Monday night’s Toronto Summer Music concert in Walter Hall was a cross-cultural exploration of Nature, Heartbeat and Breathing.  It featured an instrumental ensemble of Persian and Western instruments and two Indigenous vocalist/drummers; one Mi’kmaq, one Inuit.

I was rather underwhelmed.  The musicianship was there and there was certainly potential for something exciting to happen but I don’t think it did.  Mostly it sounded like a jam session between the instrumentalists (Constantinople; made up of Kiya Tabassian – setar, Khianoush Khililian – ney, Didem Başar – kanun, Etienne Lafrance – double bass and Patrick Graham – percussion) with some, but not enough, input from Darlene Gijuminag whose Mi’kmaq style singing was unfamiliar to me, quite stratling in its way and very effective.  Inuit throat singer Celina Kalluk was also undeused and her contributions were somewhat drowned out by the instruments.

It might have worked better in a higher energy, less formal environment.  In a club or lounge where people could get ad rink and mingle the required enrgy might have happened.  In a half full, freezing cold Walter Hall it didn’t.  Perhaps time to put Lula Lounge back in the TSM venue list?

Photo credit Lucky Tang