Sultans of String – Refuge (Sultans of String, 2020)
Canadian world music ensemble Sultans of String celebrates the music and cultures of displaced peoples and the kindness and welcoming attitude of Canadians on its new album Refuge. Sultans of String is known for its cross-cultural mix of Celtic music, flamenco rumba, Gypsy jazz, Cuban beats, Indian, Middle Eastern, unexpected exquisite funk jazz fusion and many other influences.
Band leader and fiddler Chris McKhool loves collaborating with other artists so he invited over 30 musicians representing diverse cultures, including American banjo player Béla Fleck; Hungarian-Canadian keyboardist, Robi Botos; Somali-American poet Ifrah Mansour; Greek-Canadian oud player Demetrios Petsalakis; Iraqi violinist Imad Al Taha; Iranian santur master, Amir Amiri; indigenous Canadian artists Duke Redbird (Ojibwe) and Twin Flames (Inuk, Mohawk and Algonquin Cree) and many more. Some of them are refugee immigrants recently arrived to Canada and the United States.
McKhool, whose ancestral family is name Makhoul wants to praise the successes of those who made the journey to North America and took their extraordinary talents with them. “We hope the conversations we can have as musicians will provide a model for peace that will inspire our politicians and citizens.” Chris’ Lebanese grandfather arrived to Canada stowed away on a ship bound for North America a century ago.
Sultans of string includes Chris McKhool on violin; Kevin Laliberté on guitar; Drew Birston on bass; Cuban musician Rosendo Chendy León on percussion; and Eddie Paton on guitar.
Refuge showcases the extraordinary talent of Sultans of String and its talented guests in an uplifting, beautiful album that brings together many diverse global cultures.
The Sultans of String plan to tour with the Refuge project throughout the United States, Canada and Europe in 2021.
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Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.