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ISF’s 11th edition ends with a grand, one-night-only finale performed at the historic Orpheum Theatre, and delivered digitally to your living room. In a double bill featuring internationally recognized musicians, this is a celebration of the diverse artistic talent in our city. The evening features the world premiere of two new musical works.
The Naadaleela Ensemble creates a musical conversation between ancient cultures that span the Silk Road – from Iran to India and China – and which have been influencing each other for over 2,000 years. Even though the group represents some of the largest cultural communities in BC, very few projects feature such collaborations. Drawing on their training across a range of musical disciplines, the musicians reach into and across lines of difference, fusing together influences of South Indian, Chinese, Persian, Taiwanese, Mongolian, western classical, contemporary music, and jazz. The result is a heady and aromatic offering.
Mohamed Assani and Friends present ‘Watersmeet’ – a project that imagines musical collaboration between Hindustani and Western musicians as a metaphoric meeting between rivers. Individually, rivers are distinct, with their specific sources, discernible shapes, and colors, but when they meet (as in this collaboration), they come together in a way that makes it impossible to deconstruct. The group consists of Hindustani musicians, members of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, and jazz musicians. ‘Watersmeet’ offers a vision of plurality, fluidity, and joy that is sorely needed in the world.
The Naadaleela Ensemble, Mohamed Assani and Friends
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