– Antti-J Janka-Murros, Kansanmusiikki Magazine

Teho. is a Finnish power-fiddle duo that explodes musical boundaries while having roots deeply in the tradition. Teho’s fiddlers grew up in Central Ostrobothnia, Finland – an area known for its extremely virile and rich folk music life.

Their music combines fluently Finnish traditional fiddling, Norwegian Halling, Swedish Polska, Bebop, Western Swing, and contemporary folk music. Improvisation also plays a big part of the duo’s sound. Tero Hyväluoma and Esko Järvelä are both top-notch names in the Nordic folk music field and cross-over freelancers without genre boundaries. They have played together for years in various different bands and projects, including one of the most well known Finnish folk bands, Frigg. Teho.’s debut album was nominated for a Finnish Grammy (Emma Awards) in 2018. 

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Yacouba exposes new audiences to the enchanting sounds of the kora—a 21-stringed instrument that is plucked and produces a distinctive sound that is quickly associated with West Africa. Throughout West African history, the kora was played as a solo instrument by djelys, or storytellers, whose roles in society were to perform for kings, nobility, and village chiefs. The songs sung by djelys were stories that had been passed down from generation to generation, and captured the oral history of the people and culture of West Africa describing social life, cultural identify and family backgrounds.

Yacouba also leads his own band, SIYA, meaning “source” in Bambara. The sound of SIYA represents the breakthrough of the past few generations of Western African musicians who have opened up this musical experience to new audiences, incorporating additional instruments and spanning musical genres. The other instruments of SIYA include the N’goni, a traditional guitar that was used by griots during the Manding Empire prior to the kora; the “talking drum”, a small drum held on the shoulder of the player and hit with a curved stick or the hand to mimic phrases of the human voice, requiring great dexterity by the player; the calabash, that is easily recognized by its deep resounding bass sound frequent to West African music; and an acoustic guitar and/or trumpet both of which adds to the more modern approach.

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He has been nominated for numerous OPUS and ADISQ awards and participated in the ADISQ-winning CD, La Traverse Miraculeuse with La Nef and Les Charbonniers de l’enfer. He has won OPUS awards for Creation of the Year (Leave Her, Johnny), Album of the Year (Skye Consort & Emma Björling) and Youth Production of the Year (Le chat et le gondolier, La Nef).

Seán is also ideally suited for youth and family audience performances, outreach and educational programming, and singing workshops. 

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“Karan Casey’s latest album is revelatory. She’s always been a singer of songs that tell a story and show their muscle … This is a strikingly three-dimensional work that stands the test of intensive and repeated listening … A vivid and dazzling snapshot of Casey invincible, at the height of her powers.” —Siobhan Long, Irish Times

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Since its formation in 2005, Kongero has toured the world (Europe, North America, and Asia) and released five studio albums. Their music has been sampled, appeared in movie productions, and recorded on a Naxos gold compilation album. In 2021, bandleader Emma Björling was named a “folk Hero” with the Swedish Folk Music Awards.

Kongero are also highly sought-after for their skillful workshops and outreach activities encompassing traditional Swedish vocal music and vocal harmonies. They’ve also released two song books with some of their most appreciated workshop material.

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FRIXX was their first album since 2017’s Frost on Fiddles — Songlines ‘Top of the World’ album, and 2012’s highly acclaimed Polka V — Finnish Folk Album of the Year and a nominee for the Teosto Prize. This prestigious award is handed out annually by Finnish composers — recognizing the fact that Frigg almost exclusively perform their own infectious original tunes. 2023 brought us the acclaimed album Heritage, steeped in Finnish folk roots.

25 years of fiddling around the globe, eleven albums, about a thousand gigs in thirty countries, and tens of thousands of kilometers later, that same passion still burns. The hypnotic combination of the violin sound, which has already become a concept, and the irresistibly pounding ringing of string instruments and the pulse of the double bass, continues to create its banks like a slowly flowing spring hill stream, the source of which is precisely known.

Their passion and enthusiasm still fuels Frigg, and the band continues its upward trajectory toward its 25th anniversary in 2025, promising a twelfth album and much new and delightful content!

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With lovely vocal harmonies, deep groove, stepdancing, and rich instrumentation, É.T.É are an explosive trio on stage, transforming the nostalgia of a kitchen party into an unforgettable show experience that celebrates the joie de vivre of Québecois culture.

AWARDS:

• 2021 | Conseil Québécois de la Musique – Nomination for Prix Opus “World Music and Québec traditional Music”

• 2020 | Gala ADISQ – Nomination “Album of year” | Traditional Music

• 2020 | Gala GAMIQ – “Traditional album of the year” award

• 2019 | Festival international de la chanson de Granby – “Tournée Granby-Europe” award

• 2017-18 | Conseil Québécois de la Musique – Prix Opus “Découverte de l’année” (Discovery oy the year – award)

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In a world where almost everyone appears to have their public image and hashtags in order, Barbra’s latest album (2023) Imposter Syndrome, explores instead an identity still in flux. Equal parts playful and sombre, these songs flip unapologetically between genres, tempos, and production styles in search of what it means to be a flawed human with big dreams, bigger feelings, and a verifiably awkward social presence.

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Also Available — Barbra Lica: Songs with Orchestra, featuring repertoire from some of Barbra’s most popular works arranged for chamber orchestra, accompanied by her 4-pc rhythm section (available with the Toronto Chamber-Pop Orchestra or in collaboration with local chamber orchestras).

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