Arabesque Dance Company & Orchestra present
OUM (mother)

Evening Performances: Feb. 11, 12, 13, 14. at 8:00pm
Matinee Performances: Feb. 13, 14. at 2:00pm
Venue: Fleck Dance Theatre at Harbourfront Centre, 207 Queen’s Quay at York, Toronto
Tickets: $25-35
Box Office: 416.973.4000
Online Box Office: harbourfrontcentre.com/whatson/today.cfm?id=1578
Info: 416.920.5593, www.arabesquedance.ca

PREVIEW: Youtube.com/watch?v=OK8QCVaWN34

OUM (mother)
The Essence of Arab Art, a Profound Dance & Musical Experience

Arabesque Dance Company and Orchestra presents its ground breaking new production OUM (Mother) at Fleck Dance Theatre, Harbourfront Centre, for six performances from February 11 to 14, 2010. The swirling, undulating style and skills of Arabesque celebrates the Mother of Arab Music, the timeless Oum Kalthoum. The only performing arts company of its kind in the world, Arabesque features an orchestra of live acoustic Arabic music and vocals accompanying 18 male and female dancers expressing Bellydance, Whirling Dervish and the ritual arts of the Middle East.

OUM will offer several pieces in the first act with a boisterous scene in an Egyptian cafe, a masculine martial arts dance, the feminine Bellydance and back by popular demand, the Zaar. The second act features the title piece OUM. The voice of Oum Kalthoum had the power to start and stop wars. Egypt’s greatest poets and composers would dream that their words and melodies might be expressed through her revered voice.

Forty years after her death, Oum Kalthoum is the most important musical figure in the Middle East, heard in every taxicab, cafe and apartment from Morocco to Iran. Each of songs was at least one hour long, always describing profound love in its many facets. She refused to be recorded in a studio or interviewed with a tape recorder or notes. Oum Kalthoum always demanded that she be experienced live, honest and authentic. So many poetic phrases and moving melodies in her large repertoire of songs are part of the everyday fabric of Middle Eastern culture.

Arabesque’s Musical director Bassam Bishara has arranged a glorious montage of many of Oum Kalthoum’s most memorable musical moments while choreographer Yasmina Ramzy has created a visual expression of these moments with 14 dance artists. “This has definitely been the most difficult challenge of my career but I believe there will not be a dry eye in the audience or on stage when OUM debuts” says Ramzy. All 27 members of the company are excited about this new artistic endeavour.

“Seduces Completely” The Globe & Mail

Batuki Music Society created the concept of “Africa Meets First Nations” to connect African musicians and First Nations groups, especially areas which have a strong heritage of African culture. This second edition of the project features the music of Ecuador in South America. Ecuadorian music is greatly influenced by African rhythms, Spanish, traditional Andean and indigenous music. Just as in Africa, traditional music plays a large role in Ecuadorian ceremonies such as; funerals, weddings, harvests, etc., this is particularly prevalent in the province of Esmeraldas located on the northern coast of the Pacific and el Valle del Chota in the northern Andes of Imbabura.

Dave West known as the Ecuadorian Blues Man is a versatile musician who plays a variety of stringed instruments including guitar, fretless guitar, nylon string Tumak harp-guitar, mishki-mandolin and fretless Tumak harp guitar with arco. His musical styles include elements of flamenco, jazz, soukous, Ecuadorian San Juanito, Andarele, Bomba, Delta and Detroit blues. Dave West has played alongside music and jazz luminaries such as; Sonny Bradshaw and Myrna Hague, Pee-Wee Ellis, Salome Bay, Jackie Richardson, Toronto to Jamaica, just to name a few. He has also opened for Jamaica’s reggae great Burning Spear, Toumani Diabaté, Los Van Van, and others. Dave West’s latest cd entitled ‘Choclo y la Orgía Cósmica, is also the group’s name, a tribute to his Ecuadorian roots.

This performance will feature Dave West’s Ecuadorian rhythms that include Afro, Indigenous, and Mestizo and traditional sounds from the Sudan and Ghana. His band mates are professional musicians that hail from Ghana, Sudan, Germany, Uganda and Ecuador. Waleed Abdulhamid, a multi-instrumentalist who plays Afro Jazz, funk and traditional African music will complement the band by playing the marimba, a traditional African instrument brought by the slaves to Ecuador which has not changed much. The marimba is not just a link between these two cultures but a continuation of the rich African heritage which has taken hold in the province of Esmeraldas and Santo Domingo de los Tsachila. Walter Maclean who excels in several percussion instruments will provide the rhythms of the West African coast, Ian De Souza from Uganda on bass, Mauricio Estevez from Ecuador on guitar, kena and vocals and Emily Adler of Toronto on vocals. The performances will also include poet and playwright Kwame Stephens, choreographer Saba Alemayehu of Jaivah and Arabesque Dance Company.

This is a one time concert in the series “Africa Meets First Nations” please visit www.myspace.com/batukimusic or www.facebook.com/batukimusicsociety for upcoming events.

Date: Sunday December 6, 2009.
Venue: Lula Lounge, 1585 Dundas Street West
Dinner reservations for guaranteed seating: 416 588 0307.
Time: Doors 7 pm. Show 8 pm.
Tickets: $15
Purchase: Soundscapes (572 College Street), African Drums & Art Crafts (618 Dundas Street West), New Bilan Restaurant (183 Dundas Street East).
Info: batukimusic@yahoo.com, www.batukimusic.ca, www.davewestmusic.com, www.lula.ca

Batuki Music Society gratefully acknowledges the support of Ontario Arts Council and CCI.

Every Friday night belly dancers from the Arabesque Dance Company perform to the live accompaniment of the breathtaking Arabesque Orchestra. The dancing is hot. It’s also an opportunity to hear Arabic music performed by some of the finest musicians around. Artists include Bassam Bishara on lead Vocals and Oude, Walid Najjar on Keyboard, Eddy Suleiman Violin, Khaled Maotassem back up Vocals, Suleiman Warwar Dumbek, Milad Daher Riq and Katim, George Barbas Dohola and Sebastian Gatto Katim.

NO COVER CHARGE!
Date: Friday December 4, 2009
Venue: Myth, 417 Danforth at Chester, Toronto
Table Reservation: 416.461.8383
Info: www.LayaliArabesque.com

People to People Aid Organization (Canada) (P2P Canada) would like to invite you to our 9th Annual Fundraising Dinner. This event will be filled with fantastic entertainment including Jaivah Nouvel Exposé, Ethiopian cuisine dinner, and our featured Keynote Speaker, Richard Elliott, Executive Director of Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network.

The theme for this year’s dinner: “One Child At A Time” to raising funds for P2P’s Orphan Sponsorship Program. This program provides assistance to children in Ethiopia and to bring the plight of HIV/AIDS orphans to the attention of governments, organizations active in the fight against HIV/AIDS and the Canadian public at large. To learn more about the “Orphan Sponsorship Program” please visit: p2pcanada.org

Amazing door and raffle prizes including
* One night stay at the SHERATON CENTRE TORONTO HOTEL
* Dinner-for-2 at the 360 RESTAURANT (CN TOWER)
* Dinner-for-2 at the RENDEZ-VOUS RESTAURANT (Ethiopian Cuisine)
* Round-trip Airfare to ETHIOPIA* courtesy of ETHIOPIAN AIRLINES
* 42″ Samsung Plasma Flat Screen HD Television
* SONY DSLRA230L?™ series DIGITAL CAMERA
… and more…

Date: Saturday, November 28, 2009
Location: Estonian House, 958 Broadview Avenue (North of Danforth Ave.)
Cocktails: 7:00pm - Dinner: 8:00pm
Tickets: $60 each or $500 for a table of 10
Purchase: Phone - P2P Office, 416-690-8005, In Person - P2P Office, 104 Cedervale Ave, Toronto or online - p2pcanada.org

This year, the awards gala will be hosted by Michael Clemons and his wife Diane, a superb Jazz vocalist who will also perfom. Best known as “Pinball” for his star performance in football, Michael also served as Head Coach before becoming the CEO of the Toronto Argonauts, one of North America’s leading clubs. He is also a celebrated motivational speaker, with a tender heart for our youth. Michael and his wife also run the Michael “Pinball” Clemons Foundation, with projects in Africa.

Also visit the Planet Africa web site for more info on the awards and recepients.

Jaivah performing alongside Yinka Farinde & the Afrobeat Band.

Date : Saturday, October 24, 2009
Time : VIP Reception : 6 PM; Dinner : 7 PM
Venue : International Centre, The New Orion Ballroom, 6900 Airport Road, Toronto
Tickets : Advance $80; Door $100
Info & Tickets : www.PlanetAfrica.net, 416.247.5777

In colourful celebration of African heritage, the Committee to Commemorate and Memorialize the Abolition of the Slave Trades proudly presents the CMAST Pan African Film & Literary Festival!

This colourful 3-day event will highlight exclusive film screenings, literary readings and multi-genre performance artists representing Canada, the Caribbean, Continental Africa, and their respective Diasporas.

The Committee to Commemorate and Memorialize the Abolition of the Slave Trades (C.M.A.S.T.) is a community-based coalition formed to encourage education about the 200th anniversary of the British Parliament’s legislation to end the Trans-Atlantic slave trade and to develop bicentenary commemorative events in the Greater Toronto Area.

Dates : Friday October 30, 2009 6-10pm. Saturday & Sunday October 31 & November 1, 2009 1-8pm. Jaivah performing on Saturday afternoon.
Venue : William Doo Auditorium, 45 Wilcox St @ Spadina, Toronto
Info : FaceBook Event

Every Friday night belly dancers from the Arabesque Dance Company perform to the live accompaniment of the breathtaking Arabesque Orchestra. The dancing is hot. It’s also an opportunity to hear Arabic music performed by some of the finest musicians around. Artists include Bassam Bishara on lead Vocals and Oude, Walid Najjar on Keyboard, Eddy Suleiman Violin, Khaled Maotassem back up Vocals, Suleiman Warwar Dumbek, Milad Daher Riq and Katim, George Barbas Dohola and Sebastian Gatto Katim.

Dates : Friday October 23, 2009
Venue : Myth, 417 Danforth @ Chester, Toronto
Admission : No Cover!
Info : FaceBook Group, www.LayaliArabesque.com
Table Reservation : 416.461.8383

Celebrate Enqutatash Ethiopian New Year 2002 this September dancing with Tamrat Desta with Ayt Band. Also featuring Sarah Tesfai, AfroSonic, DJ Speedy Cool, and dance by yours truly Saba Sabina.

Date: Saturday September 12, 2009
Doors: 9 PM
Venue: The Opera House Theatre, 735 Queen St East by Broadview, Toronto
Cover: $30
Info: 647.401.5516, 416.883.4607, AfroSonic-Ent.com
Hosts: Nahom Records Canada & AfroSonic

Saba will be performing at the Mississauga International Drum & Dance Festival presented by Canafric Theatre and featuring many talented artists.

Date: Saturday August 29, 2009
Doors: 12 - 11 PM
Venue: Living Arts Center, 4141 Living Arts Drive, Mississauga
Cover: $15 adults, $10 children/students/elders, $10 each for groups of 20
Info: 905.306.6000, 1.888.805.8888, CanafricTheatre.org

This Sunday, August 16th marks the fourth and final installment of theSundays at the Young concert series. This week’s show is a family-oriented event, celebrating the many complex relationships that exist between humans, animals, nature and the environment, that is sure to delight audience members of all ages.

Songs, stories, dance, theatre and poetry will share the stage with a cast of world-class Canadian talent, led by Young Centre Resident Artist, award-winning trumpeter and composer David Buchbinder. Performers include celebrated author Dennis Lee (Alligator Pie, Civil Elegies), Shoshana Sperling and Maury Lafoy of the socially conscious kid-oriented rock and roll band The Monkey Bunch, actor and singer Kenneth Welsh, triple threat avtor, singer & dancerAbena Malika, Juno Award-winning jazz saxophonist Richard Underhill (Shuffle Demons, Blue Rodeo, etc.), National Jazz Award-winning pianist Dave Restivo, scintillating African/Middle Eastern dancer Saba, soulful First Nations storyteller Jim Adams and masterful contemporary dancer Julia Aplin (Dancemakers). The show will also feature appearances by Young Centre Resident Artists Suba Sankaran (Autorickshaw) and Waleed Abdulhamid, as well as actor and Young Centre director Albert Schultz.

Join this awesome pod of performers as they lead you through a high-energy, 90 minute show of the best words, music and moves that will bring out the beast in us all.

Sunday August 16, 2009
2PM
The Young Center for the Performing Arts, The Distillery, 55 Mill St, Toronto
YoungCenter.ca