Cap Global Roots Series
Past Shows
António Zambujo
October 8, 2011 @ 8 pm
$32/$29
Winner of the coveted Amália Rodrigues Foundation’s prize for Best Male Fado Singer, António Zambujo has been recognized as the rising star of fado today. Portuguese fado is likened to American blues and Greek rembetika for its ability to capture life's hardships with songs of bittersweet nostalgia and longing or 'saudade'. António Zambujo effortlessly combines the tradition of fado with jazz, Brazilian and North African influences. There is great delicacy to his singing and he imbues his music with a reverence and transformative quality that defies time and place—this marks his North American debut and will feature his four-piece band of some of Portugal’s finest musicians.
John Hammond
With Special Guest Steve Dawson
October 11, 2011 @ 8 pm
$32/$29
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Inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 2011, John Hammond is one of the world's premier acoustic blues artists. He is welcomed back to our series after his 2010 performance in Steve Dawson's Tribute to the Mississippi Sheiks. Hammond's epic career has seen the release of 33 albums, beginning in the mid-60s, during the first wave of American blues, playing alongside other luminaries of the blues; Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf and Eric Clapton.
Official Site | Watch: Mean Old Train
The Campbell Brothers
In partnership with Caravan World Rhythms
October 22, 2011 @ 8 pm
$29 - $42
At the Vogue Theatre
Forged from a 60 year African-American gospel tradition showcasing the steel guitar, the Campbell Brothers have taken their music, dubbed Sacred Steel from the church to the concert hall. Their energy is infectious, mixing equal helpings of funk, blues, rock and jazz. The music redefines notions of gospel—it is moving and uplifting with a charged edginess that makes it distinct and compelling. The dynasty spans two generations, with Chuck, Darick and Philip on steel guitar and Carl on drums.
Tickets are also available at the North Shore Credit Union Centre for the Performing Arts by phone or in person (not available online).
Official Site | Watch: "The Judgement"
Battlefield Band
October 26, 2011 @ 8 pm$30/$27
More of a movement that a single band, Battlefield Band has seen several line-up changes since forming in 1969, yet the renegade spirit remains intact; a hard hitting Celtic sound-scape that masterfully merges the ancient with the contemporary—a heady mix of bagpipes, fiddles, keyboard, flutes, guitar, bodhran and accordion. Founded in Glasgow, Battlefield Band, with a repertoire of over 30 albums, are famed for their electric live shows.
Official Site | Watch: "The Road of Tears"
Juan Martín
November 4, 2011@ 8 pm $39/$35/$26
Tickets available exclusive at Kay Meek Centre
Described as "a giant of the flamenco guitar tradition," Juan Martín is renowned for his blistering technique, raw emotion and supercharged performances. Following his sold-out Kay Meek Centre performance in 2009, Juan returns with a spectacular new flamenco dance ensemble featuring, direct from Spain, the stunning dance of ‘Miguel Infante' and Raquel de Luna. Andalucian singer Amparo Heredia 'La Repompilla' join Juan Martín and musicians Paul Fawcus on flute and clarinet and Chris Karan on percussion for an evening of smouldering Mediterranean passion.
Bassekou Kouyate
In partnership with Caravan World RhythmsNovember 10, 2011 @ 8 pm
Tickets: Available at door $32 (cash only)
Box office opens at 7:00 pm
A musical visionary, Bassekou Kouyate fuses the rich traditions of West Africa with American roots music, giving it a sense of verve that has highlighted Mali on the musical map and introduced the ngoni to the western world. The ngoni, a traditional spike lute, is a distant cousin to the banjo. Kouyate, with his group Ngoni Ba featuring four ngoni players, reinvented the practice and status of the instrument bringing it firmly to the centre stage. Kouyate’s unique style of picking, intermingling blues and jazz elements has lead to the emergence of a new sound and a resurgence of interest in the ngoni in his homeland. Innovative and exciting, he has collaborated and been deeply influenced by Béla Fleck, Ali Farka Toure and Taj Mahal.
Official Site | Watch: "Jonkoloni"
*Please note change in venue from the Red Room (in our season brochure) to St. James Hall.
Judy Collins
Sixties folk-icon Judy Collins' impressive career has spanned more than 40 years. Like her contemporary Joan Baez, she began singing traditional folk songs, moving on to popularize the work of contemporary singer/songwriters including Bob Dylan, Woodie Guthrie and Leonard Cohen. Judy Collins has thrilled audiences worldwide with her sublime voice and unique blend of interpretative folk songs, show tune classics and new works along contemporary themes.
Dirk Powell
January 21, 2012 @ 8 pm$30/$27
With a deft touch, Dirk Powell produces music that is steeped in Appalachian themes, melodies and cadences. A musician's musician, he hones his craft playing the fiddle, banjo, mandolin and bass, and creates his own entrancing arrangements to traditional music that keep its rich and vibrant history alive. He both celebrates and respects the past, revamping and stylizing the roots of the Irish-Scots legacy of mountain music with a freshness and vitality, making him one of the preeminent bluegrass musicians and scholars of traditional American music of his generation.
Official Site | Watch: "Waterbound"
African Guitar Summit
January 25, 2012 @ 8 pm
$36/$31/$26
Toronto-based African Guitar Summit is an adventurous musical romp formed from musicians with backgrounds spanning a multitude of sub-Saharan African music traditions. The impressive line-up of guitarists include Juno Award winner Alpha Yaya Diallo (Guinea), Pa Joe (Ghana), Professor Adam Solomon (Kenya), Mighty Popo (Burundi/Rwanda) and Donné Roberts (Madagascar) and his fellow countryman, Madagascar Slim. Rounding out this line-up is drummer Kofi Ackah (Ghana); balafon player Nanby Camara (Guinea) and vocalist Theo Yaw Boakye (Ghana). African Guitar Summit offers up a honey pot of picking and riffing that is as African as any ancestral drum rhythm.
Official Site
Eric Bibb
February 5, 2012 @ 8 pm $30/$27
Grammy nominee, New York raised, Helsinki based, Eric Bibb holds a deep connection to the American blues and folk tradition. Born into music royalty, Bibb is the godson of Paul Robeson, nephew of John Lewis and son of Leon Bibb. His rich, sensitive vocals and lyrics providea perfect balance to his fine finger picking technique, a style that is intimate, assured and passionate. Bibb blends genres of blues, gospel and soul effortlessly, melding a traditional rootsy American style with a subtle, contemporary sensibility. With his matchless ease and a poet’s voice, his concerts have an unabashed aura of joyousness.
Official Site | Watch: Booker's Guitar
Marc Atkinson Quartet
February 25, 2012 @ 8 pm $30/$27
The music of this virtuosic group is melodically captivating, sensually charged and technically awe-inspiring. The Marc Atkinson Quartet features Marc on lead guitar, Adrian Dolan on fiddle and accordion, Joey Smith on acoustic bass and Kelby McNayr on drums. Marc and Adrian are co-founders of The Bills, one of the best Canadian roots groups of the last decade. Atkinson’s picking has been described as flawless, surprise filled, sizzling and supremely melodic. The quartet blends their brand of gypsy jazz with blues, classical and roots music.
Official Site | Watch: Rogue Folk
Guitar Republic
March 4, 2012 @ 8 pm $32/$29
Italian acoustic guitar trio, Guitar Republic features Pino Forastiere, Stefano Barone and Sergio Altamura. All with successful solo careers, they joined ranks and first garnered international acclaim when their Funky Sex Republic video went viral on YouTube. With outstanding technique, the group has exploded the notion of the guitar ensemble, adding blues riffs and powerful rhythms for a sound that has been described as a 21st century chamber orchestra with global percussion breakouts, cello-like etudes, avant-garde sound effects and blues slides.
Official Site | Watch: "Funky Sex Republic"
Lo Còr de la Plana
March 17, 2012 @ 8 pm $32/$29
Lo Còr de la Plana (pronounce "Loh cor deh la plahn") is a group described as a 'gritty romp', matching six male a-cappella voices with the stomping, clapping beat of a variety of hand drums, that accompany this French ensemble. Sung in the ancient language "Occitan", the group transcends translation with wit, tenacity, and above all, intricate harmonies that soar between the dissonant and the sacred. Ripe with passion and Mediterranean roots, flavors of Arabic, African and parts of Gregorian chant, the group take you on a European journey that stirs the soul. The result is a joyful ricocheting counterpoint that needs no translation.
Official Site | Watch: "La Vielha"
Supported by:
Ron Sexsmith - SOLD OUT
with Pete Murray
May 15, 2012 @ 8 pm $45/$42
Toronto singer-songwriter Ron Sexsmith has amassed an enthralling body of work since the release of his self-titled debut in 1995. He has a stock-pile of well observed songs about the human condition, infused with low-key brilliance. Accolades are plentiful, from his musical heroes to contemporaries alike—Bob Dylan, Elton John, Steve Earle and Lucinda Williams are all admirers. His songs have been recorded by k. d. lang, Michael Bublé, Feist, Nick Lowe and Emmylou Harris. Sexsmith’s performances transcend usual pop sensibilities, combining his distinct voice and sweet melody delivered with charm and wit.
Official Site | Watch: Love Shines