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Ernie Tollar plays ney (mid east reed flute) and bansuri flute (Indian), and sax. He has performed across Canada with groups Maza Mezé, Space Trio and mecca. He has studied jazz, Indian, and Arabic music in Toronto, Madras, and Cairo. He has also worked with many of Canada's top jazz musicians, including Holly Cole, David Piltch, David Restivo, Don Thompson, Pierre Tanguay, and with leading world music artists including Trichy Sankaran, John Wyre, and Brenna MacCrimmon. Maryem Tollar is a vocalist and plays qanun. She studied Arabic music with Dr. George Sawa. Maryem has received numerous grants from the Canada Council for the Arts to undertake intensive studies in Aleppo, Syria, where she focused on the Mowashah singing tradition in 1996, and then in 2000 to study in Egypt, NYC and Toronto with various master musicians. Maryem was featured in Dancemakers' Dora Award winning piece Sable/ Sand, which toured worldwide. Maryem's vocal talent has graced many other projects Constantinople with the Gryphon Trio and Jean Stillwell, music composed by Christos Hatzis; The Toronto Table Ensemble; and dancers Joanna Das, Esmerelda Enrique, Peter Chin and Peggy Baker, among others. Daniel Barnes plays the drumkit. He has toured with world famous Ethiopian diva Aster Aweke, The Flying Bulgar Klezmer Band and top jazz musicians across Canada. Jayne Brown is a vocalist. She performs with Maza Mezé, and has performed with Causa Generis, a world/ pop ensemble led by Rick Hyslop; Ilede, an Afro Cuban drum and dance ensemble; Nazka, a Latin American folk music ensemble; and Staro Selo, a traditional Macedonian folk ensemble. Recording credits include Nazka, Staro Selo, Maza Mezé, and the film soundtrack ShadowMaker, about Canadian poet Gwendolyn MacEwen. Jayne received a Canada Council grant in 2000 to study in Egypt, Greece, and Toronto with master musicians. Rich Brown is a gifted bass player. He has played with David Restivo, Andy Milne, Molly Johnson, The Merlin Factor, Andy Stochansky and many others. He can be heard on numerous recordings and has toured extensively in Europe, the United States, South America and Canada. Sophia Grigoriadis is a vocalist. She also performs with Maza Mezé and has performed with Ilede, Staro Selo, and Susan Hoo Kong. Sophia teaches Kindermusik from a world music perspective and conducts the All Saints Greek Orthodox Church Choir, which she led on a concert tour of Turkey in 1993. Recording credits include Maza Mezé, Samba Squad and Staro Selo. Levon Ichkhanian plays oud and guitar. Levon, a Canadian of Armenian descent, studied classical guitar in Lebanon under the tutelage of his uncle, Professor Joseph Ichkhanian. Levon began his professional career, performing with his jazz pianist father Edouard the musical director for pioneer modern Armenian singer, Adiss. Levon has studied with jazz guitarists Pat Martino, Jim Hall and Steve Khan. He has studied the oud with virtuoso Simon Shaheen with the support of a Canada Council grant in 2000. Rick Lazar plays dumbek and congas. He is a veteran of world drums and leader of groups such as The Montuno Police and The Samba Squad. He has performed with Loreena McKennitt, Barry White, Paul Schaffer, Medina and many others. He has toured extensively around the world and can be heard on numerous recordings. He is an icon in the Canadian world music scene. Debashis Sinha plays the riqq (Arabic tambourine) and tabla (Indian hand drums). He also plays with Doula and Maza Meze. His musical interests include Flamenco, Balkan, Breton, Jazz, Celtic, Quebecois, South American and new music. Debashis has composed for film, theatre, and dance and received a 1998 Toronto Arts Composer's grant to create a piece for Japanese Taiko ensemble Fubuki Taiko. As a dance accompanist, he is a fixture on Toronto's dance scene and has appeared with Peggy Baker, Dancemakers, Julia Aplin, Joanna Das, and Winnipeg's Fusion Dance Theatre." Yvette Tollar is a vocalist. She sings jazz and urban music in her own group. Yvette has toured and recorded with The Merlin Factor. She has studied with jazz vocalist Sheila Jordan and jazz pianist Kenny Werner at The Banff Centre for the Arts and in NYC, with the assistance of the Canada Council for the Arts. Yvette scored the award winning film "In the Wings" by Lisa Robertson. She released her debut c. d. "Cactus Flowers" in July 2001 at the Top of the Senator jazz club. |
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