Sultans of String

As winter crests and the mercury falls, everyone from your taxi driver to the music supervisor at the mall starts running timeless hits like "Jingle Bells" and "Silent Night." But for their Christmas Caravan show and album (which hit Billboard’s World Music Charts and the New York Times Hits List), Canada’s global groove wizards Sultans of String celebrate the holiday spirit with an adventurous musical trip around the world, featuring exuberant originals, world-music inspired classics, and seasonal favourites to warm your heart on a cold winter’s night.

From fiery fiddle tunes to a Caribbean sleigh ride, this surprising and delightful holiday fiesta heats up when Sultans of String bring their signature sound to well known gems such as Little Drummer Boy, Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring, a Turkish twist on Greensleeves, Silent Night, as well as a django-jazz inspired Django Christmas, and a Rumba-Flamenca fuelled Jingle Bells.

Joining the Christmas Caravan are very special guests Ken Whiteley, Rebecca Campbell, Kristine St-Pierre, Saskia Tomkins, and Alberto Suarez

SPECIAL GUESTS:

Rebecca Campbell

Rebecca Campbell is an acclaimed and prolific singer who also serves up percussion, Stella guitar, melodica, and harmonica. Bred in the Maritimes and Ottawa, educated in Montreal, and now based in Toronto, Rebecca has performed with Jane Siberry, Lynn Miles, Porkbelly Futures, Parachute Club, Royal Ottawa, Ian Tamblyn, among countless others. Her gorgeous voice has graced both the big and small screen, and on over 120 recordings.

Aviva Chernick
Award-winning singer, voice and meditation teacher, Aviva Chernick, captivates with her soulful, multilingual artistry in Hebrew, Ladino, and English. A founding member of Canada’s Jaffa Road, she’s toured globally and has recorded critically acclaimed albums, receiving CFMA and JUNO nominations. Recognized as a Virginia Folk Life apprentice, she honors Sephardic traditions and leads neySHEV, a meditation and singing community in Toronto. Her original work includes a John Lennon International Songwriting Contest Grand Prize and OCFF “Songs From the Heart” award.

Kristine St-Pierre

Folk-pop singer-songwriter Kristine St-Pierre, captivates audiences with her velvet voice and wide range of emotions that challenge us. In 2018, Kristine received a CFMA for “Francophone Songwriter of the Year”, and the 1st track hit the Top 10 in SiriusXM’s FrancoCountry channel. In addition to tours across Canada, Kristine has performed in Kenya, Nigeria, Congo, and most recently in Ukraine, establishing closer links between musical creation and the values of respect, inclusiveness and equality.

Saskia Tomkins
Originally from the UK and now Canada-based, Saskia won the All-Britain Championship for Irish Fiddle and who was a musical advisor to the Broadway hit "Come From Away" with her husband Steáfán Hannigan. Saskia also performs with "Clan Hannigan," "2ish," "Cairdeas," "Marsala & the Imports," and "Medusa." She recently created a narrated photo/video essay for Folk Alliance International, blending Roma, traditional fiddle, and blues, that explores her family's quest to find her grandfather, a segregated African-American G.I. who couldn't marry his white girlfriend. During England's seldom-discussed "Brown Babies/half-castes" era, Saskia's mother was twice placed in an orphanage.

Ken Whiteley

Ken Whiteley is one of Canada's most respected “roots" musicians and producers. Drawing on his incredibly rich background in blues, gospel and folk styles, this 7x JUNO Award nominee has performed and recorded with such legends as Pete Seeger, John Hammond Jr, Tom Paxton, Blind John Davis, Stan Rogers, Guy Davis, Raffi, and countless others. A powerful singer and instrumentalist, Whiteley's music communicates themes of freedom, love, spiritual aspiration and social comment.

MORE ABOUT SULTANS OF STRING:

Bandleader Chris McKhool (Makhoul in Lebanon) has an Egyptian-born mother who happened to play piano, teach classical theory, and feed her young son as much Middle Eastern cuisine as she did music lessons. From there, the powerful violinist developed a taste for multi-genre string sounds and found a like-minded crew of all-world enthusiasts. When McKhool first heard founding guitarist Kevin Laliberté’s rumba rhythm, their musical synergy created Sultans of String’s signature sound – the intimate and playful relationship between violin and guitar. From this rich foundation, the dynamic duo grew, featuring such amazing musical friends as in-the-pocket bass master Drew Birston, and the jaw-dropping beats of percussionist Chendy Leon.

Their live resume is similarly stellar. Equally at home in a concert hall, folk and jazz club or festival setting, the Sultans have gigged at JUNOfest, the legendary club Birdland in New York, Celtic Connections Festival (Glasgow) and London’s Trafalgar Square. They have sold out Koerner Hall three times (Toronto’s Carnegie Hall), and performed with the Annapolis, Toronto, Vancouver, Edmonton Symphony Orchestras. They have played live on CBC’s Canada Live, BBC Radio, BBC TV, Irish National Radio, and the syndicated World Café, Woodsongs, and SiriusXM in Washington. Sultans of String’s musicianship and versatility are also showcased in collaborations with such diverse luminaries as Paddy Moloney & The Chieftains, Sweet Honey in The Rock, Richard Bona (Paul Simon), Alex Cuba, Ruben Blades, Yasmin Levy, Benoit Bourque, Béla Fleck, Crystal Shawanda & Ken Whiteley. Their new release, “Walking Through The Fire”, is an important new CD/Concert of collaborations with First Nations, Métis, and Inuit artists. This production of essential Indigenous voices was inspired by the recommendations of The Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s “94 Calls to Action” that asks for Indigenous and non-Indigenous people to work together as an opportunity to show a path forward.

Presented by Brookside Music Association