heard live at the Philharmonie in Berlin or via your phone on the top deck of the 196 bus – has the ability to temporarily realign the chemical balance in our brains. It’s a…

Songhoy Blues, Photo Andy Morgan

Video of the Day – Songhoy Blues Tiny Desk Concert

By Weiyu Dang on 19 July 2016 Scena Jazz, Video of the day, Vocal Jazz, World Music

In an interesting mix of West African Songhoy lyrics and electric guitar blues, the four member Songhoy Blues play trance-like grooves that shouldn’t be relegated into ‘fusion’ or ‘world’ music just because they aren’t western. From Mali, the Songhoy Blues play what they call ‘desert blues’ to capture the nostalgia and dislocation caused by wartime migration. Their droning guitar riffs and lyrical strains build into an infectious swelter, while the drum beats and guitar solos can’t help but raise heartbeats and get feet tapping. Video of the Day: Songhoy Blues – NPR Tiny Desk Concert

Browsing: World Music