chris wong in sync

To fully convey the enormity of Tuned to the World, I need an analogy. At the media launch for the event, Gwen Kallio provided one. Kallio, coordinator of the large committee that organized Tuned to the World, said it feels like she and the other organizers have been “giving birth.” Later on the phone, Kallio added that it’s a “200-pound baby.”

The vivid description is apt. Tuned to the World includes:

∑    World Ceilidh, Feb. 14 at the Commodore, featuring Lúnasa, the Puentes Brothers, Joaquin Diaz, Gjallarhorn and Richard Wood with J.P. Cormier.

∑    A Really Big Night on The Drive, Feb. 15, incorporating more than 120 musical acts performing at 22 venues in the Commercial Drive area.

∑            Downtown Folk, Feb. 13-16, involving free concerts at the CBC, central Vancouver Public Library and Carnegie Centre.

That’s a mammoth undertaking for a committee, mainly consisting of volunteers, to plan and deliver. The committee started meeting about three years ago after the North American Folk Music and Dance Alliance announced it would hold the annual Folk Alliance conference in Vancouver, Feb. 15-18, 2001. The conference is the biggest North American gathering of presenters, record company staff, agents, artists and others involved in what’s known as roots music–sounds rooted in distinct traditions, which encompass folk and world music. About 1,700 delegates will pay hefty fees to attend the Vancouver conference, which will include activities such as workshops and artists’ showcases.

Dugg Simpson, artistic director of the Vancouver Folk Music Festival and a member of the committee, says one of the local group’s main goals was to give Vancouverites a chance to hear artists participating in the conference. The committee has more than accomplished that goal with the ambitious programming for Tuned to the World.

The problem is figuring out what to hear. Deciding whether to attend the World Ceilidh is a no-brainer–this will be both a tremendously fun dance party and opportunity to hear a diversity of roots music. I’m especially excited about Gjallarhorn, a group from Finland that combines beguiling vocals with spirited playing on instruments ranging from fiddle to didgeridoo.

Decisions will have to be made with A Really Big Night on The Drive, however, as performances will take place simultaneously. One approach could be to stick with the most prominent artists, like James Keelaghan and Guy Davis. But they’re playing in small venues that will likely be packed. So a more practical and adventurous tactic would be to check out the breadth and depth of Canadian roots music in venues devoted to specific provinces and the Yukon, or music from foreign lands like Australia and Sweden. I’m might zip between Britannia Auditorium, where five groups will celebrate World Music Day, and the Celtic venue in the Croatian Cultural Centre, where the Rogue Folk Club will host four bands.

In fact the event encourages moving around as the $16 wristbands, which you can purchase at various outlets in advance and at the venues on the big night, provide access to all performances (on a “space-available” basis). Wristband wearers will also be able to ride free shuttle buses on Commercial Drive. To find out who’s playing where during A Really Big Night on The Drive, go to www.auraltra.com/folk-eh or call 878-6688.

96.1 FM has a new show with appealing sounds: Afrobeat World, Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Hosted by Antoine Bonaparte and Cassandra Onyejikwe, the show features music from Africa and the African diaspora. I’ve heard everything from pure West African tunes to Susana Baca’s Afro-Peruvian music on Afrobeat World.

If I wanted to go out every night to hear jazz or world music there would probably be something decent to hear. But if I actually did that, my wife would divorce me and my kids would lose respect for me. So the following is a schedule of performances I would like to attend.

Feb. 7-10: Time Flies, Western Front. This year, Coastal Jazz & Blues Society’s summit meeting of creative improvisers features out-of-towners Wayne Horvitz, Sara Schoenbeck and Gino Robair, along with locals Paul Plimley, Peggy Lee, Travis Baker, Jim Black and Masa Anzai.

Feb. 9: Kurt Elling, Capilano College Performing Arts Theatre. Elling, the thoroughly entertaining jazz singer, performs with Cap College’s A Band and Nitecap vocal ensemble.

Feb. 9-10: Bruce Nielsen Band, the Cellar. Jazz drummer/composer Nielsen and his quartet members–Mike Allen, George McFetridge and Steve Holy–play with a burning intensity on the Vancouver group’s terrific new CD, Up for the Count.

Feb. 11: Paragon Ragtime Orchestra, Chan Centre. The orchestra is the leading ensemble playing vintage American popular music, including tunes that accompany silent films.

Feb. 12: Hard Rubber Orchestra, Vancouver East Cultural Centre. John Korsrud’s offbeat big band premieres works by Jean Derome and Brad Turner.

Feb. 14: Brad Mehldau, Van East Cultural Centre. The wondrous pianist plays solo.

Feb. 15: Clyde Reed Quartet, the Cellar. The bassist and his band perform as part of the Coastal Jazz & Blues series at the jazz joint.

Feb. 16: Two Pianos, Eight Hands, Cap College Performing Arts Theatre. Miles Black, Chris Gestrin, Chris Sigerson and Ross Taggart play dueling duets.

If Ken Burns’ Jazz documentary whetted your appetite for music by Louis Armstrong, Billie Holiday and other greats, here’s a course for you. CBC Radio’s Neil Ritchie teaches Jazz in a Nutshell, an overview of jazz. To register in the SFU course, running Feb. 17-April 6, call 291-5212.

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