As part of this month’s Polyphonic Ground Digital Residency, we’re profiling the organizations and professionals who support Toronto’s culturally diverse music scene. See all of the profiles here.
Who are you?
Jose Ortega and Tracy Jenkins.
What’s the name of your organization?
Lula Music and Arts Centre at Lula Lounge.
Tell us about Lula Music and Arts Centre’s signature events.
Some exciting upcoming events include Colombian gaita masters Los Gaiteros de Sajacinto on July 5, Brazilian soul/mpb group Liniker y os Caramelows on July 12 and Colombian Champeta band Soukustek on July 13.
Every Friday we feature excellent 11- to 15-piece local and international Cuban salsa and timba groups with beginner dance lessons.
Beyond providing great cultural programming, does Lula Music and Arts Centre have a larger mission you’re working towards?
We have a mandate to foster Latin, Brazilian and global genres as they evolve in a Canadian context. We do this though events like the Lulaworld Festival and Women in Percussion festival, ongoing salsa series, cultural exchanges, educational programming for youth, artist development and networking.
Tell us about one highlight from a past Lula Music and Arts Centre event that illustrates why you love what you do.
We love the opportunity to create new connections between local and international artists. At the beginning of the summer, as part of our annual Lulaword Festival we had the opportunity to program 10 concerts at an outdoor stage at Dundas West Fest with local artists collaborating with guests from Brazil, Chile, Colombia and Northern Quebec. We were thrilled when two of the artists, Toronto reggae songstress Ammoye and Shauit, an amazing Indigenous, reggae-inspired singer-songwriter from Maliotenam, decided to perform one song together. It was really exciting for us and the audience.
Later in the evening Mestre Memeu from the legendary samba-reggae group Olodum performed an exhilarating set with Toronto-based Tdot Batu.
Describe some of the specific challenges organizations like yours face in promoting world music in Toronto.
It can be hard to reach journalists interested in covering music outside of the mainstream especially if that music draws on musical traditions that they are not familiar with. We really appreciate those journalists who do dig into the music to help get the word out. It can be hard to get coverage and attention for music that is not performed in English. Sometimes people assume that music that is not in English is traditional folk rather than a contemporary form.
Name one artist, band or performer who’s taking part in an upcoming Lula Music and Arts Centre event that you think audiences will love.
We’re really excited about our show on August 5 with Dr. Nativo and DJ Poirier from Montreal. And we have an extended license that night as part of the new Live Music Passport program!
Toronto music venues have been struggling to stay open in recent years. Have these challenges affected Lula Music and Arts Centre in any way?
We are very lucky to have a home at Lula Lounge for our ongoing weekly programming and for our special events and festival. Access to the space makes it possible to offer many free or low-cost workshops and concerts throughout the year. But the costs of running a live music venue have increased substantially in recent years. These increased costs definitely make it more difficult to take a chance on emerging artists or even on touring acts that are only starting to develop a Toronto fan base. We haven’t stopped doing that but it means that we need to work even harder to make each event viable. But with that said, we find that there are always new people coming to the concerts, so we know that there is a strong demand for live Latin, Brazilian and global music in Toronto.
What are some of the benefits of partnering together with similar music/event promoters in Polyphonic Ground?
Working together makes it possible for PG members to share audiences, learn from one another’s experiences, develop best practices, pool resources and access professional development opportunities. By collaborating, we are better able to advocate for culturally diverse artists working in genres outside of the commercial mainstream.
Visit the NOW Digital Residency: Polyphonic Ground
