Volume 24 Issue 7 - April 2019

James Kippen and Annette Sanger
they intend to do now that they’ve officially retired.
“We plan to return to Bali to learn more gendèr repertoire including
more unusual regional styles that are fast becoming eclipsed by inevitable
standardization,” replied Sanger. “As well, we will go to India
where Jim will continue to work on his research into the history of the
tabla. As always, we are open to doing occasional performances and
demonstrations in and around Toronto.”
It’s clear they don’t intend to hang up their performing scholar hats
anytime soon.
Small World Music Society’s Asian Music Series
Toronto’s oldest and largest presenter of culturally diverse music,
Small World Music Society celebrates springtime with the 17th
annual edition of its Asian Music Series. Marking Asian and South
Asia Heritage Month, throughout April and May, 11 concerts, a film
screening, plus a talk will be held at the intimate Small World Music
Centre (SWMC) in downtown Toronto, as well as at grander venues
across the GTA.
I asked SWM’s founding director Alan Davis about his longstanding
relationships with his programming partners. “We’ve always
embraced partnerships as a way to get Small World’s message out to
as many people as possible,” he replied. “This is increasingly true in
recent years, as more and more larger presenters embrace diversity
and cross paths with artists who are part of our musical ecosystem.”
Davis is confident that with SWM’s hard-won reputation for
community outreach and deep connections, they can bring value to
their partners by connecting them to audiences that they may not
otherwise intersect with. “This speaks to both audience taste and
geography. [For example]… audiences going to the Markham Theatre
will be aware of events at the Rose Theatre in Brampton, Koerner Hall
and the Small World Centre downtown, and a wide variety of presentations
from traditional to modern. Collectively, the hope is … audience-building
and community intersection. ‘Cause that’s how we all
succeed!”
Let’s explore a few of the concerts in this year’s Asian Music Series.
Mahmood Schricker – thoughtful sadness of the electric setar:
April 4 the Series launches at the SWMC with the music of Mahmood
Schricker, the Toronto musician-producer of electronic music for
film and commercials. An electric setar (Persian long lute) performer,
Schricker’s concert is a release of his new instrumental album El
Muerte, inspired by the Persian dastgah (tonal modal system), the
delicate strumming of the setar, international dub and techno, all
supported by electronics and drum machine sounds. Nima Dehghani’s
videos provide a backdrop for Schricker’s live music, reflecting moods
of “thoughtful sadness…” onto the screen.
Bageshree Vaze – Global Bollywood: April 5 at 7pm, SWM in association
with The Rose presents “Bageshree Vaze: Global Bollywood”
at the Rose Theatre, Brampton. The show is a celebration of the
widely popular music and dance featured in the globe’s biggest film
industry. Starring Indo-Canadian GTA resident vocalist and dancer
Bageshree Vaze, the concert is a tribute to the songs, instrumentals
and extravagant dance numbers that have propelled Bollywood to
international fame. Featuring a cast of Toronto musicians and dancers,
Global Bollywood is also choreographed and directed by the multitalented
Vaze.
Qais Essar
Qais Essar and Fazelyar Brothers – Afghani instrumental: April 11 at
8pm, SWM and the Tawoos Initiative co-present Qais Essar x Fazelyar
Brothers at SWMC. Qais Essar is a GTA-based Afghan composer,
instrumentalist and producer, a specialist on the rubab (a.k.a. rabab),
a short-necked Afghani lute. He has toured extensively visiting international
stages, releasing two LPs, five EPs plus a live album.
Essar contributed original music to feature films such as the
Golden Globe and Oscar-nominated film The Breadwinner (2017)
and earned a Canadian Screen Award for Best Original Song for
his work The Crown Sleeps. He will be playing selections from his
recently released EP I am Afghan, Afghani is a Currency, Vol. III. The
concert also features the Afghani-Canadian duo Fazelyar Brothers,
consisting of tabla player Haris Fazelyar and Wares Fazelyar a rubab
student of Essar.
Dang Show – Iranian musical hybridity: Both April 12 and 13 concerts
at the SWMC by the Dang Show sold out well in advance. Dang
thewholenote.com April 2019 | 37