Each Sunday, Layali Arabesque (Arabesque Nights) offers a real Arabic nightclub experience. Dance to live traditional acoustic music by Arabesque Orchestra and featuring vocalist Bassam Bishara. During breaks in the live music, the DJ plays Middle Eastern hits, including Greek, Iranian, Rai, Turkish and Arabic Pop. Each night, the featured dancer performs two 30-minute shows. One set is Cabaret style (two-piece costume and veil) and the second set is an Egyptian folklore style such as Shamadan, Assaya, or Milaya. Both the music and the dance performance are improvised.
Date: Every Sunday Doors Open: 8:00 PM Band: starts 8:30 PM and plays till 11:30 PM Cabaret Dance Show: 9:00 PM Folklore Dance Show: 10:15 PM Place: Gypsy Co-op, 815 Queen St W, west of Bathurst, Toronto Tickets: $10 Info: 416.920.5593, 416.703.5069, info@arabesquedance.ca, www.arabesquedance.ca
Cottage Live Every Saturday
Enjoy live Ethiopian music to the sounds of Bereket, Amouda, Abebe, and more...
Date: Every Saturday night Place: Cottage on the Danforth, 1220 Danforth, just west of Greenwood station, Toronto Info: 416.778.7483
New Standards for Jazz in the T-Dot
Place: The Trane Studio, 964 Bathurst, North of Bloor, Toronto Info: Visit www.tranestudio.com for performance info.
Worlds Of Music Toronto 2005 Workshop Season
of Cross Cultural Discovery
Worlds of Music Toronto Autumn 2005 Workshop Series starts in September and many workshops are filling up fast. From South Indian and jazz singing "swaras to scat!", Greek Folk Singing, African drumming, Latin American rhythms & percussion to belly dancing, Portuguese fado singing and capoeira, Georgian singing, Chinese Music and Afro-Cuban Jazz ensembles -- join WOMT Autumn 2005 Workshops for a season of cross-cultural discovery. Tell a friend. Register Today! For program information or to pre-register on-line visit www.worldsofmusic.ca. For further assistance please call 416.588.8813 or email info@worldsofmusic.ca.
Worlds of Music Toronto is produced with the support of the City of Toronto through the Toronto Arts Council.
Evening of Groundings, Open Mic & Conscious Music
One & All everyone is invited to this gathering as we eat, we discuss and build community.
Hosts: Sankofa (CHRY 105.5 FM) & Lady Loxx Featuring: Poets, drummers & singers. Sistrens, brethrens & children welcome. A family that dines together stays together Dates: 1st & 3rd Sundays of Every Month Next Shows: October 2 & 16, November 6 & 20, December 4 & 18 Place: Benjamin Restaurant (Formerly The Real Caribbean Restaurant), 726 St. Clair Ave. West (W of Christie/Beside Macdonalds), Toronto Tickets: $5.00 Afrikan Marketplace: 5 PM Shotime: 6 PM Info: 905.671.2624, 905.612.1345, www.sankofaincipher.com Reservations: 416.652.5111
OCTOBER 2005
UMOJA - The Spirit of Togetherness
UMOJA "The Spirit of Togetherness" is a vibrant pulsating musical that chronicles the evolution of music and dance in South Africa. The show features everything from the charged steps of Zulu Stick Fighting, synchronized movements of the Venda Snake Dance, foot stomping jazz of Sophiatown, full-throated joy of Gospel in addition to the pounding energy of hip hop inspired Kwaito and Pantsula.
UMOJA debuted in North America August 2004, and returns this year by popular demand. UMOJA educates and entertains. The singing is spine tingling, the dancing electrifying , the energy infectious and the story memorable. Buy your UMOJA ticket now and experience the Spirit of Togetherness, South African style! UMOJA merchandise (CD, DVD and beautiful beaded jewellery) also on sale. Please contact Ysis Entertainment for details.
Show Dates: September 20 - October 30, 2005 Place: Elgin Theatre, on Yonge just North of Queen, Toronto Ticketmaster: Group & Student rates available. 416.872.5555, www.ticketmaster.ca Early Bird Bargain: Only $35 for any seat on September 20 & 21, 2005 Info: Ysis Entertainment, 416.286.0227, www.ysisentertainment.com
UMOJA will also be giving Traditional, Gumboot and Kwaito Dance as well as Traditional Drum workshops. Visit www.ysisentertainment.com for more information.
Stage3 word.sound.power series
Dates: October 4 - November 27, 2005
Place: Theatre Passe Muraille, 16 Ryerson Ave, Toronto
Featuring: 9 plays and a Thursday night music series featuring a diverse company of innovative Canadian playwrights and performers in both the Main and Backspaces including works by d.bi young, Joseph Jomo Pierre, John Blackwood, Nicole Stamp, The Independent Aunties, Niki Landau -with the pick of this years summerworks festival "Territories" and the return of last year’s smash hit Fish Eyes by Anita Majumdar. Music series inlcudes LAL, Pomegranate, DJ serious, Evalyn Parry, dbi.young and the dubbin.revolushun.gangstars, Dwayne Morgan, Zaki and more. Tuesday is hosted by Arcee and Musically insane of the real frequency- Flow 93.5, and Thursday check out DJ serious with a break dance crew. All included with the plays for one ticket price.
Featuring: David Collins, Mike G.- yohannes, Joseph Pierre and Cara Ricketts. A harshly lyrical piece following the lives of two black youth from their childhood in the projects to their almost inevitable fate, Born Ready is a compelling response to the blight of Black on Black violence pervading our landscape. Pusha Man is a modern urban fable examining God, Religion, Rebirth, and Personal Choice, all told from a bold new perspective.
Fish Eyes
Writer & Performer: Anita Majumdar
Director: Gregory Prest
Recognized for its Outstanding Performance by Now Magazine SummerWorks 2004 Wrap- Up, Fish Eyes is back to tell the story of the angst-ridden Meena, an exceptional Indian dancing teenager who would trade it all in just to be a "normal" high school girl. Luckily Kalyani Aunty (her spunky, pro-India dance teacher) is still around to remind Meena the importance of embracing her origins and talents."...performed with style and humour, and her dancing is terrific." -Lynn Slotkin (CBC Critic’s Pick)
Dates: October 4 - November 5, 2005
Better Parts
Writer & Performer: Nicole Stamp
Bass: Paul Clifford
Can a hipster survive in fluorescent lighting? The result of her stint as an office temp, Nicole Stamp spins an elaborate fantasy of a shinier life. With a twist of rhyme and a turn of phrase, this show may well charm your pants off!
Dates: October 4 - October 29, 2005
Angelique Kidjo - Fall Tour 2005
Angelique Kidjo and her band will hit the road for several U.S. tour dates. For more information about each show, please visit the venue websites. See you on the road!
2nd Annual Digital Narrative Arts Film Festival (DNAFF)
DNAFF has been founded to give a voice to story tellers world wide. DNAFF showcases quality stories by film makers that might not otherwise have the opportunity to tell their story. The only two criteria DNAFF looks for in its film selection process is that the films are narrative and filmed in a digital format. There will be prizes for the top three finalists which will be decided on by panel that includes celebrity journalist and entertainment specialist Anne Brodie.
Dates: October 14 - 20, 2005 Place: Atom Egoyan's Camera Bar, 1028 Queen St. W, Toronto Tickets: Pay what you can. First come first served basis. NO advance tickets. 50% will be distributed equally among the artists screened that evening. Info: info@dnaff.com, www.dnaff.com
Alongside Africa 2005 Gala
Help support children orphaned by AIDS. Enjoy an evening of great food and entertainment featuring Nouvel Exposé. Together we can make a difference!
Date: Saturday Oct 15, 2005 Time: Silent Auction - 5 PM, Dinner - 6 PM Place: La Perla Banquet & Convention Center, 8083 Jane St, Vaughan (2 blocks North of Hwy 7) Tickets: $50 per person, $500 per table of 10 Info: Randy 905.471.5566, randy@cannell.ca, www.alongsideinternational.ca
Date: Saturday, October 22, 2005 Place: The Guverment Night Club, 132 Queen's Quay E Doors Open: 8 PM Tickets: $35 Info: 416.953.5340
danceImmersion Gala Fundraiser
Hosts: Toronto’s host & DJ "The Juiceman" Jonathan Shaw, co-host & storyteller Emerita Emerencia Performances: Singer Saidah Baba Talibah,
NGOMA African Drummers & Dancers, spoken word artist
Kevin Reigh, Blaze Urban Dancers, literary artist
Afua Marcus, jazz dancer Natasha Eck, contemporary African dancers V-Force Visual Art Display:
Afro-Caribbean-themed cocktails and buffet
Evening-round prizes and surprises
Date: Saturday October 22, 2005 Place: The Gallery at the Berkeley Church, 299 Queen St E,
(West of Parliament)
Director: Ronald Weihs Producer: Modupe Olaogun Designer: Judith Sandiford Creators & Performers: Members of AfriCan Theatre Ensemble - Tony Adah, Seifu Belachew, Alexandra Drossos, Shannon Kitchings, Teddy Masuku, Muoi Nene, Aktina Stathaki
Dates: November 9 to December 3, 2005 Place: Artword Theatre, 75 Portland St, Toronto Times & Tickets:
Tues to Sat at 8 pm $20 regular, students seniors $15
Sunday galas (Nov 13, 20, 27) at 4 pm $25 includes post-show reception Info & Group Rates: 416.408.1146, www.artword.net
Ethiopian Dance Classes with Saba of 
