The Shenkman Arts Centre unveiled its Matinée Café and World Music series for next fall, starting with a Matinée Café performance by The Rideau Ramblers on Sept. 17.
The members of the Rideau Ramblers have been fixtures of the Celtic music scene in Ottawa for the past two decades, pooling their considerable talents to create a mixture of Celtic styles and influences that is uniquely Ottawa in its roots.
The Matinée Café concerts are held in the Richcraft Theatre on the second or third Wednesday of each month starting in September. Each performance is an hour long, followed by coffee and treats after the show. Tickets are just $20, although there is always a limited number of free tickets available for folks who are having trouble making ends meet, but would still enjoy live music.
The second Matinée Café concert will be held on Oct. 15 and will feature four French horn players from the Ottawa Symphony Orchestra.
The Maple Leaf Horn Quartet of Guy Edrington, Nigel Bell, Cresta deGraaff and Roberto Rivera, are a dynamic ensemble whose shared passion for chamber music results in performances that are both artistically refined and deeply engaging.
Renowned for their rich harmonies, expressive tone and stylistic versatility, the quartet presents an eclectic repertoire ranging from classical masterworks to contemporary pieces and audience favour-ites.
The Durham County Poets will perform as part of the Matinée Café series on Nov. 19. The bluesy Poets have become Matinée Café favourites and always draw a full house. The band is from Chateauguay Valley in Quebec and features lead singer Kevin Harvey along with saxophonist Mark Leclerc.
The Shenkman Arts Centre’s World Music Series kicks off on Oct. 16 with a performance by seven-time JUNO Award nominee, Ammoye, who is a gifted Reggae and fusion vocalist.
On Nov. 13, Brazilian vocalist Flavia Nascimento will perform with the Canadian-based group Tio Chorinho which specializes in Brazilian choro music. The group’s debut album “Chora Brazil,” earned two Canadian Folk Music Awards nominations for World Music Album of the Year and Instrumental Group of the Year.
On Nov. 25, the world music group Kuné will perform a fusion of music that reflects the multicultural background of the 11 member ensemble.
Tickets for the World Music series range in price from $20-$30.
Tickets for all the aforementioned performances can be purchased by visiting shenkmanarts.ca, or the Shenkman Arts Centre box office.