SPECIAL EVENT — Wavelength Presents: The Kalimba Summit feat. Kahil El'Zabar, Laura Barrett, Njacko Backo, Matt Smith @ Tranzac

Wavelength Series

No.
Friday, March 28th 2008

Wavelength Music Arts Projects presents
THE KALIMBA SUMMIT
featuring
KAHIL EL'ZABAR (Chicago, member of the Ethnic Heritage Ensemble)
LAURA BARRETT (Toronto, Paper Bag Records)
NJACKO BACKO (Toronto, native of Cameroon)
MATT SMITH (Toronto, a.k.a. Prince Nifty)

Friday March 28
Location: Tranzac (Main Hall), 292 Brunswick Ave.
Time: 7 to 11pm
Tickets: $12 advance at Soundscapes (527 College St.) or $15 at the door

The kalimba and its associated family of thumb pianos —mbiras, lokembes, kisanjis, etc. — are an amazingly versatile variety of lamellophones of southeast African origin. With its sonorous metallic tines and wooden sound box, the kalimba creates a tone akin to a musical water drop, though it may also buzz and hum in unexpected ways. Also unexpected is the kalimba's use in musical traditions beyond that of Africa; musicians of many different cultures have been inspired by its unique timbre.

The Kalimba Summit celebrates Toronto's role as a cross-cultural meeting place and brings together musicians of different backgrounds, who all share a love for the kalimba and its instrument family. We're pleased to also have an opportunity to host kalimba soloist and world-renowned avant-jazz musician Kahil El'Zabar, from our sister city of Chicago. Kahil was appear alongside: Laura Barrett, who has helped bring a lot of recent attention to the kalimba by using it as the primary vehicle for her whimsical indie-pop songwriting; Njacko Backo, active Cameroonian-Canadian musician and eductor, who recently released the CD Ba Ba Oh with his group Kalimba Kalimba; and Matt Smith of the post-rock/experimental group Nifty, who often feeds mbiras through looping pedal and effects. Each of these artists will perform a solo set (or duo set with a guest), and the Summit will culminate in a group jam with all the evening's performers. The Kalimba Summit concept came out of a Wavelength-convened panel discussion on diversity in independent music in Feb. 2007. The event promises to be a fascinating and boundary-crossing evening of music.

More info:
www.kahilelzabar.com • www.myspace.com/laurabarrett • www.njackobacko.com • www.myspace.com/princenifty • www.wavelengthtoronto.com

Supported by:
Ontario Arts Council • Karibuni Radio (CIUT 89.5 FM) • The Abstract Index (CIUT 89.5 FM)