February 2008 - Nr. 2
Mohammad Reza
Shajarian
and Ava Ensemble
June 6, 2008 at 8PM
Roy Thomson Hall
Tickets on sale to FriendsFirst Members
on
Wednesday, February 20 at 12 Noon;
to the Public on Monday, February 25 at 10 AM
Tickets: $69.50-$49.50
416-872-4255 or online at
www.roythomson.comOr visit the Roy Thomson Hall Box Office
The undisputed master of Persian classical song, singer Mohammad Reza Shajarian last appeared at a sold-out show at Roy Thomson Hall on March 18, 2006 as part of the Masters of Persian Music show. He is a living legend and one of the most recognizable voices in Iran – sweet, soulful and dynamic. Born in 1940 in the city of Mashhad, Shajarian started singing at the age of five under the supervision of his father. At the age of twelve he began studying the traditional classical repertoire (radif) with the great masters of the tradition, including Ahmad Ebadi, Esmaeel Mehrtash and Abdollah Davami, from whom he learnt the most ancient tasnifs (songs). He began singing professionally in 1959 at Radio Khorasan and has been a staple of Iranian radio, television and recordings ever since, leading the Persian classical music renaissance that took hold after the 1979 revolution. In 1999 UNESCO presented him with the prestigious Picasso Medal in France and in 2000, the Ministry of Culture in Iran declared him "Best Classical Vocalist." A series of US re-issues of Shajarian’s classic Iranian recordings will launch this year with the release of "Bidad" on World Village/Harmonia Mundi USA.
A co-production with Small World Music Society.
"Shajarian is a superstar, the Pavarotti of Persian classical music." - The Globe & Mail
Buena Vista Social Club presents
Omara Portuondo
with special guest Robert Fonseca
June 28, 2008 at 8 PM
Roy Thomson Hall
Tickets on sale to FriendsFirst Members
on
Wednesday, February 20 at 10 AM;
to the Public on Saturday, February 23, at 1 PM
Tickets $79.50-$49.50
416-872-4255 or online at
www.roythomson.comOr visit the Roy Thomson Hall Box Office
The Buena Vista Social Club was a members only club in Havana that held dances and musical activities, becoming a popular place to meet and play during the 1940s. In the 1990s, it inspired a recording made by
Cuban musician Juan de Marcos González and American guitarist Ry Cooder with traditional Cuban musicians, some of whom were veterans who had performed at the club during the height of its popularity. The recording, Buena Vista Social Club, became an international success, and performances and interviews were captured on film for an Academy Award nominated documentary of the same name. The success of the album and film sparked a revival of international interest in traditional Cuban music and Latin American Music in general. Omara Portuonda is the female vocalist featured in the film; Robert Fonseca joined BVSC on the piano in 2001 at the age of 26.
