Anya M. Wassenberg's Blog: Art & Culture Maven, page 81

Eclectic Pop: Captain Of The Lost Waves Hidden Gems – Chapter 1 (Brigand Broadcasting Company - March 8 2017)

Recently Released:
Captain Of The Lost Waves
Hidden Gems – Chapter 1
(Brigand Broadcasting Company - March 8, 2017)

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Vintage Britpop, carnival or cabaret -- Captain Of The Lost Waves' sound keeps you guessing, or maybe it's all of them, all at once. Certainly, there are recognizable influences from Peter Gabriel to Jethro Tull, with a little Jacques Brel and the Beach Boys thrown into the mix.

If there is steampunk pop, then I never knew about it before. Captain Of The Lost Waves is an underground musical hero from Yorkshire, UK, who is finally getting a little exposure to the wider world. This collection of eclectic tracks seems to include songs from the last couple of years, many of them accompanied by charming animations.

Another Planet was his first single. This is the Jack Hobbs radio edit mix, animation by BAFTA award winners Fettle Animation. A modern take on music hall, using black and white animation. You can see where I mention the steampunk influence.



His live shows are unpredictable, each one unique, with audience involvement required. They're often site specific, held secretively on a who-you-know basis.

The songs include a theatrical touch, like Happy In Bed, which starts with a clock ticking and the sound of snoring. He sings of toast and wanting to stay just where he is in a melodic tenor. There's a whimsical sensibility, and a daft sense of humour. To a pleasantly Celtic-ish roots groove of acoustic guitar and penny whistle,

This is a song
Nobody wants to hear
This is a song
You'll forget long before you care to remember
This is a song
I'll tattoo across your chest
For this is a song...

As befits a release of Hidden Gems, there are four hidden tracks on the album. If you like the theatricality and storytelling, then you'll love this imaginative release.

Personnel:
Captain Of The Lost Waves – Voices, Bouzouki, Ukulele
Murray Grainger - Accordion, Accordina
Tony Taffinder - Mandolin, Banjo, Bodhran, Guitar, Voice
Dave Bowie Jnr – Double Bass/Bowed Bass


Tracklisting:
1. Grand national
2. Another Planet
3. Happy In Bed
4. Danger
5. Summer
6. Fat Freddy's Fingers
7. This Is A Song
8. Don't Miss What's Right In Front Of You
9. Mr Many Men

Websites:
www.captainofthelostwaves.com
https://www.facebook.com/captainofthelostwaves
https://twitter.com/CaptainOTLW

Danger on Planet Earth, there's a singer songwriter epidemic and they say it's getting worse...who can save us? None other than the bravest, boldest alien hunter in the galaxy, Mr William Theodore Ricard...

Retro Rock: New Single by Ivan Beecroft - BELIEVE (Release date: March 6 2017)

New Single:
Ivan Beecroft - BELIEVE
(Release date: March 6, 2017)

• Check him out on iTunes

Indie DIY rocker Ivan Beecroft has a new single in advance of an album in the works. The new track, Believe, is a strong pop tune in a retro vein, where a liquid piano line teams up with the guitar in a straight ahead beat with echoes of classic Brit-pop.

The title might lead you to believe it's some kind of upbeat ode to self-help pop psychology, but you'd be wrong. It's more along the lines of muddling through the real world.

You just can't find the things you need
I can't believe the things I see

As a steel worker in an industry that was dying, Australian singer/songwriter/musician Ivan Beecroft found a social conscience, and a keen sense of the difficulties of getting by in the modern era. It's something that has fueled his work, along with a personal history often spiked with tragedy. He was traumatised with a close friend and bass player was severely injured in an attack while trying to defend a neighbor, and almost gave up on music. Luckily, his wife bought him a guitar a couple of years after the incident, and it reignited his musical muse.



Ivan's a multi-instrumentalist and then some. He started out playing the flute, then added saxophone, drums, and guitar in various bands. Dissatisfied with the music production that he could afford, and inspired by the independent Do-It-Yourself ethos of underground 70s UK bands such as Sex Pistols, Joy Division and The Clash, he learned how to record, mix, master and produce his own music.

The new song seems to take a slightly different direction to his 2016 full-length release, Dirty Lie. On Dirty Lie, his approach is more straight ahead electric guitar-driven rock in a classic vein. Angel is a stand out from the album, a boucy rock tune in a vintage mode.

The album delivers the goods in a number of variations, including the slowed down, acoustic feel of Summer Serenade and the rock pop fervour of Where Were You.

Personnel: Ivan Beecroft/drums, bass, guitars, piano/synths, vocals

Websites:
https://ivanbeecroft.wordpress.com
Twitter  @ivanbeecroft_ivan
Instagram https://instagram.com/_u/ivanbeecroft?r=sun1

Review: Silver Lake 66 'Let Go Or Be Dragged' (Independent - August 1 2016)

Review:
Silver Lake 66 'Let Go Or Be Dragged'
(Independent - August 1st, 2016)

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Soulful and twang-filled, Silver Lake 66 offer a rollicking, satisfying version of Americana on Let Go Or Be Dragged, their debut release. It's just the latest point in a long and rejuvenated career.

The duo of Jeff Evbo and Maria Francis share strumming and vocal duties ably. Jeff sings Bury My Bones in Arkansas, a track with echoes of country and classic rock, and a cool slide guitar line that adds a flourish.

Maria's sweet, plaintive voice is a highlight on Magnolia, a lovely country waltz. She's got a nice sense of phrasing and melody that's easy on the ears. It's put to good use on tracks like Change Your Mind, a sweet country shuffle where her tone perfectly matches the heartbreak lyrics.

If the Devil's looking for me,
I'm not too hard to find...

Devil's Looking For Me has a real Dirty Thirties vibe to it, and the pair trade off vocals to a swingy groove. Their voices blend in some sweet harmonies on the chorus.

Let go or be dragged by Silver Lake 66

This is Americana played straight, with a sincere feel for the music, even if the pair obviously have fun with some of the lyrical conventions.The release was well received on the Americana circuit, getting airplay from over 50 American radio stations throughout the US, Canada and Europe. Let go or be dragged reached #24 on the Roots Music Report (a national Americana radio airplay chart) and the song “San Francisco Angel” climbed to CD #18 on the song version of the same chart. It's not hard to see why. The upbeat tune has a kicky rhythm and a forgiving message...You're just an angel who somehow wings...

The couple and duo of Jeff Overbo and Maria Francis were living in Minneapolis when they began performing and recording their material. Living in LA for nearly 10 years, their band The Ruby Trees performed regularly in area clubs. A move to Portland, Oregon put the brakes to their musical endeavours for a while, until they ran into other Americana afficionados locally. The duo returned to music under the name Silver Lake 66.

Personnel: Jeff Overbo – guitar, vocals; Maria Francis – guitar, vocals, percussion


Tracklisting:
Let go or be dragged
1. Bury My Bones in Arkansas (4:21)
2. Magnolia (4:20)
3. Change Your Mind (4:05)
4. Devil’s Looking For Me (3:35)
5. Treat Me So Fine (2:43)
6. Do You Ever (4:45)
7. Sherman County (4:58)
8. San Francisco Angel ( 3:44)
9. Don’t Have to Tell Me You’re Blue ( 3:51)
10. Price You Pay (4:23)
11. End of the Day ( 3:05)
12. Doctor (4:40)

Authentic Maritime Culture: PEI Mutual Festival of Small Halls June 11 to 24 2017

From a release:

Authentic Maritime Culture
PEI Mutual Festival of Small Halls
June 11 to 24, 2017

• Check out the Halls and more

Getting a taste of real Maritime culture as you explore the bucolic countryside, beautiful beaches, luscious seafood and more...what could be better?

For 14 days in June, lap up the lush rural surroundings of Prince Edward Island in more than 40 striking community halls whilst enjoying the hottest home-grown talent live, at the PEI Mutual Festival of Small Halls, June 11 – 24, 2017.

With more than 50 performances over 14 days in June, in over 40 rural community halls, the PEI Mutual Festival of Small Halls is a critically acclaimed traditional music, storytelling and dance festival that will have your toes tapping across the Island.

Recognized as an East Coast Music Award nominee for “Event of the Year” in 2011, 2012 and 2013, and winner of the Music PEI 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013, 2016 Event of the Year and 2016 Presenter of the Year, the Festival mixes music and dance from PEI’s rich Irish, Scottish and Acadian cultures, along with the Island’s proud tradition of singer-songwriters and folk tales.

Held annually in June, the PEI Mutual Festival of Small Halls brings exceptional shows to treasured places many visitors and locals alike have not yet discovered.


Many Island performers will be returning to the small communities and rural stages where their careers began. A wonderful medley of roots, folk and traditional music will take place in cherished halls of all shapes and sizes, found down back country roads and along breathtaking coastal drives.

Contemporary Art: Shame and Prejudice: A Story of Resilience A project by Kent Monkman Goes On Tour To 2020

From a media release:

Art Museum Launches National Tour 
of Highly Acclaimed Exhibition
Shame and Prejudice: A Story of Resilience
A project by Kent Monkman, 
supported by Donald R. Sobey Foundation

"The year’s most talked-about art exhibit" - Maclean's 

After premiering at the Art Museum at the University of Toronto with over 23,000 visitors, Kent Monkman's Shame and Prejudice: A Story of Resilience will begin its national tour, travelling between Canadian coasts for the next three years. Calgary’s Glenbow Museum is the first stop to welcome Monkman’s searing critique of Canada’s colonial policies in response to the Sesquicentennial of Confederation.
Kent Monkman - The Scream
As both artist and curator, Monkman includes his own paintings, drawings and sculptural works, in dialogue with historical artefacts and art works borrowed from museum and private collections from across the country. Shame and Prejudice was repeatedly described by Art Museum visitors as the show that “everyone needs to see.”

Barbara Fischer, Executive Director at the Art Museum, underlines the significance of the exhibition, which narrates a story of Canada through the lens of First Nations' resilience. “Monkman’s artistic and curatorial project puts unreconciled settler-indigenous relations front-and-center of a singularly powerful reconfiguration of the museum’s role as narrative form. Over three years in the making, Monkman’s project is a major revisioning of the way in which the relationship between settler and indigenous peoples is typically represented.”

Narrated by Monkman’s time-travelling alter ego, Miss Chief Eagle Testickle, the nine chapters of her memoirs tell of the disastrous consequences of the newcomers’ taking of the lands. Miss Chief’s journey takes her from the Fur Trade to the bitter tales of subjugation through starvation and sickness, to present-day life on the Urban Res to witness the fall-out of centuries of shame and prejudice.

A catalogue published in English, French, and Cree is forthcoming in the fall of 2017, with an introduction by Barbara Fischer and contributions from Richard Hill, Lucy Lippard, and  John Ralston Saul.

Comments from the visitors’ book
“Kent Monkman has given us a powerful and moving reality check.”
“Fantastic – this show should be on tour from coast to coast. We have so much to learn and this has so much to teach us.”

Enabled by the leading support of the Donald R. Sobey Foundation, the Art Museum partners with the Confederation Centre Art Gallery to present this major exhibition in venues across the country.
Kent Monkman - The Bears of Confederation
Shame and Prejudice: A Story of Resilience
Canadian Tour Schedule

Glenbow Museum in Calgary, Alberta - June 17 – September 10, 2017Agnes Etherington Art Centre - Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario - January 6 – April 8, 2018Confederation Centre Art Gallery in Charlottetown,Prince Edward Island - June 24 – September 15, 2018Art Gallery of Nova Scotia in Halifax, Nova Scotia - October 10 – December 15, 2018McCord Museum in Montréal, Québec - January 15 – February 24, 2019Tom Thomson Art Gallery in Owen Sound, Ontario - Summer 2019Winnipeg Art Gallery in Winnipeg, Manitoba - October 2019 – January 2020Museum of Anthropology at UBC in Vancouver, British Columbia - May – October 2020

Five-star Luxury: The Rhino Resort in Portudal, Saly, Senegal

From a release:
Five-star LuxuryThe Rhino Resort in Portudal, Saly,  Senegal
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A lush tropical location close to the action, top notch amenities and stellar service have made The Rhino Resort in Saly, Senegal, a popular destination for years.
The Rhino Resort in Portudal, Saly, SenegalThe Rhino Resort Hotel & Spa in Portudal has earned international recognition and awards as the best small hotel in Senegal, Africa. The name of the hotel was inspired by the rhino statue located at the front entrance. It is a beautifully detailed piece from the famous Woodcarving Museum in Chiang Mai (Thailand).

Location, locationYou'll be staying in the perfect base for exploring Saly, the Senegalese Riviera, Dakar, and many other of Senegal's treasures. You can experience a half day at Brouse or Retba's pink lake on a Moto quad. With an exclusive outdoor swimming pool, hot tub and fitness room, the Rhino Resort Hotel & Spa offers luxury, comfort and style in a unique African setting.
The Rhino Resort - spaThis 5-star hotel has free Wi-Fi Internet access and spacious rooms with all the modern comforts. The Rhino Resort Hotel & Spa has hosted celebrities who enjoy the romantic and relaxing ambience and the distinctive authentic style. Luxuriate in this quiet green setting within reach of many events and activities such as big-game fishing, deep-sea diving, horse riding, sailing, golf, and even parachuting. Saly also has nightclubs, a casino and various boutiques as well as a small private airfield.
The Rhino Resort - the Rhino RoomRoomsStylish rooms offer mosquito nets, minibars, and tea and coffeemakers, plus safes, flat-screen TVs and soaking tubs, and some add 4-poster beds and loft bedrooms. Suites have living areas, and an upgraded 2-bedroom suite features furnished terraces, a private pool and meeting rooms.
The Rhino Resort - junior suiteAttention to DetailFrom the gorgeous shimmering fabric of the dresses worn by staff -- made using a local technique called basin riche -- to the room decorations, there's a meticulous attention to detail

This strange shape, curling in space at the edge of the bed, is a vine called taowan in Thailand. When this plant dries it becomes totally rigid.

Each one of the Rhino Resort’s 61 rooms is decorated with an exceptional piece of artwork, representing different African peoples. Thai artist, Yuttana Yutain, created these works using a bamboo brush and charcoal.

Facilities include a swimming pool and gym exclusively for guests, a Spa which is open to the public but free for guests, a beauty salon, boutique, and conference room. The Spa and some rooms have a Jacuzzi.
The Rhino Resort - dining room
When it comes to dining, there are two open-air restaurants, along with a stylish lounge and no less than two pool to enjoy. There's also a man-made beach with a bar.
Nearby AttractionsYou'll be in an ideal location to explore the area,
A few minutes walk from the beach;Within walking distance of the Musée Khelcom of contemporary art;You're 2km from Golf de Saly. The Rhino Resort - entrance
Other nearby activities & sights:
Goree Island,Lake Retba or Pink Lake, Bandia Animal Reserve, Somone Reserve and National Park, Joal Fadiouth - a picturesque village, Saloum Delta.

Journey To The Origins Of Jazz And Blues - So Long Seven April 8 2017 in Toronto

From a media release:

JOURNEY TO THE ORIGINS OF JAZZ AND BLUES
So Long Seven - April 8, 2017
Part of the 15th Annual Small World Asian Music Series, sponsored by TD Bank.

• Buy Tickets

TORONTO - In the fourth and final installment of the TD Discovery Series Special Projects, So Long Seven will premiere several new compositions as they explore the West African origins of jazz and blues on Saturday, April 8 at the Small World Music Centre.

Collaborating with master percussionist Amara Kante , So Long Seven will showcase the influence of West African music on the contemporary scene drawing on the expertise of Kante, one of the top djembe players in the world. The origin and evolution of the banjo will also be acknowledged as they explore the rich and rhythmic language of this tradition.

"The banjo is an important instrument in that it is a descendant of an instrument called the ngoni that is played in Africa," states So Long Seven's banjoist Tim Posgate. "The ngoni and other similar instruments were brought to North America by slaves to the United States where it evolved into the banjo like I play today."

So Long Seven masterfully blends genres such as jazz, classical, world and folk to create richly textured acoustic music. Influenced by bands such as Punch Brothers, Shakti, Oregon and many others, So Long Seven creates a seamless tapestry of sound through their original music. So Long Seven consists of Neil Hendry (guitar / mandolin), William Lamoureux (violin / voice), Ravi Naimpally (tabla / percussion) and Tim Posgate (banjo). Amara Kante is a master drummer known for his encyclopedic memory of rhythms and his exceptional technique on the djembe drum as well as instruments such as dununs, bara, n'tama and krin.

The TD Discovery Series Special Projects is a year-long initiative of music and educational performances created by Toronto Downtown Jazz, producers of the Toronto Jazz Festival, and supported by TD Bank Group. Designed to encourage the creation, development and presentation of unique new programming, the TD Discovery Series showcases some of Toronto's finest local jazz talent.

So Long Seven with special guest Amara Kante
Small World Music Centre - 180 Shaw Street
Saturday, April 8, 2017 - 8 p.m.
Tickets $15 advance

Dance: An Interview With Laurence Lemieux On James Kudelka's Love Sex & Brahms March 16-19 2017

An interview with Laurence Lemieux

Choreographer James Kudelka premieres #lovesexbrahms – the expanded version
Presented by Coleman Lemieux & Compagnie (CLC)
and featuring Evelyn Hart
March 16 – 19 2017 
at the Betty Oliphant Theatre, Toronto

• Get Tix For The Show

From March 16 to 19, legendary Canadian choreographer James Kudelka will be presenting a piece that first made a splash on local stages a couple of years ago. The piece is an expansion on a shorter piece of the same name that was originally commissioned in 2015 by Andrew Barashko's Art of Time Ensemble, involving 13 of Brahms' Intermezzi for piano. The performances netted a Dora Mavor Moore Award for Best Choreography for James Kudelka and Best Lighting Design in Dance for Simon Rossiter. The new, expanded piece includes all 18 short Intermezzi, some of the last pieces for solo piano that Brahms ever wrote.
Bill Coleman, Evelyn Hart, Luke Garwood, Ryan Boorne - Image by Jeremy Mimnagh
Along with 60 year old dance icon Evelyn Hart, the work will feature ten dancers from the CLC company and live piano by Andrew Barashko. Laurence Lemieux is both dancer and choreographer, but she takes the former role in this piece. "It's a really fascinating work," she says. "It feels more lilke a play."

The music is rich and dimensional, and lends itself to interpretation. "It's actually a series of Intermezzi composed by Johannes Brahms," she explains, "like little jewels." Along with marrying contemporary dance to European classical music, the work is a dramatic one that follows intrigues and tensions in the relationships between the dancers as characters, along with Sarkis, the puppet who acts as a host. "They're like little stories, each one."

"James is a choreographer, but he's directing it more like  play." The scenes are set in a vintage, Victorian world – appropriate to the work of Brahms, after all, who lived from 1833 to 1897. It allows for some elegant costuming. "I'm approaching it as an actress."
Evelyn Hart & Tyler Gledhill - Image by Jeremy Mimnagh
What's it like to work with one of Canada's true dance legends, Evelyn Hart? "She's amazing - dedicated, passionate, smart - great to work with."

Laurence is also excited by the prospect of dancing to live music by Andrew Barashko. "He's such a beautiful pianist," she says.

The work comes in contrast to her next project, a short work she's taking to France for the commemoration of the Battle of Vimy Ridge - an outdoor work. "It's an uncontrolled environment," she says. "It's like night and day."
Andrew McCormack & Bill Coleman - Image by Jeremy Mimnagh
But first, Kudelka and Brahms.

Love, Sex & Brahms showcases costumes by Hoax Couture, lighting design by Simon Rossiter, with puppet design by Nell Coleman. An ensemble of 10 CLC company artists will be joined onstage by Evelyn Hart, including: Laurence Lemieux, Bill Coleman, Danielle Baskerville, Luke Garwood, Tyler Gledhill, Louis Laberge-Côté, Andrew McCormack, Victoria  Mehaffey, Ryan Boorne and Daniel McArthur.

Join Coleman Lemieux & Compagnie for a special pre-show, Opening Night Gala celebration on March 16 at 7pm, hosted by CLC Board Chair Stephen Delaney, with a special introduction by choreographer James Kudelka.

Rehearsal clip from the 2015 production:

Innov Gnawa: Sebitiyin - The Jewish Songs of Gnawa in New York City April 20, 2017

From a media release:

Innov Gnawa:
Sebitiyin - The Jewish Songs of Gnawa in New York City
Thursday, April 20, 2017 at 8:00 pm

In this evening of deep cuts from the Moroccan gnawa repertoire, Innov Gnawa honors the strength of Moroccan national identity to transcend religious distinctions with a rare performance of the Jewish songbook of this ancient Moroccan musical tradition.

at Greenwich House Music School 46 Barrow Street, New York City Showtime: 8pm Facebook RSVP Tickets: $15
In addition to being the name of this trance-inducing musical style, the term "gnawa" also refers to the people originally from kingdoms spanning Mali to Ghana who were enslaved by the Moorish rulers and brought North to present-day Morocco. The Jewish presence in Morocco dates back to over 2,500 years ago and upon interaction with the gnawa community, a bond formed over appreciation for gnawa music and its healing powers.

Gnawa music pre-dates Islam and originally centered around animistic, spiritual, mystical concepts sung in sub-Saharan languages such as Bambara, Fulani, and Sudani. Upon embracing Islam, gnawa songs began to incorporate Arabic language and themes around the Muslim prophets. "Sebitiyin," meaning The Saturdays in Moroccan Arabic, is the collection of songs that grew out of the gatherings hosted by the Jewish community for the revered gnawa maalems whom they deeply respected. Themes of these songs still include the original elements of spirits and the natural world, and later came to incorporate shared saints from their Abrahamic traditions. Today, it is still rare to find a maalem that knows this full repertoire so we are especially lucky to have Maalem (Master) Hassan Ben Jaafer, son of the late Abdallah Ben Jaafer, lead us through a powerful moment of unity in music.
Photo Credit: Kevin Yatarola — with Maalam Hassan Benjaafar, Samir LanGus and Amino Belyamani at Lincoln CenterInnov Gnawa is a young musical collective dedicated to exploring Morocco's venerable gnawa music tradition in the heart of New York City. Formed in the summer of 2014 by Moroccan expat Samir LanGus, the group draws on the considerable talents and expertise of Hassan Ben Jaafer, a Maâlem, or master gnawa musician, originally from Fes, Morocco. Under the guidance of Ben Jaafer, Innov has delved deep into the roots and rituals of gnawa music, and made a big splash in New York City, playing some of the city's most prestigious rooms including Lincoln Center, Music Hall of Williamsburg, Brooklyn Bowl and the storied backroom of Brooklyn's Barbès.

For the uninitiated, gnawa music is the ritual trance music of Morocco's black communities, originally descended from slaves and soldiers once brought to Morocco from Northern Mali and Mauritania. Often called "The Moroccan Blues," gnawa music has a raw, hypnotic power that's fascinated outsiders as diverse as writer/composer Paul Bowles, jazz giant Randy Weston and rock god Jimi Hendrix. The music is utterly singular, played on an array of unique instruments -- from the lute-like sintir that the Maâlem uses to call the tune, to the metal qarqaba (castinets) with which the kouyos (chorus) keep time and pound out clattering, hypnotic rhythms.

Hailed by Brooklyn Magazine as one of the "5 Bands You Need to Know in Brooklyn's Arabic Music Scene," Innov Gnawa make great use of this traditional repertoire, and add their own, contemporary spin with additional African and Latin percussion. Taken as a whole, this exciting new outfit works hard to fuse a centuries old North African tradition with the pulse and attitude of New York City.

Personnel and Instrumentation:
Maalem (Master) Hassan Ben Jaafer - Vocals and Sintir
Samir Langus - Vocals and Qraqeb (Castanets)
Amino Belyamani - Vocals and Qraqeb (Castanets)
Ahmed Jeriouda - Vocals and Qraqeb (Castanets)
Nawfal Atiq - Vocals and Qraqeb (Castanets)
Said Bourhana - Vocals and Qraqeb (Castanets)
For full performance details, click here.

CENTURY SONG Soprano Neema Bickersteth journeys through 100 years of female experience April 18-29, 2017 in Toronto

From a media release:

CENTURY SONG
Soprano Neema Bickersteth journeys through 100 years of female experience
A Volcano production in association with Moveable Beast

Created by Neema Bickersteth, Kate Alton and Ross Mason
April 18-29, 2017 in Toronto

• Tickets

TORONTO - Nightwood Theatre is thrilled to present Volcano’s breakout success from the 2016 Progress Festival, Century Song, onstage at Crow’s Theatre, 345 Carlaw Avenue, April 18-29, 2017.
Photography by: John Lauener and Dahila KatzAfter touring Canada and Europe to rave reviews, this tour de force performance returns to Toronto for a limited run. Called a “must-see” (NOW Magazine), Century Song is a live performance hybrid showcasing the extraordinary talent of soprano Neema Bickersteth as she seamlessly melds classical song and movement to inhabit a century of Canadian women.

Created by Bickersteth, and Dora Award-winning collaborators Kate Alton (choreography) and Ross Manson (direction), this gorgeously unique show features music by some of the past 100 years’ most adventurous composers (Sergei Rachmaninoff, Olivier Messaien, John Cage, Georges Aperghis, and Toronto’s own Reza Jacobs), as well as projections by Germany’s fettFilm – astonishing visuals that bring alive major art movements of the 20th century. Both whimsical and riveting, Century Song is a wordless chronicle of the age, built from art.
Photography by: John Lauener and Dahila KatzBorn in Alberta to Sierra Leonian immigrants, Bickersteth has received acclaim for her work as a classical singer, performing at major venues in Canada and Europe. When describing the inception of Century Song, Bickersteth says, “Once I became comfortable with my ability as an opera singer, once I got to the point where I felt immersed in the form, then I began to question the form itself. I started to wonder how I, as a black person singing white European roles from another era, connect personally to this art form. It became problematic to connect with what I was trained to sing. I love the music, but I began to feel constricted in my expression of it. I began to look for other ways to fuse my training and love of classical music, with my dawning awareness of other modes of expression.”
Photography by: John Lauener and Dahila Katz PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE:
Tues, April 18 – 8 pm *PREVIEW – all tickets are $20 Wed, April 19 – 8pm *OPENINGThurs, April 20 – 8pmFri, April 21 – 8pmSat, April 22 – 8pmMon, April 24 – 1:30pmTues, April 25 – 8pm         Wed, April 26 – 8pm          Thurs, April 27 – 8pm            Fri, April 28 – 8pm  *SOLD OUTSat, April 29 – 2pmTickets range from $20 to $35 and are available in person at the Crow’s Theatre Box Office, 345 Carlaw Avenue, 647-341-7390 or at nightwoodtheatre.net or crowstheatre.com

ABOUT NIGHTWOOD
As Canada’s foremost feminist theatre, Nightwood provides an essential home for the creation of extraordinary theatre by women. Founded in 1979, Nightwood Theatre has created and produced award-winning plays which have garnered Dora Mavor Moore, Chalmers, Trillium and Governor General’s awards.