Inclusive Programming for Musicians & More

Lots coming up as we segue into October, including a nice way to celebrate Thanksgiving weekend with one of Montreal’s finest groups, Ensemble Tessala, Saturday at the Small World Centre. The trio features classical guitar by Samuel Bonnet, percussion (riqq & bendir) by Nathaniel Huard and Khalil Moqadem on oud. Watch them perform traditional Arab-Andalusian melodies, Jewish music from the medieval and baroque periods, and reinterpreted Quebec folklore.

Next Thursday marks the second Polyphonic Ground Presents at Revival. This time round, Batuki Music and Uma Nota mix it up with three exciting acts. Matatu Express present Ghanaian highlife and more, while Beny Esguerra & New Tradition mix hip hop and soul with Afro-Colombian percussion. The Future Primitive fuse Latin and Caribbean styles with raw, catchy songwriting into ‘Tropical Soul’ music.

The following Monday at Lula Lounge, an event of interest to all culturally diverse musicians, managers and agents, Polyphonic Ground Conversations: Inclusive Programming for Musicians. It’s a participatory opportunity for artists struggling to break through to programmers to share their experiences and insights. The discussion will encompass what barriers people are facing, what is working and what’s not, before building strategies that promote change for fellow musicians – and secure more gigs!

It’s that time of year when our friends at the Music Gallery present their X Avant Festival – a boundary crossing program of new and experimental music. This year the theme is Resistance, from silent protest to high-volume critiques. Highlights include: Chino Amobi, a night with Indigenous music platform RPM, a collaboration with electro-soul legends LAL and East African punk arts collective Babely Shades, and events remembering composers James Tenney and Pauline Oliveros.