Sultans of String

The Gardens of Lebanon
www.sultansofstring.com
Youtube Video Link
Bone Lake Amphitheatre

Here's the deal. We want you to trek out to a wilderness lake in the middle of nowhere to hear musicians on a floating stage play Spanish Flamenco, Arabic folk, Cuban rhythm and French gypsy-jazz. Is that crazy or what?

Well, if we're talking Sultans of String, the answer is yes ("yes" it's crazy and "yes" you'll come). "Canada's ambassadors of musical diversity” perform fiery violin dances with rumba guitar while a funk bass lays down an unstoppable groove. Then they'll draw you in with a complex, deeply layered mix of acoustic strings and electronic wizardry that can take you out of this world. Then they’re back to the kind of world rhythms that bring audiences to their feet with an irresistible need to dance.

Six-string violinist and Sultans of String bandleader Chris McKhool traces his roots to Lebanon (where his name is spelled Makhoul) and Egypt. It's understandable, then, that the seductive thread of Arabic music is part of who he is. Chris's passion for exploring rhythms and melodies has led him to the far corners of the world, collecting instruments and styles everywhere he went. A chance encounter with Kevin Laliberté and his rumba guitar resulted in the creation of the Sultans sound, what one writer has called "atomic world-jazz flamenco." Virtuosic musicians on bass, percussion and guitar complete an ensemble that comes as close as any to embracing “the world in one band.”

The Sultans Yalla Yalla release was nominated for a JUNO last year. We've nominated them to bring this year's Festival to a spectacular close.