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Deo Munyakazi is a renowned Rwandan musician, famous for his mastery of the inanga, a traditional harp from the African Great Lakes region. This essential instrument in Rwandan music is used to tell stories and pass on cultural values.

Deo is committed to preserving this heritage while modernizing it. His performances, both technical and sensitive, captivate audiences, reflecting the unknown beauty of Rwandan culture. As a musical ambassador, he values oral traditions while building bridges with other styles.

An unmissable artist for discovering the rich soundscape of Rwanda through the presentation of new traditional melodies by Deo.

It’s also the name of Adama Daou’s latest show, an artistic dialogue between the emblematic languages of West Africa, South America and Europe, using the balafon and Mandinka guitar (Aboulayé Koné), Brazil’s pandeiro and the saxophone (Gabriel Schwartz) and the double bass (Olivier Babaz). It is a refreshing and dynamic encounter, where a dialogue renews ancient traditions and opens a new universe of great beauty.

Adama Daou is a musician from Mali, considered one of the greatest specialists of the balafon, the emblematic 12-blade percussion of the whole West Africa. His migration path, which took him to Quebec via France, opened the door to numerous artistic collaborations with tradition-bearers from various musical cultures. Adama Daou is a true ambassador of balafon and Mandinka culture.

The four musicians of the Masmoudi Quartet, led by oud player Mohamed Masmoudi, are renowned for their versatility, sensitivity and virtuosity. They present Villes Éternelles (2023), in which the long and rich tradition of oriental music imbues each of Mohammed Masmoudi’s compositions with its own modes and metrics, on Saturday February 8 at the Théâtre Alphonse-Desjardins in Repentigny (8 p.m.).

With improvisations borrowing from jazz and classical idioms, sprinkled with klezmer inflections and tango rhythms, the works of the Masmoudi Quartet bear witness to the richness of a life begun in Tunisia and continued an ocean away, with a host of influences raked up along the way, in a truly open and experimental approach.

For Mohamed Masmoudi, Villes Éternelles (2023) is the crystallization of several decades of creativity, work, learning and musical exchange. It is the culmination of rigorous refinements and explorations of richly diversified fields, which are inevitably linked by an Ariadne’s thread to the oud’s deep roots. The demonstration of its various uses helps us to see this instrument as more than the reflection of a distant culture, but rather the vehicle of a shared sensibility. Nominated for ADISQ and Folk Music AWARD.

Mohamed Masmoudi – oud
Gabriel Paquin-Buki – clarinet
Guillaume Martineau – piano
Rémi-Jean LeBlanc – double bass

Presented by Aramusique as part of the Musique du monde series.

Discover the fascinating beauty of the morinkhuur, the traditional horse-head fiddle, in the hands of Uuriintuya Khalivan, a young virtuoso from Inner Mongolia. Born into an ancient tradition, Uurintuya received her first instrument at the age of 12, a gift from her poet father.

With her subtle playing of harmonics, the morinkhuur evokes the wild nature: the breath of the wind, the gallop of horses, the vastness of the steppe, and the whisper of spirits, with each note weaving a deep connection between humans and their environment.

Let yourself be transported by the breath of this millennial music, where tradition and emotion become one. An unforgettable evening to connect with the vast Mongolian landscapes.

This concert brings together four artists from different musical traditions. You will listen to a combination of traditional Maritime tunes with Rwandan melodies, accompanied by instrumental Baroque melodies on the lute and gheychak.

Inspired by 17th-century musical traditions, voices and instruments create an original tapestry of sound, constantly transformed by artist Deo Munyakazi’s improvisations on the inanga.

The result is an astonishing constellation of unique pieces, with Kerry Bursey’s lute and Reza Abaee’s gheychak. He adds a Baroque and Persian dimension to the Scottish and Irish melodies of traditional Maritime singer Janelle Lucyk.

Voices and inanga: Deo Munyakazi
Voice and violin: Janelle Lucyk
Lute and theorbo: Kerry Bursey
Gheychak: Reza Abaee

The program is inspired by different physical and emotional landscapes that an imaginary traveller might encounter – from the observation of deeply moving beauty in unfamiliar landscapes, to the audacity of a long journey, to the loneliness a traveller might feel far from home. Above all, their musical journey is a conversation between their instruments’ sounds and their strings’ multiple vibrations, leaving room for improvisation and exploration of the unknown.

The audience is invited to follow a geographical route from China to Italy via India, weaving in links between different historical periods and presenting music from the ancient Han dynasty (200 BC – 9 AD) to music from the nascent European Renaissance in early 15th-century Italy.

Annette Bauer (sarode, recorders, duduk, tabor)

Ran Wang (guzheng)

The Centre des musiciens du monde presents an unusual encounter between the musical culture of the Basque Country and that of the indigenous Mig’maq nation. The fruit of a creative residency bringing together artists from these two worlds (Darlène Gijuminag, Claudine Arhancet and Michel Etxekopar), this meeting defies borders and brings together cultures that are brothers by land.
Revealing both their age-old traditions and the modernity that emanates from their recent collaborations, this concert will be punctuated by the encounter of traditional Mig’maq and Basque music, echoing the traces and faded images of their first encounters. The artists explore both real and imaginary territories, reminding us that the two communities crossed paths centuries ago.

This concert is presented in co-production with the SMCQ as part of the Montreal/New Music Festival with the participation of the Basques du Québec Euskaldunak association.

Kiya Tabassian is an Iranian musician recognized for his mastery of the setar, a long-necked Persian lute.

His virtuoso technique and innovative approach reinvent the setar. Kiya draws from the richness of Persian poetry and spirituality to infuse emotional depth into his compositions and improvisations.

His work is distinguished by a capacity to weave musical stories that transcend cultural boundaries, creating dialogues between the East and the West. As a composer, he also explores new sounds to expand the possibilities of the setar.

A leading figure in contemporary Persian music, Kiya Tabassian embodies the union of heritage and innovation.

Kiya Tabassian is an Iranian musician recognized for his mastery of the setar, a long-necked Persian lute.

His virtuoso technique and innovative approach reinvent the setar. Kiya draws from the richness of Persian poetry and spirituality to infuse emotional depth into his compositions and improvisations.

His work is distinguished by a capacity to weave musical stories that transcend cultural boundaries, creating dialogues between the East and the West. As a composer, he also explores new sounds to expand the possibilities of the setar.

A leading figure in contemporary Persian music, Kiya Tabassian embodies the union of heritage and innovation.

Nazih Borish is a virtuoso of the oud, the Arab string instrument that is the precursor of European lutes, and a renowned musician in the world of oriental music. Born in Syria, he was trained from a young age in the rich Arab musical tradition.

His exceptional technique and unique interpretation of the oud have earned him international recognition. He blends tradition and innovation while respecting the essence of classical Arab music. His captivating performances combine subtle improvisations and refined compositions.

Nazih Borish is also an accomplished composer, creating works that explore new dimensions of the oud while staying true to its roots.
Through his expressive playing and mastery of the classical Arab repertoire, he is one of the most influential ambassadors of contemporary Arab music, connecting it with other musical traditions worldwide.

Federico Tarazona is a Peruvian musician and composer recognized for his virtuosity on the charango, a small traditional guitar from the Andes.

His playing skillfully blends traditional Andean rhythms and sounds with contemporary influences. Federico has modernized the charango while preserving its unique character and deep cultural roots. He uses the instrument to create new sound textures, between improvisation and original compositions.

In addition to his career as a performer, he is a strong advocate for indigenous music and the cultural richness of the Andes. His work has been widely praised on the international stage, and he is considered one of the ambassadors of modern Andean music.

Federico Tarazona continues to share the beauty and complexity of the charango through concerts and international collaborations. This concert will be a unique opportunity to hear him perform solo.