Venue: La Sala Rossa (4873 St Laurent Blvd, Montreal, Quebec H2T 1R5) Date: February 14, 2024 Doors: 8:00 PM Music: 8:30 PM
Tickets: $22.00 plus taxes and fees
Advance Tickets: https://www.venuepilot.co/events/88138/orders/new#/
Facebook Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/752559759611804
Co-presented with Productions Casa Del Popolo and Lectures Logos Readings
The Ethnic Heritage Ensemble was formed in 1974 shortly after Sir Kahil El Zabar graduated from Lake Forest College, with the goal, “To combine concepts of African American music with its earlier roots in traditional African music, to produce new motifs and sounds true to their origins yet firmly pointed in a new artistic direction of enlightenment and deep listening”. Half a century later and the rich, compelling, ever-evolving sound they are known for, is still going strong. Together with the Art Ensemble of Chicago, the Ethnic Heritage Ensemble is one of the two remaining original groups active in the world today that were nurtured in the AACM (Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians.) El Zabar attests. “My concept was based in logic as it pertains to the history of Great Black Music.”
EHE has a strong rhythmic foundation, innovative harmonics and counterpoint, well-balanced interplay and polyphony among the players for highly developed ensemble dynamics. They are strong individual soloists with an in-depth grasp of music history, originality, fearlessness and deep spirituality. Alongside multi-faceted El-Zabar, the EHE’s current line-up includes Corey Wilkes on trumpet, who has worked with numerous jazz masters, including Wynton Marsalis, Kurt Elling, and multi-instrumentalist Alex Harding on baritone sax, who has performed with Dollar Brand, Julius Hemphill Sun Ra, and Fela The Musical. They whip up an electrifying mix of spiritual jazz and African rhythms built around fundamental brass improvisations and a swing-induced groove.The resulting trance-like fervor, transports one into a mind opening journey of spiritually enlightened deep listening.
Their album, Open Me, A Higher Consciousness of Sound and Spirit (Spiritmuse Records, Music for the Spirit) releases on February 28, 2024.
https://ethnicheritageensemble.bandcamp.com/album/open-me-a-higher-consciousness-of-sound-and-spirit
Elena Stoodley is a singer, author, songwriter and sound designer half of the time, the remaining being spent in community organizing. Born in Tio’tia:ke, Montreal, she often blends her passion for social justice and black liberation with her art practices. She studied Creative Writing and Electroacoustic music and performed her music internationally, including in Cameroon and in the Republic of Congo. She sometimes gives workshops or consults on topics of anti-oppressive work practices and intersectional inclusion. Her most recent sound design work was shown in the plays, The Mountaintop, the Rootless tree, Manman LaMer, Black Out (nominated for oustanding sounddesign for the META’s – Montreal English Theatre Awards). Her most recent work was sound designing for Pipeline by Black Theatre Workshop and M’appelle Mohamed Ali by La Sentinelle and L’amoure looks something like you by Eric Noël. She is currently working on the annual recap Chécké2023 and sound design for a documentary. This Spring of 2023, she will be sound designing the play Diggers, for Black Theatre Workshop and S’enjailler by Stephie Mazunya.
Svens Telemaque abandoned familiarity and utilizes his past experiences to help him pave the way for others. Svens Telemaque has a unique perspective on life and challenges the average perception of circumstances, faith, and emotion. After relocating to Montreal in 2007, he co-founded L’art Selah, a poetry collective, and released his first book, Pen of a Ready Writer Vol.1, in 2014. He now arms audiences to face, embrace, and overcome adversity with hope. As a Social Entrepreneur, Author, and speaker, he reminds us that even “Broken Crayons Still Color.”