Volume 17 Issue 8 - May 2012

goers as a popular Toronto DJ. When the Lula Lounge opened itsdoors at Dufferin and Dundas as a live music dancehall showcasingToronto’s growing Latin music scene, Billy was there, directlyengaged. And the feeling was mutual. When his health faltered,his musician friends and fans rallied. Lula held a recent benefit“Rumbon Para Billy Bryans” to raise funds for his palliativecare on April 19, 2012, featuring an all-star cast including JaneBunnett, Alex Cuba, Son Ache and Samba Squad.The use of the term “world” when referring to a kind of musicor a musician has a contested history. It often seems a strained,an incorrectly placed, or even a derogatory tag. When usedto describe the whole of Billy’s career however, embracing asmany musical genres as he did, “World Musician,” in capitals,feels right.LULAWORLD 2012 concertsAnother Canadian pioneer, Alexander Graham Bell, is reputed tohave written, “When one door closes another opens; but we sooften look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door, thatwe do not see the ones which open for us.” Itseems hardly possiblethat the Lula Loungeis a decade old, yet here it is celebrating thisremarkable anniversary during May with a series of concerts,looking forward all the way.Originally a Latin dance club, in the ten years it has been openthis venue has broadened its mandate, distinguishing itself as a homefor world music of many persuasions. Now called the Lula Musicand Arts Centre, it is programming a series of collaborative concertscalled LULAWORLD 2012, bringing together artists from aroundthe globe. Here are just a few highlights.The series kicks off May 9, in collaboration with Small WorldMusic, with the celebrated local Autorickshaw shaking up contemporaryjazz, funk and the classical and popular music of India into abubbly brew. In keeping with LULAWORLD’s theme Autorickshaw(Suba Sankaran, voice; Justin Abedin, guitars; Collin Barrett, bass;Dylan Bell, keys; Ed Hanley, table; Ben Riley, drum kit) has invited illustriouslocal guests including jazz specialists pianist Gordon Sheard,bassist George Koller and mallet percussion maestro Mark Duggan.On May 11, Café Con Pan, Toronto’s exponents of son jarocho,the traditional music of Veracruz, Mexico, mix it up with guestsLa Marisoul (LA) plus musicians from Canada, Mexico, Chileand Iran. The concert will also launch Nuevos Caminos a Santiago(New Roads to Santiago) their “genre defying” second CD. In thesecond set this evening Lady Son y Articulo Viente hosts Montreal’stropical urban scenester Boogat in what is billed as a “hip hop soncubano mashup!” Canadian born and raised Yeti Ajasin, aka LadySon, is the lead vocalist/director of the Latin fusion band ArtículoVeinte. It sounds like dancing is required.Two outstanding, award-winning local ensembles join forcesMay 16: the classical Gryphon Trio and the Afro-Cuban and Latinjazz specialists, Hilario Durán Trio. They will perform “Cuban,Brazilian, Sicilian and Argentine charts” celebrating music that hasresounded at Lula.You can find moreLULAWORLD 2012 concertslisted in The WholeNote’s “Inthe Clubs” section.WORLD MUSIC PICksThis is one of those monthswhere no amount of spaceseems enough to cover themyriad concerts of interestin the GTA. I have selected afew to highlight and apologizefor having to leave out somany others.Yoga and music have longbeen intimately linked. OnFriday, May 4, 8pm at theCasa Loma campus of theGeorge Brown University, theLeft, Café Con Pan. Institute of Classical Yoga andAbove, Lady Son. Therapy presents “Music inharmony with Yoga,” a freeHindustani classical vocal concert featuring RamneekSingh. Ms Singh will be accompanied by an esraj playerand by Yashodhan Navathe on tabla.May 5 the Aradia Ensemble hosts Toronto’s leadingGeorgian choir Darbazi in a fascinating concert contrastingthe two groups’ choral approaches at the GlennGould Studio. Titled “The Grain of the Voice,” theconcert features two new works by Andrew Agar andKevin Mallon which will unite these two very differentvocal “grains.” Aradia’s Kevin Mallon, conducts.Another concert that marries Western and Eastern(here specifically Southeast Asian) classical musicforms will be presented at the Glenn Gould Studioon May 22. The Evergreen Club ContemporaryGamelan an eight-member pioneering world music ensemble, ofwhich I’ve been a member for some 29 years, is playing host to theBozzini String Quartet, Montreal’s contemporary and experimentalmusic specialists. The two groups will present five commissionedworks by leading Canadian composers for their joint forces, repertoirethey performed recently at a well-received Montreal concert.Back firmly on our musical native land, on May 10 the MétisFiddler Quartet launches its debut CD, North West Voyage NordOuest at the Lakeside Terrace, Harbourfront Centre. Currentlybased in Toronto, the four youthful sibling members of the quartet,Alyssa (viola), Conlin (guitar), Nicholas (violin) and Danton (cello)Delbaere-Sawchuk were born into a Métis family in Winnipeg. Theirprogram highlights arrangements of originally rural Canadian Métisand Native fiddle music that they learned directly from the greatestliving masters, and that the Métis Fiddler Quartet is eager to sharewith urban Canadians.Finally, on June 1 at Koerner Hall, the Royal Conservatory presentsSimon Shaheen on oud and violin in a concert fusing Arabic,jazz and Western classical music. Shaheen has been hailed as one ofthe most significant Arab musicians and composers of his generation.Based in New York, his two bands Qantara and the Near EasternMusic Ensemble tour internationally. Moreover, he has receivednumerous awards for his performing and educational contributions,including the National Heritage Award he received at the WhiteHouse. His album Blue Flame has been nominated for an impressive11 Grammy Awards.Andrew Timar is a Toronto musician and music writer.He can be contacted at worldmusic@thewholenote.com.ROger HUMBertMay 1 – June 7, 2012thewholenote.com 21