Don’t be a cynic and sug- gest that just because Bramp- ton has the largest concentra- tion o South Asians in Can- ada, the organizers o the Brampton Global Jazz and Blues Festival booked several ace musicians who trace their roots to the Indian sub-conti- nent. “I believe that our line-up this year represents a signi- icant trend that’s happen- ing in the jazz world and the programming re lects the mandate o the Art o Jazz — namely to present, pro- mote, and cultivate the art o jazz through enriched educational activities and innovative live musical per- ormances,” Bonnie Lester, the organization’s presi- dent, tells me. “South Asia has had an indelible inluence on jazz dating back to the 1930s. I you look back to Bombay’s cosmopoli- tan 1930s jazz scene, many talented A rican-Ameri- can musicians such as Leon Ab be y th ri ve d aw ay r om the racial discrimination o North America. “And the ree jazz move- ment o the 1960s and 1970s was a time where b oth r ock ’ n’ roll and jazz musicians were strongly inluenced by the phenomenal Indian musician and composer Ravi Shankar, and where American jazz saxophonist and composer John Coltrane, who was at the oreront o ree jazz, became heavily inuenced by his stud- ies o the Indian melodic orm known as ragas. ” Tat connection, in part, led to Lester booking heavies like Vijay Iye r, Sachal Vasandani and Rudresh Mahanthappa. Representing oronto is autor- ickshaw, Sundar Viswanathan and Bombay Brazil. Branord Marsalis headlines the three- day event. I you consider the estival’s goal, the South Asian-centric programming makes com- plete sense. “We have a long history o presenting themed programming that emphasizes the global language o jazz, ” Lester explains. “Over the ye ar s, we ’v e e at ur ed le g- endary artists like Egberto Gismonti, Hermeto Pascoal and Jovino Santos Neto, who highlighted the range and inluence o Brazilian jazz. An d we ’v e e at ur ed int er- national and local artists like Roberta Gambarini, Pat Martino, ony Monaco and Rita Chiarelli — all o whom interpret their music with a hint o their Italian herit- age.” Lester tells me she’s been ollowing the explosion o young Sout h Asi an jazz artists or several years, and that it was a no-brainer to book artists like Iyer and Mahanthappa. Iyer was recently honoured in ive categories o the 2012 Down Beat International Crit- ics Poll — a eat that no other artist in the 60-year history o the magazine’s poll has ever achieved. And Mahanthap pa is con - sistently heralded by critics as one o the most original composers in his ield, she says. “He will be perorming with his group Samdhi, which in Sanskrit means, ‘that which combines or unites’ or ‘the interval between day and night.’ “ And that is defnitely what comes through in his music — a merging o his Indian-Amer- ican roots ever-present in the underpinning o his progres- sive jazz sound and his inter- est in treating both Indian music and jazz with the utmost integrity. Tis is some- thing he shares with Vijay Iyer, with whom he recorded several albums.” Wh i l e Ma ha n t h a p p a and Iyer are not household names like Pat Metheny or Grover Washington, jazz heads know them well and Lester believes they are “sure to become our jazz legends o tomorrow. ” I agree with Lester when she says, “it would be won- derul to see the South Asian community get behind these brilliant musicians and cele- brate the considerable mark they are making around the world. ” NOTE: For concert times and ticket prices, please visit artojazz.org The Toronto Sun n Friday, august 10, 2012 56 SHOWBIZ errol nazareth Rhythms N’ Rhymes Jazzing up Brampton Many jazz stars of future are coming from South Asian backgrounds vI J a y I yer trI O

South Asians rule at Brampton Jazz Festival

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Don’t be a cynic and sug-gest that just because Bramp-ton has the largest concentra-tion o South Asians in Can-ada, the organizers o theBrampton Global Jazz and

Blues Festival booked severalace musicians who trace theirroots to the Indian sub-conti-nent.

“I believe that our line-upthis year represents a signi-icant trend that’s happen-ing in the jazz world and theprogramming relects themandate o the Art o Jazz— namely to present, pro-mote, and cultivate the arto jazz through enrichededucational activities andinnovative live musical per-

ormances,” Bonnie Lester,the organization’s presi-dent, tells me. “South Asia

has had an indelible inlu-ence on jazz dating back tothe 1930s. I you look back to Bombay’s cosmopoli-tan 1930s jazz scene, many talented Ar ican- Ameri-can musicians such as Leon

Ab be y th ri ve d aw ay r omthe racial discrimination o North America.

“And the ree jazz move-ment o the 1960s and 1970s

was a time where both rock ’n’roll and jazz musicians were

strongly inluenced by thephenomenal Indian musicianand composer Ravi Shankar,

and where American jazzsaxophonist and composerJohn Coltrane, who was at theoreront o ree jazz, becameheavily inuenced by his stud-ies o the Indian melodic orm

known as ragas.”Tat connection, in part, ledto Lester booking heavies like

Vijay Iye r, Sachal Vasandaniand Rudresh Mahanthappa.Representing oronto is autor-ickshaw, Sundar Viswanathanand Bombay Brazil. BranordMarsalis headlines the three-day event.

I you consider the estival’sgoal, the South Asian-centricprogramming makes com-plete sense.

“We have a long history

o presenting themed pro-gramming that emphasizesthe global language o jazz,”

Lester explains. “Over the ye ar s, we ’v e e at ur ed le g-endary artists like EgbertoGismonti, Hermeto Pascoaland Jovino Santos Neto, whohighlighted the range and

inluence o Brazilian jazz. An d we ’v e e at ur ed int er-national and local artistslike Roberta Gambarini, PatMartino, ony Monaco andRita Chiarelli — all o whominterpret their music witha hint o their Italian herit-age.”

Lester tells me she’s beenollowing the explosion o

young Sout h Asi an jazz art-ists or several years, andthat it was a no-brainer tobook artists like Iyer andMahanthappa.

Iyer was recently honouredin ive categories o the 2012

Down Beat International Crit-ics Poll — a eat that no otherartist in the 60-year history o the magazine’s poll has everachieved.

And Mahanthap pa is con -

sistently heralded by criticsas one o the most originalcomposers in his ield, shesays.

“He will be perorming withhis group Samdhi, which inSanskrit means, ‘that whichcombines or unites’ or ‘theinterval between day andnight.’

“And that is defnitely whatcomes through in his music —a merging o his Indian-Amer-ican roots ever-present in theunderpinning o his progres-sive jazz sound and his inter-est in treating both Indianmusic and jazz with the

utmost integrity. Tis is some-thing he shares with Vijay Iyer,

with whom he recorded sev-eral albums.”

W h i l e M a h a n t h a p p aand Iyer are not household

names like Pat Metheny orGrover Washington, jazzheads know them well andLester believes they are “sureto become our jazz legendso tomorrow.”

I agree with Lester whenshe says, “it would be won-derul to see the South Asiancommunity get behind thesebrilliant musicians and cele-brate the considerable mark they are making around the

world.”

NOTE: For concert timesand ticket prices, please visitartojazz.org

The Toronto Sun n Friday, august 10, 201256 SHOWBIZ

errol

nazarethRhythms N’ Rhymes

Jazzing up Brampton

Many jazz starsof future are

coming fromSouth Asianbackgrounds

vI J a y I yer trI O