BY MEGAN WARREN
FOR ARTSPRING
World music lovers are in for a special treat this week when Tamar Ilana & Ventanas take the ArtSpring stage as part of the ArtSpring Presents series.
The Toronto-based ensemble arrive on Sunday, Feb. 8 at 2:30 p.m. with a performance that takes audiences on a musical journey spanning continents, centuries and over 20 languages with their signature fusion of musical traditions including flamenco, Sephardic, Balkan and beyond, led by the powerhouse vocals and rhythmic footwork of Jewish-Indigenous artist Tamar Ilana.
Ilana’s connection to world music isn’t just professional — it’s in her DNA. As a child, she travelled to remote Mediterranean villages with her ethnomusicologist mother, gathering traditional songs and dancing flamenco. That childhood spent on the road is the heartbeat of Ventanas’ sound. The group’s name, Ventanas, is the Spanish word for “windows,” a fitting title for a band that offers a view into so many cultures. In a single set, audiences can expect to hear songs in Ladino, Bulgarian, Romani, Arabic and more, drawing inspiration from universal themes of migration and identity. To attend a Ventanas concert is to travel to corners of the world without ever leaving your seat, transcending both geography and time through a repertoire that feels both ancient and modern.
Founded in 2011, the six-piece ensemble features some of Canada’s most accomplished world musicians who intertwine their various backgrounds to create a musical world all their own. Together, they lead audiences down the less-travelled paths of the Mediterranean, mixing contemporary interpretations of ancient ballads with original compositions and new choreographies.
The group’s expertise has earned them significant acclaim, including four Canadian Folk Music Award nominations. Their reach grew even further during the pandemic when they served as the house band for Toronto arts organization FabCollab’s Women in Song series, collaborating with global artists from Iraq, Cuba, Brazil and beyond and garnering over 100,000 views through the National Arts Centre.
This performance from one of Canada’s most vibrant and eclectic ensembles promises to transport your mind, uplift your spirit and get your feet moving.
To book your seat for this afternoon of rhythm and song, visit purchase.artspring.ca or the ArtSpring box office.