Vieux Farka Touré, Melat Mengesha @ Koerner Hall, Saturday

Malian guitar slinger Vieux Farka Touré carries on the family business of his legendary father at Koerner Hall with Melat Mengesha opening on Saturday.

Here's the scoop from Batuki Music Society...

Known worldwide for his electrifying live shows, Vieux Farka Touré’s virtuosic guitar work blends Malian blues, rock, and soul. Winner of Ethiopian Idol Melat Mengesha opens the show at 8 pm. 

Often referred to as “The Hendrix of the Sahara,” Vieux Farka Touré is the son of legendary Malian guitarist Ali Farka Touré, who died in 2006. His live performances are highly energized, and Vieux is known for dazzling crowds with his speed and dexterity on the guitar, as well as his palpable charisma and luminous smile, both of which captivate audiences despite any language barriers (though Vieux does speak eight languages!).

Hailing from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, now based in Toronto, Melat Mengesha’s music features contemporary, folk, and Ethio-jazz roots sounds. Two major influences in her artistic expression are the legendary Ethiopian singers Gigi (Ejigayehu Shibabaw) and Aster Aweke. A major turning point came in 2015, when Melat won the first season of Balageru (Ethiopian Idol). That breakthrough opened the door to a variety of showcases and performances, from intimate stages to large-scale concerts, allowing her to tour across her hometown and beyond.

After the concert, enjoy a beverage and more music at the Postlude Performance in the Leslie & Anna Dan Galleria.

Get tickets for Vieux Farka Touré with Melat Mengesha at Koerner Hall (273 Bloor St. West) on Saturday (October 3) at 8 pm via The Royal Conservatory site right here. 

Watch a few performances below. 

Belize's Garifuna Collective, Blandine Kiniki @ Koerner Hall, Thursday

After the unfortunate cancellation of Orchestra Baobab, the Garifuna Collective from Belize makes a fantastic replacement April 2.  

Here's the scoop...

From Belize, The Garifuna Collective a driving force in celebrating the rich cultural heritage and music of the Garifuna people, an Afro-Indigenous group community with a rich cultural heritage, originating from the Caribbean island of Saint Vincent and now residing in various countries, including Honduras, Belize, and the United States. 

Their music is “full of surging seaside rhythms and yearning, soulful melodies that hang in the memory” (BBC Music) and has been described as “an extraordinary blend that layers soulful, indigenous and African rhythms with sweet, lyrical melodies” (NPR). The band’s energetic and evocative live shows draw from their extensive repertoire, mixing traditional Garifuna rhythms with contemporary world music grooves.

 

Singer/songwriter and percussionist Blandine Kaniki, winner of an African Entertainment Award 2015 as Best Female Voice, blends the soul of rhumba with urban music. The Congolese Canadian singer’s 2019 album L’Antidote featured a powerful collaboration with the legend of Congolese music Nyboma and lead guitarist Lokassa Ya M'Bongo.

 

Presented in association with Batuki Music Society. Tickets for The Garifuna Collective with Blandine Kiniki at Koerner Hall (273 Bloor St. West) on Thursday, April 2 at 7 pm start at $50. Get 'em right here. Watch a few clips of the Garifuna Collective in action along with some Garifuna documentary footage below.  

 

Rhiannon Giddens & The Old Time Revue play Koerner Hall on May 15 & 16

Banjo boss Rhiannon Giddens plays two-nights in Toronto with Justin Robinson & pals on Thursday and Friday night!

Here's the scoop...

I’m so excited for Rhiannon Giddens & The Old-Time Revue tour to kick off this April! I’ll be performing along with Justin Robinson (vocals, fiddle & banjo), Dirk Powell (vocals, acoustic guitar, fiddle, banjo & accordion), Jason Sypher (bass), Demeanor (vocals, banjo), and Amelia Powell (vocals, acoustic guitar). Tickets for the Toronto shows at Koerner Hall start at $80 and are available for May 15th right here and for May 16th right here. 

Watch Rhiannon Giddens and Justin Robinson rip through "Hook and Line," "Rain Crow" and "Brown's Dream" from their album What Did The Blackbird Say To The Crow along with their recording of "Old Corn Liquor" from the Sinners soundtrack followed by a list of upcoming tour dates below. 

Rhiannon Giddens & The Old-Time Revue 

May 15 - Toronto, ON - Koerner Hall at The Royal Conversatory of Music

May 16 - Toronto, ON - Koerner Hall at The Royal Conversatory of Music

May 17 - Ottawa, ON - National Arts Centre, Southam Hall

June 15 - Napa, CA - Uptown Theatre

June 16 - Ventura, CA - Ventura Theater

June 19 - San Diego, CA - The Observatory North Park

June 21 - Berkeley, CA - Zellerbach

June 23 - Seattle, WA - The Moore Theatre

June 26 - Montréal, QC - Théâtre Maisonneuve at Montreal Jazz Festival

Los Lobos play acoustic show @ Koerner Hall, Saturday

Even when armed with only acoustic guitars, the mighty Los Lobos can still rock a soft-seat theatre. Show starts at 8 pm.  

Here's the scoop...

The multiple Grammy Award-winning Mexican-American rock band from East Los Angeles, California returns to Koerner Hall for an acoustic show.

Los Lobos effortlessly fuses rock, Tex-Mex, folk, and blues with rhythmic beats and heartfelt lyrics, creating a genre-bending nostalgic experience. Their eclectic sound resonates with authenticity and their traditional Mexican roots, inspiring listeners all around the globe.

Estimated Concert Length: 75 minutes with no intermission. Get tickets here. Watch Los Lobos rip through two songs at recent performance in Portland below. 

 

Celebrating five decades of Kronos Quaret @ Koerner Hall, Thursday

David Herrington and crew will perform music from Sun Ra, Steve Reich and George Crumb in Toronto on Thursday night.

Here's the scoop...

To celebrate five decades of sound, Kronos will perform a carefully curated selection of its work, spanning brand new works and signature pieces from composers around the world. The 50th anniversary season marks the debut of Kronos Quartet’s recently appointed cellist Paul Wiancko, performing alongside founder and violinist David Harrington, and longtime members John Sherba (violin) and Hank Dutt (viola).

For 50 years, San Francisco’s Kronos Quartet has pursued a singular artistic vision, combining a spirit of fearless exploration with a commitment to continually reimagine the string quartet experience. They have performed thousands of concerts worldwide, releasing more than 60 recordings of extraordinary breadth and creativity, collaborating with many of the world’s most accomplished composers and performers, and commissioning more than 1,000 works and arrangements for string quartet. Kronos has received over 40 awards, including the Polar Music, Avery Fisher, and Edison Klassiek Oeuvre Prizes, some of the most prestigious awards given to musicians.

Get tickets for Kronos Quartet: Five Decades at Koerner Hall (273 Bloor St. West) on Thursday (May 9) right here. 

Program:

George Crumb: Black Angels +

Aleksandra Vrebalov: ilektrikés rímes * (Canadian premiere)

Steve Reich: Triple Quartet * (Toronto premiere)

Peni Candra Rini: Movement I from Segara Gunung * (arr. Jacob Garchik & Andy McGraw) (Ontario premiere)

Sun Ra, Terry Riley & Sara Miyamoto: Kiss Yo’ Ass Goodbye * (arr. Paul Wiancko) (Canadian premiere)

Nicole Lizée: ZonelyHearts * (Ontario premiere)

* Written for Kronos

+ Laurence Neff, lighting & stage designer; 

Brian Mohr, sound designer; Calvin Ll. Jones, technical director

Branford Marsalis Quartet @ Koerner Hall, Saturday

Along with presenting The Secret Between The Shadow and The Soul, Branford Marsalis will likely be paying tribute to the late great McCoy Tyner. 

That time Alejandro Escovedo & David Hidalgo jammed on "Like A Hurricane"

Back in 2013, David Hidalgo joined Alejando Escovedo on stage in Kansas City. Los Lobos hit Toronto's Koerner Hall on February 22.