Recording: Omar Bongo

Artist: Omar Bongo

Song: Ruux aad Bari istarateen

Recorded at The Tranzac's Main Hall (The Music Gallery's Departures Series: TONE Festival), June 6, 2019.

Omar Bongo - Ruux aad Bari istarateen

Continuing a recent tradition, Tad Michalak brought together two of his curatorial undertakings — the TONE Festival and the Music Gallery's Departures Series — to put on a scaled-up show to launch the former's third iteration. This night of cross-genre grooves saw crate-digging fusionists The Dwarfs of East Agouza making their local debut, but local content was provided by kaban (Somali oud/lute) master Omar Bongo, playing in the Qaraami style.

[Omar Bongo has a recent tape (also out on bandcamp) put out by Wait and See, who are tracking under-documented musical strains in the Toronto area.]