Scarborough folkFest 2022

Parampara Canada was hosting the SCARBOROUGH FOLK FEST at Thomson Memorial Park in Scarborough, August 7, 2022. Connecting Roots, the first Scarborough Folk Fest, offers a wide array of music — from Qawwali and Kirtan to Bhangra and Calypso — played by more than 125 local artists and 15 more from across Canada or overseas, organizers Parampara Canada. Let's see the the gallery and feel how was that fest in last year.

Shukanya Nrittangan

Shukanya Nrittangan, founded in 2005, started with the objective to create, inspire and educate Bangladeshi Canadians about the beauty of Bangladeshi dance. Shukanya Nrittangan's aim is to enlighten the new generations in hopes of keeping Bengali heritage alive for years to come. The Scarborough Folk Fest is wonderful opportunity to both engage and reach out to such future generations and aid them in connecting to their roots. We are also hoping that their performance in the Scarborough Folk Fest will inspire and educate not only Bangladeshi Canadians, but our whole multicultural community of Scarborough regarding the beauty of Bengali folk music and dance!

Youth Open Stage

The Scarborough Folk Fest has been sculpted in a way as to give precedence to the youth of Scarborough our future. The event is a golden opportunity to give the second-generation immigrants an essence of their own culture. They may have heard about their music, culture, and practices from their parents; the event will give them a chance to experience and acknowledge their roots. Hence, at the very beginning of the Fest, there will be a segment set aside for youth members of the audience to come forward and share any folk piece they know with others.

Art Luis Silva

This young artist was born in Cagayan De Oro, Philippines. Now, he's currently studying at Father Henry Carr at Etobicoke. His hobbies in life are to play sports, like soccer, basketball and swimming, hang out with friends, and do some musical stuff like singing and playing piano.
He likes to perform the kinds of music that delve into the realm of love since it gives him inspiration to feel the music as well as potentially change or heal peoples' hearts by its message. The reason he feels most connected to his music hobbies is also due to his parents, who are also singers. They inspire him to understand that music is a precious gift to humanity.

Therapeutic Healing Dance by Munni Subhani

The sarangi, also called saran or saranga, is a short-necked fiddle used throughout South Asia, particularly for folk and classical Hindustani music. The Scarborough Folk Fest is honored to have a maestro sarangi musician like Pt. Pankaj Mishra to show us the spellbinding quality of the instrument. Pankaj belongs to a family of renowned Indian classical musicians and has been trained personally by the great Sarangi player of the famous Banaras Gharana, late Pt. Mahesh Prasad Mishra. Pankaj has performed both as a solo artist as well as accompanying artist all throughout the globe - some are like Dover Lane Music Conference, Indo Occidental Symbiosis Sankat Mochan Festival, Mahabalipuram Festival, Chidambaram Festival, Indo-Finnish Festival 1995, Indo Japan Cultural Festival, etc.

Sarangi Instrumental by Pankaj Mishra

Alex Iarocci

Alex is a guitarist and singer from Brantford Ontario, who specializes in 60s' music. Alex believes that we will be talking about that era, 300 years from now, the same way we talk about Mozart and Beethoven at present. The music of the 1960s is endlessly timeless and powerful, according to Alex, and he is eager to share the same passion and appreciation for 60s music with everyone during the Fest.

Aaron & LoveSounD

Who doesnt love the sound of drums? Can there be any festival without them? Aaron “LoveSounD” Seunarine is a professional musician with over 20 years of experience playing the Steel Pan, Drums, Congas and many other Percussive Instruments. While playing Drums and Percussion in several bands within the city, LoveSounD also dedicates his time to teaching under privileged youth within the Jane and Finch area, and also playing the Steel Pan at several senior homes throughout the GTA, all in appreciation of the listeners loving the sounds of music he produces!

Lavini Dance by Nritya Palette

Lavani dance is a unique folk art of Maharashtra. A graceful and beautiful dance style performed on powerful rhythmic beats of dholak. This beautiful dance will be carried out by Shweni Parmar. Shweni is a professional Bharatanatyam Dancer, choreographer, performer and has performed in various Government events of India representing different traditional dance forms. She has also opened her own Youtube channel “Nritya Palette” to share her musical knowledge and performances with the world.

MANUSH

The Bangla band Manush is focused on Bangla folk fusion music and was established in 2018. Founder Member of BBAC Bangladeshi Bands association of Canada has been performing and recording for last 5 years as a band. Members of the band have been involved in music for over 25 years individually. Coming from different music professional fields has brought all the members together.

Dotara Instrumental by Junaed Chayan

The Dotara, literally meaning “two-stringed”, is also a folk musical instrument that resembles a guitar or a mandolin, or the long necked two-stringed lute found in Central Asia. Dotara is an important string instrument popular particularly in Bengali folk music. Junaed Chayan, a renowned Dotara musician in the South Asian Canadian community, will be sharing the tunes of this profound instrument in the Fest.

Qawwali by Afzal Subhani & Team

Qawwali, in India and Pakistan, is an energetic musical performance of Sufi Muslim poetry that aims to lead listeners to a state of religious ecstasy—to a spiritual union with God. This devotional style originated from Hazrat Amir Khusro and today has become the most loved and a very popular style. Afzal Subhani, a singer and composer, is proficient in this genre of music and loves to entertain audiences by performing old Qawwali gems.

Sai Niruthya Dance School

The SAI Niruthya Dance School do programs all over GTA, and are particularly admired for their colorful performances - such as the popular peacock dance. They will be performing two of their most colorful and engaging dances during the Fest - the peacock dance and the butterfly dance.

Kavita Mishra

This segment is a tribute to the legendary singer of India - late Lata Mangeshkar. Lata Mangeshkar is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the most recorded artist in the world. She started her started in 1942 and has spanned over seven decades. She also has the credit of having sung in over thirty-six regional Indian languages and foreign languages. This segment will be carried out by the charismatic Kavita Mishra - a proficient Indian classical artist who has been performing in live shows throughout India and now in Ontario as well.

Ensemble Topaz

Ensemble Topaz is a Toronto and Hamilton based dance and music ensemble which showcases performance traditions of the Silk Road, including from Afghanistan, Iran, India, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan. The group has performed across Ontario and Canada at many notable events and has engaged in a number of international collaborations as well as international music videos. The group's choreographer Paromita Kar holds a PhD in Dance Studies from York University.

SHOOR

SHOOR is a musical endeavor focusing on two primary goals - creating its own original music and fostering the roots of Bengali music. In creating its original materials, SHOOR envisions a horizon without the boundaries of language, cultural root, genre, and/or style of music. On the other hand, in fostering the roots of Bengali music, SHOOR is committed towards reviving primarily the Patriotic Songs, Tagore, Nazrul, Classical and Folklore. Being trained and inspired by both eastern and western musical elements from distinguished institutions and mentors, the members of SHOOR are dedicated towards enriching their knowledge of “world music” and implement their learning experience towards reaching the two said goals. SHOOR believes that “shoor” (i.e. pitch in perfect tune) has the natural and spontaneous capability of touching the heart of any living being!

Padavali Kirtan by Ajamil Das & Team

Padavali kirtan refers to the songs composed in the medieval period of West Bengal (15th to 17th century) glorifying the Supreme. This particular performance style involves long meters and slow-to-rapid alternating tempos to create a ritual frame of performance. It is often done in a congregational manner - call and response style...wherein all can participate. Ajamila Das, a stalwart singer of padavali kirtan, will be leading this session.

School of Indian Folk Arts & Tradition (SIFAT)

Yatra Pala

Yatra Pala is a form of folk theater in the eastern parts of the Indian sub-continent (West Bengal, Odisha, Bangladesh, to name a few). The Yatra has been the unparalleled medium of entertainment for rural Bengal. Manik Chanda has been a prominent theatre actor in Bangladesh since 1988. His intimate journey with the theatre and art of Yatra Pala, a traditional and popular folk-theatre form in Bengal, spans over 3 decades. He has held onto his passion for this tradition art form of Bengal even in Canada, conducting his own Yatra Pala performance before the public - the latest one just before the pandemic. He has a milestone dramatic theatrical presentations through his iconic character "Nawab Shirajuddulah." He is back once again in the role of Shirajuddulah for the Fest! We can't wait to see the performance of this stalwart theatre artist! Urmi Nusrat is an exquisite performer in all kinds of dances. As a National award winning dancer Urmi has been practicing her Bangladeshi culture in Canada since 2010. She will be doing the opening Yatra Pala dance in the Fest, we are all eagerly waiting!

Traditional Wedding Songs of Bengal

Folk in Bengal is typically a very celebratory and festive form of music, and what could be more festive than a wedding? Naturally there are many folk songs dedicated to this particular time - so much that it has gained its own genre! There are songs teasing the groom and bride, songs of relatives daydreaming of the bride's new life, etc. During the Fest, to make things more animated and fun - the songs will be enacted through dance choreographies. The choreographer, Biplab Kar, is an outstanding performer, director, and teacher. After extensive training, he traveled to perform in the US, Qatar, Kuwait, Austria, Spain, Holland, Portugal, Check Republic, Russia, France, Turkey, Hungary, England, Canada, and India. He continued his practice art culture as a dedicated dance teacher, choreographer and performer in Canada and operating his dance school “Nrittha Kala Kendra.”

Indigenous Artists Performance Isaiah Cada & Family

Isaiah Cada is a Ojibway born and raised in Toronto, Ontario. Growing up in Toronto Isaiah received teachings from many different elders and knowledge keepers. Through sitting at the drum and learning, it wasn't until Isaiah was 15 that he would explore and start his journey with the drum. Ever since then Isaiah has been actively sharing those teachings and his gifts with people across turtle island.

Teria Morada Music

Teria Morada of Azucar Picante ENT is an accomplished Entertainer! Professional Singer/Lyricist & Dancer/Choreographer. 3x Canadian Latin Music Award recipient, former 2 time Jr. Canadian Rhythmic Gymnastics Champion & National Team Member and multiple time Latin Dance Champion. In January 2022, get ready for the “Pon Fire” remix by award winner Matt U. Johnson Feat. T eria Morada, Snoop Dogg and Karl Wolf. A Reggae-Pop record with a splash of Latin!
This fusion Show is Sang, written and choreographed by Teria and performed by her amazing dancers also from Azucar Picante Ent, Catalina Vilar and Melissa Hart.

Gouri Choudhury

Dhamail, variant of Dhamal, is a vibrant form of folk music and dance originated in Sylhet, Bangladesh. This segment will be led by the one of the finest ambassadors of Bengali/South Asin music in the UK - Gouri Choudhury. Gouri has been voted as the best British South Asian singer in the UK and has featured as vocalist in the popular English rock band Kula Shaker in 1996 and Crispian Mills on Peasants, Pigs & Astronauts in 1999. For her extraordinary singing, she was praised and admired by the Sitar maestro Ravi Shnkar and the Beatles-star George Harrison. Alongside numerous TV shows, she has also performed in many historic concerts around the USA, Canada, Australia and all across Europe.