Batuki Music Society celebrates Ethiopia through music
By Samuel Getachew
In celebration of Black History Month, Batuki Music Society will host a much anticipated concert titled – Ethiopia : A Musical Perspective on Saturday, February 11th. According to Batuki’s Nadine McNulty, it will be an “array of traditional and modern instruments representing a wealth of talent and energy that would be displayed on a single stage for the first time in Canada.”
The society will host what is being billed as the first of its kind concert and has been in the making for almost a year, inside the Glenn Gould Studio in downtown Toronto. It will be a cultural extravaganza of ”music forms from the monochord music of the ‘Azmaris’ (story-telling and social commentary through song), the pentatonic and varied regional sounds to the hybrid and modern sounds of ethio-jazz.”
The society nurtures, motivates and mentors African Canadian cultural artists in all aspects of the industry to pursue their unique talents. This is done by giving them a strong foundation to showcase their music and art at different functions throughout the city. With the support of government and private institutions, the society has hosted a monthly concert series at the historic Gladstone Hotel and participated in numerous festivals including Afrofest. Afrafranto of Ghana, Amadou Kienou of Burkina Faso, the Ethio Stars band of Ethiopia, Thierry Kijanya of Burundi and Tich Maredza of Zimbabwe are some of the artists that have benefited from the group.
The concert will feature a long list of local icons and aspiring artists such as Girma Woldemichael, Fantahun Shewankochew Mekonnen, Henok Abebe, Martha Ashagari, Daniel Barnes, Dawit Tesfamariam, Bereket Gebremedn, Yared Zeleke, Abebe Fikade, Eyerusalem Dubale, John Maclean and dancer Saba Alemayehu. These musicians come from three different generations, representing modern and traditional collaboration found in the magic of the great diversity of Ethiopian music.
With Toronto’s large Ethiopian community, second only to Washington, DC within North America, the cultural extravaganza is expected to be a well-attended and memorable event.
The concert will be taped for a later broadcast on the CBC network. It will be part of the Big City Small World series with host Garvia Bailey on Feb 25th on CBC Radio One and on CBC Radio Two on Canada Live with host Andrew Craig on February 28th.
Ethiopia: A Musical Perspective
Date: Saturday February 11, 2012
Venue: Glenn Gould Studio, Canadian Broadcasting Centre (CBC)
Address: 250 Front St. West, Toronto
Time: Doors open at 7 pm. Show at 8 pm.
Tickets: $20 advance / $25 door
Available online at www.batukimusic.com
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