In 2023, the festival d’été francophone de Vancouver will bring back once again its artists-in-residence program which brings together artists from BC and Quebec in world music for a two-days residency, followed by two free outdoor performances (we had to pause in 2020 and 2021 due to COVID-19 restrictions on larger-scale outdoor concerts, and only one outdoor concert took place in 2022). Started in 2010, this segment of the program has become an incubator for musical and creative talent, and a must-see event in the festival’s program. Again, this year, one performance will be presented as part of the North Shore Jazz Series of the Vancouver International Jazz Festival, in partnership with Capilano College. This concert will take place on Saturday, June 24th, 2023, at the Civic Plaza in North-Vancouver. We are very glad to resume our partnership with the Alliance française de Vancouver to present a second show, taking place on the previous day, on June 23rd, as part of the “Fête de la musique” celebrations that will take place in the backyard at the Beaumont Studio in Vancouver.

This year, we are pairing Quebec’s Oud virtuoso Nazih Borish with Vancouver’s exceptional duo Joutou/Silk Road who will be accompanied on this occasion by percussionist Phil Bélanger.

Nazih Borish :

Nazih Borish was born in 1982 in Lattakia, Syria. He began to learn the Oud by himself at the age of five, listening to the music of many different cultures like flamenco, jazz, blues, Indian music, etc. At 13, he began working as an Oud player in popular music bands, creating a new style of oud playing, always pushing back the limits of this instrument. In 2005, Borish founded the Syrian Oud School in his hometown, attracting more than 100 students who still work as musicians. In 2016, he moved to Montreal where he continued his musical work with friends and a new family of musicians.

His most recent album, “Roots of Strings”, is the fourth release in the collection of recordings born from the artistic residencies of the “Centre des musiciens du monde in Montreal”. The album was nominated in the category of “Best World Music Album of the Year” at the 2021 Quebec Music Industry Awards (ADISQ). According to the Artistic Director of the Centre: “Nazih Borish is recognized in the Arab world as one of the greatest Oud players of his generation. In Montreal, his new home for the past five years, he recorded an album of his own compositions which projects the oud very far in space and time. Nazih, with his dazzling virtuosity, navigates with fervor and enthusiasm between the worlds of Arab music, flamenco, Indian music and even jazz.”

JouTou :

Think of an unforgettable musical reunion between Canada, China and Spain and you might be able to imagine the unique sound of JouTou. The name is a play on the French words meaning “play everything”, an allusion to the multi-dimensional range of these musicians and their instrumentations and to the variety of influences in their repertoire. They integrate the pipa(Chinese lute) played by Qiu Xia He, the oud (North African lute) and flamenco guitar played by André Thibault alongside world percussion instruments such as the rik and the pandeiro. Symbolising the diversity that reflects Canadian society today, the blended heritages and traditions of the members of this ensemble produce an original creation of lively and cosmopolitan music.

Well-known in Canada’s artistic and world music sphere, guitarist, composer and multi-instrumentalist André Thibault is renowned for his intricate and agile technique, sparked by fiery rhythms. His repertoire and his own compositions integrate flamenco and diverse strains of Eastern music with shadings of jazz, classical influences and world folklore. He has shared the stage with renowned artists including David Lindley, Oscar Lopez and Silk Road Music, and has opened for Strunz & Farah and Rachid Taha. Malaysia, India, China, Columbia, South Africa…  whatever the framework for his artistic activities, André knows how to communicate his love of music through his spontaneity and sense of humour.

As for Qiu Xia He, she has criss-crossed China on tour with the very popular music and dance troupe Baoji Shaanxi, and has taught the Chinese lute at the Xian music academy. Invited as guest soloist by the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra and the Glacier Symphony of Montana, she has also played with the Brazilian virtuoso Celso Machado and the Indian master percussionist, Trichy Sankaran. Founder of the Silk Road Music ensemble, which has released several albums and received numerous awards nominations (Juno, Canadian Folk Music Awards, West Coast Music Awards), Qiu Xia is also a member of the Royal Conservatory of Canada program “Learning through the Arts”. She has composed several film sound tracks, including Tears of the Lotus and In Our Own Hands. A warm and innovative woman, she distinguishes herself in performance by her musical genius and her charm.

The musicians who compose this talented duo are frequently in performance as a trio, as André and Qiu Xia are often accompanied by a percussionist. During the artistic residency presented during the 34th edition of the 2023 Festival d’été francophone de Vancouver, JouTou will be joined by percussionist Phil Bélanger.

Since its creation in 2002, JouTou has performed at many of the great Canadian music festivals, including the folk festivals in Ottawa, Mission and Vancouver. JouTou has also become a favourite of Canadian francophone arts presenters, such as the Centre culturel franco-manitobain in Winnipeg, the Conseil culturel fransaskois in Saskatchewan, the Festival du Bois in Maillardville/Coquitlam and, of course, the Centre culturel francophone de Vancouver. In 2006, JouTou was invited to China to perform on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Guangzhou Business Association. The ensemble has also developed an educational program for schools over the past twenty years. JouTou captivates audiences of all ages with their incredible and contagious energy, combined with a unique approach to the francophone music repertory.

Free concert.