TD Sunfest ’16, hailed as Canada’s premier celebration of world cultures, returns to nearby London, Ontario, from July 7-10. The 22nd annual edition takes place in beautiful Victoria Park, with opening ceremonies to be held at 6:45 p.m. July 7.
One of the top three festivals in Canada and a Songlines Magazine (UK) 2016 pick as one of the key overseas world music festivals, TD Sunfest celebrates 22 years of transfiguring downtown London’s Victoria Park into a culturally diverse jewel where over 30 outstanding world music and jazz ensembles representing almost every region of the planet entertain on five stages, and more than 275 exhibitors whet festival goers appetites for scrumptious international cuisine and unique crafts and visual art.
This summer, take a special trip to “the motherland” via TD Sunfest’s new programming component AFRIKALIA: African Heart Beats, which features many of the top African performers touring North America, as well as the crème de la crème of African émigré musicians based in Canada.
“I’ve been floored at Sunfest so many times by the calibre of musicians playing there; every band is just phenomenal,” said Tayo Branston of Five Alarm Funk. “To me, that’s the gauge of an amazing festival. The talent that goes up on those stages is some of the best I’ve ever seen in Canada.”
International guest artists scheduled to perform include:
• Krar Collective (Ethiopia/UK)
• Helsinki-Cotonou Ensemble (Benin/Finland)
• Grèn Sémé (Réunion Island)
• BKO Quintet (Mali)
• Elida Almeida (Cape Verde)
• Daby Touré (Mauritania/France)
• Betsayda Machado y Parranda El Clavo (Venezuela)
• Neema Children’s Choir (Uganda)
• Congreso (Chile)
• Fanfare Ciocarlia & Adrian Raso (Romania & Canada)
• Gabriel Palatchi Trio (Argentina)
• Himmerland (Denmark)
• Budiño Xperience (Galicia/Spain)
• Picadillo (Spain)
• Nils Fischer & Timbazo (The Netherlands)
• Cardboard Fox (UK)
• Jewish Monkeys (Israel)
• Nano Stern (Chile)
• Villalobos Brothers (Mexico/USA)
Canadian-based guest artists include:
• H’SAO (Afropop)
• Lazo (Roots Reggae)
• Flávia Nascimento (Brazilian Folk Pop)
• Pierre Kwenders (Progressive Electro Afrobeat)
• MAZ (blend of Trad Québécois music, Modal Jazz & Electro)
• Le Vent du Nord (Traditional & Modern Québécois Folk)
• Ensemble Vivant Latin Project (Latin Jazz)
• Marianne Trudel 4 featuring Ingrid Jensen (Contemporary Jazz)
• Laila Biali (Contemporary Jazz-Pop)
• Heavyweights Brass Band (New Orleans Jazz & Brass Band tradition)
• Gypsy Kumbia Orchestra (Balkan Gypsy/Afro-Colombian)
• Samba Squad (Brazilian Percussive Samba)
• Five Alarm Funk (Afrobeat & Funk)
• Shauit (Aboriginal Roots & Dancehall Reggae)
For more information on TD Sunfest ’16, please visit www.sunfest.on.ca, email in**@su*****.ca or call (519) 672-1522.
