Featuring the sounds of Métis fiddling to an East Coast kitchen party, rumba to rock to the drumming of the Pacific Northwest
GUELPH, ON January 9, 2024 – Experience an inspiring evening of musical collaboration with award-winning artists in Walking Through the Fire, on River Run Centre’s Main Stage Thursday, February 1 at 8 p.m. The performance is an exciting collaboration between award-winning First Nations, Métis, and Inuit artists and three-time JUNO nominees, six-time Canadian Folk Music Award winners, Sultans of String.
Released on September 15, Sultans of String’s latest album, Walking Through the Fire, is a 14-track collection of powerful collaborations. The album was created in the spirit of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s 94 Calls to Action and Final Report, which call for Indigenous and non-Indigenous people to work together to show a path forward in reconciliation. The recording features several artists contributing to a one-of-a-kind music experience.
Now, the incredible collaboration is touring Ontario. Joining Sultans of String for this stop on the tour are award-winning Ojibwe/Finnish singer-songwriter Marc Meriläinen, also known as NADJIWAN, Alyssa Delbaere-Sawchuk of the Métis Fiddler Quartet, Coast Ts’msyen Elder and singer-songwriter Shannon Thunderbird, the duo The North Sound from the Prairies, and seven-time champion hoop dancer Lisa Odjig. A multimedia component welcomes special guests virtually including Chippewa/Anishinaaba Elder and Grammy-nominated poet Dr. Duke Redbird, nine-time Grammy-nominated powwow group Northern Cree, and more!
“Sultans of String always put on a fantastic performance,” says Bill Nuhn, Manager of Theatres and Civic Events. “This level of artistic collaboration is a particularly exciting element of what they do. It’s also an excellent opportunity for education, so this show, in addition to the public performance, is being presented to students in Grades 7 and 8 as part of the Linamar for the Performing Arts program.”
Linamar for the Performing Arts is a pivotal part of cultural exposure for local students, offered at River Run Centre for more than 20 years. The program is also supported by the Ontario Arts Council and the Government of Ontario.
Sultans of String violinist and creative lead Chris McKhool is a recipient of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal for his work creating community through music. McKhool embraces this unique opportunity for education: “We are so fortunate…to work with Indigenous artists, sharing their stories, their experiences, and their lives with us, so we can continue our work of learning about the history of residential schools, genocide, and intergenerational impacts of colonization. Music has a special capacity for healing, connecting, and expressing truth.”
Using the transcending language of music, this project encourages everyone to work together to find a path forward. Featuring the sounds of Métis fiddling to an East Coast kitchen party, rumba to rock to the drumming of the Pacific Northwest, this is truly a one-of-a-kind music experience not to be missed.
Tickets to Walking Through the Fire are $39 for adults, $37 for patrons over 60, $29 for those under 30, and $25 each for children under 14. Tickets to this performance are also available for Sliding Scale pricing, offered at $20 or $10 each. For more information or to purchase, please call 519-763-3000, visit River Run Centre’s Box Office at 35 Woolwich Street in Guelph, or go to https://riverrun.ca/whats-on/walking-through-the-fire/.
For Information
Kasia Rusiniak | Program Manager, Development and Marketing
River Run Centre | City of Guelph
519-837-5662 extension 2589
[email protected]