Presented by Small World Music and Tempo Fest

The sound of Mediterranean migration blends ancient frame drum rhythms and raw electric guitar to create a starkly hypnotic musical landscape.

Robert Plant’s guitarist of choice for two decades, Justin Adams has long been an adventurous collaborator, with a list of partners that includes Sinead O’Connor, Tinariwen, Juldeh Camara, Rachid Taha, Lo’Jo and more. His trips to Mali’s Festival of the Desert led to a deep dive into the trance music of North Africa that has informed his unique guitar style and approach to composition. 

His most recent alliance with Mauro Durante– leader of Italy’s premier pizzica band Canzoniere Grecanico Salentino (whom Small World presented in 2013) – ranks among his finest achievements. The meeting point for the musicians was a fascination with trance rhythms and their common role in otherwise radically different traditions. 

Mauro Durante toured the world for many years singing and playing violin and frame drums, as one of the leading players in the pizzica taranta style of Southern Italy and leads Canzoniere Grecanico Salentino, who have played festivals all over the world. CSG was featured in their concert at the BBC Proms (with guest Justin Adams) and has won Best Group in the Songlines Music Awards.

Adams’ guitar prowess is well known, but the new combination showcases the emotional power of his deep, bluesy voice with Durante’s higher tones offering a potent foil. Durante conjures thundering rhythms out of a simple frame drum, while their sound also features fiery fiddle/electric guitar duets. Meanwhile, desert blues guitar combines with Maghreb chants, to transport audiences from North Africa to the heel of southern Italy. 

Doors open at 7:00 PM / Show starts at 8:00 PM



The 2024 Small World Music Series is sponsored by TD Bank Group through the TD Ready Commitment and funded by the Government of Canada, Canada Council for the Arts, Ontario Arts Council, and the City of Toronto through the Toronto Arts Council.