CULTURE MAKERS

Here are the people who sang, played, danced, cooked, and put on activities in the festival!

My name is ASCHALEW KEBEDE ABEBE and I’m a writer from Ethiopia.  By profession I am a school teacher; teaching Mathematics and Information Communication Technology in Addis Ababa. For the past twenty years, I’ve also been a freelance writer and columnist for newspapers and magazines. I am the author of three books; two are nonfiction and one is a novel. The themes I’m passionate about are religion, mysticism, science, fantasy and history, and how they intersect. My focus on the program will be my novel: Ezekiel- Catastrophic Eyed. The German short stories I translated into Amharic, the national language of Ethiopia, were published in 2010 in an anthology by Goethe Institute, Addis Ababa. My short story is also published in an anthology of short stories by PEN Ethiopia in 2014. I am board member of PEN Ethiopia. I won the 2012 Dede Korkut International short story award from PEN Turkey. Four of my short stories are translated into Turkish and English. For the past nine years I was a literary analyst at Goethe Institute and different local and foreign cultural centers. Since 2011, I’ve been project coordinator at the German Cultural Goethe Institute: “Promoting Creative Libraries and Critical reading”.  I am also a poet and Poetic Jazz performer on stages.

Mahlikah Awe:ri Enml'ga't Saqama'sgw (Walking Woman) is an international First Nations (Haudenosaunee Mohawk/Mi'kmaw) drum talk poetic rapologist; poet, musician, hip-hop MC, arts educator, radio host, curator, the Deputy Executive of the Toronto Centre for Community Learning & Development in Regent Park, and a 2015 inaugural Toronto Arts Council's Cultural Leaders Lab Fellow. She is a founding member of Red Slam Collective, an Indigenous hip hop movement nominated for the TD Diversity Award in 2013. Awe:ri a KM Hunter OAC Literary Arts Award 2013 nominee released the spoken word EP Serpent's Skin in 2011, and is currently published in 5 literary anthologies. Recent projects include: 2015 delegate for the Symposium of the Americas on Cultural Based Innovation at the Banff Cultural Centre in Alberta; Panelist and Facilitator for the First Annual Naked Heart an LGBTQ Festival of Words and the curator for the Indigenous Welcome and Performance Opening for the new Artscape Sandbox; Presenter at the 2015 Emergence Symposium | Arts & Equity : Leading Social Change and feature Poet for the Hot Damn Queer Slam for November 2015. Social Media Handles: Twitter: @redslam~ FB: Red Slam~Instagram: mahlikah_aweri~Youtube: Red Slam Collective

TIM BARTSCH as ‘T’, a survivor and thriver living with HIV for nearly 20 years, is an up and coming artist to look out for as he joins the Toronto music scene. He is excited and happy to participate in and contribute his cello-istic improvisational stylings to Toronto's Second Annual Festival of House Culture. www.southerntime.ca

HELENA BOWKUN is a concert pianist who will be playing music by Mozart, Bach, Bartok, and Chopin. Visit her website for more information: https://about.me/helena_bowkun

GEZAHEGN MEKONNEN DEMISSIE is a journalist, writer and film maker. Born on June 24 1975 in Addis Ababa he graduated in global studies, international relations and literature. He worked for different print and broadcast media outlets. At times he also established his own magazines and newspapers which due to the suppressive media law in Ethiopia were shut down. He also established and broadcasted 3 radio shows on literature and one TV show on urbanization, until they were closed due to government intervention. Gezahegn is also Board Secretary of PEN Ethiopia. The subject of his presentation is one of his documentaries on urban villages demolition in Addis Ababa which he believes politically motivated.

SOLOMON HAILEMARIAM is founder and current President of the Ethiopian PEN Center. He is an Ethiopian novelist, translator and an academic. His first degree was in political science and international relations. His second degree was in journalism and communications. He had taken many post graduate courses including in Abo (Turku University) in Finland and European Inter-University Centre for Human Rights and Democratization (EIUC) in Venice, Italy. He was lecturing in Addis Ababa University and New Generation University College. Solomon wrote several articles and books both in Amharic, official language of Ethiopia, and in English. He has translated many articles and two books so far. To Solomon’s credit, Global Journalist which is produced by the Missouri School of Journalism in Colombia, published one of Solomon’s academic works. His other creative work ‘The Young Crusader’ was winner of the first Burt Award for African Literature. He is going to read about ‘dogs and humans in Addis Ababa’ capital city of Ethiopia. Where does the idea of a just society begin? Perhaps in a sudden moment in the morning traffic incident? He is going to read one of his articles about what had happened in Addis Ababa, but could be anywhere in the world.

JENNIS are Toronto Blues Society Talent Search 2015 Finalists. Their rootsy sound is at times bluesy, at times funky, jazzy or folky, with a hint of exotic ethnic influences. Jennis’ multi-instrumental music celebrates the mysteries and poignancies of life, rooted in an unapologetic faith in peace and love as the highest powers. Rounding our their original repertoire with covers by great faves such as Aretha Franklin, Bill Whithers, Nina Simone, Bob Marley and some American jazz classics, Jennis skillfully entertains wide-ranging audiences with great energy and warmth. http://jennis.ca/category/video/

THE JUNCTION TRIO, when not playing in this festival, are St. Anne's ensemble-in-residence. They invite you to be carried away by the evocative acoustics of St. Anne's unique domed sanctuary for their seventh season of innovative and engaging musical adventures! Family-friendly and critically acclaimed, The Junction Trio's delightful concerts will take place on the last Sunday of the month, and feature a tasteful blend of Classical, Contemporary and World music that is accessible for families as well as the most discerning listener . . . let The Junction Trio take you on a Musical Journey!

HILARY MARTIN has worked with the Hillside Festival, the Guelph Jazz Festival, New Adventures in Sound Art, and recently joined the board of directors for Wavelength Music Arts Projects. She experienced her first soundwalk during the Sound Travels festival on Toronto Island in 2003, and has participated in soundwalks since then with Victoria Fenner, Nadine Thériault-Copeland, Jessica Thompson, and Hildegard Westercamp, among others. She is a sound and installation artist, stone and brick mason apprentice, and works as an independent consultant in Toronto.

IVANA POPOVIC is a violinist and a composer with passion for chamber music and theatre. Her original compositions are intimate portraits of her life - the blend of her Eastern Europian roots and various classical and folk elements. Ivana is a violinist with The Junction Trio and is currently rocking on 5-string electric violin as the cast member of the rock musical "Inanna."

MARK RAINEY, piano & voice. I'll be playing the piano and singing my voice, songs of the mostly jazz variety, from Cuban heartbreakers to swingy songs and ballads from by-gone eras, perhaps even a few more-modern gems, brought into the now with original vocal interpretations and digital (i'll be playing with my fingers, people!) nuances. Flowing from all sorts of inspirational headwaters, I love to infuse my music first of all with a lot of heart, doing my best to interpret each lyric as if it were my own; second of all (these are in no particular order) with a flexibility of vocal expression that furnishes an ear-catching uniqueness; and thirdly a melding of piano playing with the singing that brings to the musical moments space enough for the voice to move how it would, and support from the piano in following that path, where the voice, keyboard, soul and heart become a single instrument of musical force. Wow, that was really special. Geez, I hope I can live up to that. Anyhow, come and chill and check it out.

MICHELLE RUMBALL and the BEAUTY SALOON are delighted to be playing the festival. The Beauty Saloon is an ever-shifting roster of super-musicians who agree to join Michelle's endless search for the right songs for the right times. She is delighted to be joined by festival host himself, MICHAEL HOLT, and the spectacular SHELLEY COPPERSMITH. Expect original songs a few covers and a pastiche of folk/jazz/blues-y storytelling.

KYLIE SOMERVILLE is a Toronto-based tap dancer and musical collaborator and works as a Youth Outreach Counsellor for Breakaway Addiction Services. A contributing member of the Toronto Rhythm Initiative (TRI) community, Kylie has performed and choreographed pieces in TRI shows, along side the talented and passionate Artistic Producer, Allison Toffan. Recently, Kylie was overjoyed to perform and contribute to the ongoing Big Band Tap Revue project, led by Allison Toffan and Josh Grossman, Founding Artistic Director and Conductor of the Toronto Jazz Orchestra. Prior to that, Kylie was thrilled and honoured to have just worked with Lisa La Touche at the Vancouver Tap Festival, after having the privilege to perform as part of her company, Tap Phonics, in New York City and Toronto. Kylie has also greatly benefitted from the experience of performing and training with Cathy Duncan, Artistic Director of the Downbeats Tap Company as well as Kim Chalovich, Artistic Director of What’s On? Tap! company and Director of Tap Dance Centre. Some of Kylie's performance career highlights include Toronto’s Body Percussion Festival, TD Toronto Jazz Festival, Legends of Rhythm Tap Fest: Tap Lives (Montreal), Tap City: Tap Internationals (New York), Chicago Human Rhythm Project: Juba!, and Eastern Canadian Tap Conference concerts.

SANDRA TAYLOR is a singer-songwriter/pianist/composer whose soulful piano-based music has been likened to artists such as Joni Mitchell, Sarah McGlaughlan, Kate Bush, Tori Amos, and Norah Jones. Find her on the web at www.sandrataylor.bandcamp.com

DEJENE TESEMMA is an Ethiopian journalist and writer. He is 50 years old. He holds first degree in Amharic literature and an MA in journalism and communications both from Addis Ababa University. He worked as an editor for Barissa, an Oromo weekly for more than 4 years and for the Ethiopian Herald, an English daily for a decade.
He also taught at Addis Ababa University and Rift Valley University College. Dejene also edited a couple of books and translated few. One of his translations is "Oromo Wisdom in Black Civilization", which will be the subject of his talk on Dec. 5, 2015.

MICHELLE WILLIS, joined by bass player Charles James, will be playing songs from her debut solo record, See Us Through, due to be released next Spring on GroundUP Music/Universal. Her songs fuse the nuances of early 70s soul, singer-songwriter and modern folk-jazz genres, each song bathed in a sea of voices and hymnbook harmony. She'll be sharing stories about the songs and trying to make you laugh so you don't cry.

Writer, translator, teacher, editor and poetry organizer, BÄNOO ZAN, landed in Canada in 2010. She has been writing poetry since the age of ten and has published more than 120 poems, translations, biographies, and articles in print and online publications around the globe. Her book, The Song of Phoenix: Life and Works of Sylvia Plath, was reprinted in Iran in 2010. Two collections of her poems are to be released in 2016 by Guernica Editions and Piquant Press. She is the founder, an organizer and host of Shab-e She’r (Poetry Night), the most diverse poetry reading and open mic series in Toronto. Since November 2012, the series has been bridging the gap between diverse poetry communities, bringing together artists from different ethnicities, nationalities, religions (or lack thereof), ages, genders, sexual orientations, disabilities, poetic styles, voices and visions.