Juno nominated Super-group, Sultans of String to debut in Maine

CARTHAGE — New England Celtic Arts will present The Sultans of String at Unity College Center for the Performing Arts in Unity on Saturday Nov. 12, and at Skye Theatre Performing Arts Center in Carthage on Sunday Nov. 13. Curtain at Skye is 7 p.m.  pm and 7:30 p.m. in Unity. Preshow jam sessions at Skye and Unity start one hr prior to curtain.

Known as “Canada’s ambassadors of musical diversity” and 2010 JUNO Award nominees , the Sultans of String thrill their audiences with their global sonic tapestry of Spanish Flamenco, Arabic folk, Cuban rhythms and French Manouche Gypsy-jazz, celebrating musical fusion and human creativity with warmth and virtuosity. Fiery violin dances with rumbaflamenco guitar while a funk bass lays down unstoppable grooves.

Acoustic strings meet with electronic wizardry to create layers and depth of sound, while world rhythms excite audiences to their feet with the irresistible need to dance.

The band is riding a wave of success from their sold out Yalla Yalla! Canadian CD release tour, their national features on CTV’s CanadaAM and CBC’s Canada Live, and their triple nomination for the 2009 Canadian Folk Music Awards, winning instrumental group of the year. Both their CDs soared to No. 1  across Canada on Top Ten national radio charts, and the Sultans of String won the award for best variety act from Festivals & Events Ontario as well as the 2009 International Songwriting Competition. The buzz extends into the U.S., with acclaimed promoter David Wilkes (Emmylou Harris, Bela Fleck, Jesse Cook) now representing the band.

A Canadian string super-group, Sultans of String include six-string violinist and 2009 JUNO Award nominee Chris McKhool (who has guest starred with Jesse Cook and Pavlo), duelling guitar wizards Kevin Laliberté (Jesse Cook) & Eddie Paton (Robert Michaels), bass masters Drew Birston (Chantal Kreviazuk) and David Woodhead (Loreena McKennitt), and the jaw-dropping talent of Cuban percussionists Chendy Leon and Alberto Suarez.

Touring as a quartet, McKhool draws from this collective of master musicians to bring Sultans of String to audiences around the world including the Celtic Connections Festival in the UK, Birdland jazz Club in NYC, Mariposa Folk Festival, National Arts Centre, Toronto’s Four Seasons Centre, and Folk Alliance in Memphis, Tenn.

Skye Theater is located 3 miles West of East Dixfield village at 2 Highland Drive off Winter Hill Rd and Route 2 in South Carthage. UCCPA is at 42 Depot St.  in Unity. Ticket price is $15 at the door. For reservations call Skye Theatre at 562-4445 or UCCPA at 948-7469. Reservations are strongly suggested at both venues.

More information is available at: http://www.necelticarts.com