Upcoming Events

Turkish folk music is a living heritage from the many cultures of Anatolia. Rich in regional diversity, it expresses everyday emotions through songs drawing on personal stories. Passed on by türkü singers and aşıks, it combines oral traditions, improvisation, poetry and instruments such as the saz (lute).

Born in Ankara and originally from Malatya in Turkey, Sema Gültekin has been immersed in Turkish folk music since childhood. Trained in baglama and music theory, she developed her stage experience at secondary school, while pursuing an MBA at Istanbul’s Yeditepe University. She perfected her repertoire at the Erdal Erzincan Music Centre. Since moving to Montreal in 2022, she has been helping to promote Turkish folk music through concerts and workshops, both on the local music scene and within Montreal’s Turkish community.

Georgian polyphony is one of the oldest and most complex of singing traditions. Family singing plays an essential role, having enabled it to survive through centuries of invasions and occupations. For Shalva Makharashvili, Andrea Kuzmich and their sons Shalva-Lucas and Gabo, singing is as natural as breathing, rooted in family celebrations rather than stage performances.

Ori Shalva carry on this tradition in Toronto, more than 9,000 km from Georgia. The authenticity of their music stems from years of dedication and a musical heritage handed down from generation to generation.

Ori Shalva, also known as the Makharashvili family, is a unique musical ensemble. Formed in Toronto by Shalva Makharashvili and Andrea Kuzmich, both from different cultural and linguistic backgrounds, the group was born out of a shared passion for Georgian polyphony. For over twenty years, together with their children, they have been passing on and keeping alive this complex singing tradition, recognised by UNESCO as part of humanity’s intangible heritage. Their performances offer audiences a rare opportunity to appreciate a living tradition that is still largely unknown outside the Caucasus.

Discover traditional South American rhythms such as the bambuco, pasillo, Zulian dance and milonga, and the cultural history behind each piece in the Altiplano Ensemble’s rich repertoire.

Altiplano is a young musical ensemble founded in Montreal by three Colombian musicians: Leandro Ruiz, Iván Ortiz and Pedro Botia. Through this project, they are committed to spreading the cultural wealth of their native country by interpreting the traditional rhythms of various Latin American countries.