Home / Arts / SULTANS OF STRING Christmas Caravan Show makes a stop at Hugh’s Room

SULTANS OF STRING Christmas Caravan Show makes a stop at Hugh’s Room

3x JUNO nominees/6x CFMA winning SULTANS OF STRING serve up Global Grooves & Holiday Cheer with their Christmas Caravan Show on December 21 and new Video with Benoit Bourque (La Bottine Souriante)!

TORONTO, December 17, 2024 – As winter crests and the mercury falls, everyone from your taxi driver to the music supervisor at the mall starts running timeless hits like Jingle Bells, Silent Night, or even that infamous ‘Whamageddon’ tune, “Last Christmas.” But for their Christmas Caravan show and album (which hit Billboard’s World Music Charts and the New York Times Hits List), Canada’s global groove wizards Sultans of String celebrate the holiday spirit with an adventurous musical trip around the world, featuring exuberant originals, world-music inspired classics, and seasonal favourites to warm your heart on a cold winter’s night.

SULTANS OF STRING will be serving up Global Grooves & Holiday Cheer with their Christmas Caravan Show on the night of the winter solstice Dec. 21, 2024 at Hugh’s Room.

From fiery fiddle tunes to a Caribbean sleigh ride, this surprising and delightful holiday fiesta heats up when Sultans of String bring their signature sound to well known gems such as Little Drummer Boy, Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring, a Turkish twist on Greensleeves, Silent Night, as well as a django-jazz inspired Django Christmas, and a Rumba-Flamenca fuelled Jingle Bells.

So many special guests

Joining the Christmas Caravan are very special guests Ken Whiteley, Rebecca Campbell, Kristine St-Pierre, Aviva Chernick, Saskia Tomkins, Amanda Martinez and more!

Special Guests

Rebecca Campbell

Rebecca Campbell is an acclaimed and prolific singer who also serves up percussion, Stella guitar, melodica, and harmonica. Bred in the Maritimes and Ottawa, educated in Montreal, and now based in Toronto, Rebecca has performed with Jane Siberry, Lynn Miles, Porkbelly Futures, Parachute Club, Royal Ottawa, Ian Tamblyn, among countless others. Her gorgeous voice has graced both the big and small screen, and on over 120 recordings.

Aviva Chernick

Award-winning singer, voice and meditation teacher, Aviva Chernick, captivates with her soulful, multilingual artistry in Hebrew, Ladino, and English. A founding member of Canada’s Jaffa Road, she’s toured globally and has recorded critically acclaimed albums, receiving CFMA and JUNO nominations. Recognized as a Virginia Folk Life apprentice, she honors Sephardic traditions and leads neySHEV, a meditation and singing community in Toronto. Her original work includes a John Lennon International Songwriting Contest Grand Prize and OCFF “Songs From the Heart” award.

Amanda Martinez

Amanda Martinez is a singer/songwriter whose music exultingly blends her unique Mexican and South African roots with flamenco soul. Her solo CDs have garnered her multiple nominations for Latin Jazz Performer of the Year. Her third CD, Mañana, was helmed by GRAMMY-winning producer Javier Limón who hails Martinez as “one of the greatest voices in the world”. She recently released her fourth and much anticipated CD, Libre, and has headlined the legendary Blue Note, the FIFA World Cup Festivities in South Africa, and the PanAmerican Games in Guadalajara. Martinez is also an ambassador for SOS Children’s Villages

Kristine St-Pierre

Folk-pop singer-songwriter Kristine St-Pierre, captivates audiences with her velvet voice and wide range of emotions that challenge us. In 2018, Kristine received a CFMA for “Francophone Songwriter of the Year”, and the 1st track hit the Top 10 in SiriusXM’s FrancoCountry channel. In addition to tours across Canada, Kristine has performed in Kenya, Nigeria, Congo, and most recently in Ukraine, establishing closer links between musical creation and the values of respect, inclusiveness and equality.

Saskia Tomkins

Originally from the UK and now Canada-based, Saskia won the All-Britain Championship for Irish Fiddle and who was a musical advisor to the Broadway hit “Come From Away” with her husband Steáfán Hannigan. Saskia also performs with “Clan Hannigan,” “2ish,” “Cairdeas,” “Marsala & the Imports,” and “Medusa.” She recently created a narrated photo/video essay for Folk Alliance International, blending Roma, traditional fiddle, and blues, that explores her family’s quest to find her grandfather, a segregated African-American G.I. who couldn’t marry his white girlfriend. During England’s seldom-discussed “Brown Babies/half-castes” era, Saskia’s mother was twice placed in an orphanage.

Ken Whiteley

Ken Whiteley is one of Canada’s most respected “roots” musicians and producers. Drawing on his incredibly rich background in blues, gospel and folk styles, this 7x JUNO Award nominee has performed and recorded with such legends as Pete Seeger, John Hammond Jr, Tom Paxton, Blind John Davis, Stan Rogers, Guy Davis, Raffi, and countless others. A powerful singer and instrumentalist, Whiteley’s music communicates themes of freedom, love, spiritual aspiration and social comment.

Who are the SULTANS OF STRING?

Bandleader Chris McKhool (Makhoul in Lebanon) has an Egyptian-born mother who happened to play piano, teach classical theory, and feed her young son as much Middle Eastern cuisine as she did music lessons. From there, the powerful violinist developed a taste for multi-genre string sounds and found a like-minded crew of all-world enthusiasts. When McKhool first heard founding guitarist Kevin Laliberté’s rumba rhythm, their musical synergy created Sultans of String’s signature sound – the intimate and playful relationship between violin and guitar. From this rich foundation, the dynamic duo grew, featuring such amazing musical friends as in-the-pocket bass master Drew Birston, and the jaw-dropping beats of percussionist Alberto Suarez.

OTHER UPCOMING CHRISTMAS CARAVAN SHOWS:

DEC 19 – COBOURG – Victoria Hall

DEC 20 – STOUFFVILLE – 19 on the Park

DEC 21 – TORONTO – Hugh’s Room

Tix at https://sultansofstring.com/calendar

Just the Details

THE NITTY GRITTY

WHEN:
Saturday, December 21, 2024 – 8:00pm

WHO:
Billboard chart-toppers/3x JUNO nominees SULTANS OF STRING w/ special guests featuring Ken Whiteley, Rebecca Campbell, Kristine St-Pierre, Aviva Chernick, Saskia Tomkins, Amanda Martinez and more!

WHAT:
Christmas Caravan Concert

WHERE:
Hugh’s Room Live, 296 Broadview Ave, Toronto ON, M4M 2G7

TIX/INFO:
https://www.showpass.com/sultans-of-string-christmas-caravan-solstice-party