Kanaka is a Toronto-based quartet, featuring Scott Good (trombone and keyboards), Michael Blitz Kaler (bass), Michael Rosenthal (drums), Erik Ross (keyboards), and Andrew Staniland (guitar). For a relatively new group on the Toronto scene, Kanaka has made quite an impact. Since forming early in 2004 theyve graced the stages of many Toronto clubs, most recently the Cameron and the Tranzac, been the featured performers at a tribute to the departed jazz musician Sun Ra, and have taken part in Harbourfronts Canada Day celebrations and the annual Word on the Street festival in Queens Park, as well as the recent New Wave Composers Festival at the DeLeon White Gallery, with members of the Esprit Orchestra.
Kanaka is an instrumental group that mixes elements of jazz, free improvisation, pop and world music. Their fiery covers of Greek rembetika songs are audience favourites, as are their many originals, which range from highlife-inflected dance numbers to powerful rockers. (The bands name is bilingually appropriate: in Hawaiian, it is the word for humanity, while in Arabic it refers to a safe-house where travelling Sufis can rest and meet other spiritual pilgrims.)
Kanakas versatility can be attributed to its members wide-ranging experiences. Everyone in the band is a confirmed music lifer, and they bring the benefits of their diversity to the band. Drummer Michael Rosenthal and bassist Michael Kaler both started out in the fertile Toronto punk rock scene of the mid-1980s, before branching out to other styles of music, including pop, metal, country and world music. Michael Rosenthal has played in such bands as Supergarage, Rheas Obsession, and Sacrifice, among others, while Michael Kaler has played with Ron Hawkins and the Rusty Nails, the Leisure Demons, and the Ugly Bug Band. From avant jazz to rock to folk, theyve played it all, and often together. You wont find a tighter rhythm section.
Trombonist Scott Good (affiliated with local collective Earshot! music), guitarist Andrew Staniland and keyboardist Erik Ross are all noted composers of new music, and all hold Doctor of Music degrees. But they are by no means ivory tower academics: they are known for their fiery, emotional approach to playing, and have solid reputations as improvising musicians as well, with such bands as Guh, the Woodchoppers Association, and Human Remains.
When you put all these influences together, what you get is strong, moving music that effortlessly hops genres. Kanaka is not afraid to take chances, and in concert they take the audience with them as they explore a wide range of musical styles.
'The brilliant new comedy feature from the mad brain of director John Durno. Featuring the amazing Mark E. Watts in his first comedy role that does not involve vomiting or masturbation'
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MARK E. WATTS as CHARLIE / FANTONE
Mark has a remarkable physical comic presence on-screen. He is new to acting but not to performance, being an accomplished musician involved with many professional projects. He has also contributed music to the film creating and performing the pieces selected. He graduated Recording Arts Canada (RAC) in 2007 and has worked on musical performance, engineering, recording, composition, sound f/x, music videos, documentaries and independent movie projects in his capacity as sound recordist, original music score composer and - of course! - acting.
Flashback Of Anger is very proud to announce that they have signed to famous Limb Music Products & Publishing, record label of such successful bands as Eldritch, Pagan's Mind, Rhapsody. The debut album "Splinters of Life" produced by Dirk Schlaechter (Gamma Ray) will be out on April 9th.
farting will get your nowhere. i am preparing a fart on such a massive scale that it will make all the vast empires of earth seem like mcnuggets in comparison. mcnuggets being dipped into WIMPY HONEY MUSTARD SAUCE!!
Thanks for performing with us at Mitzi's last night. You guys were great! I think the P.R.O. / Kanaka pairing is a good thing and we should do it again.
Might not be able to make it today. Recording sessions, work next day, etc,etc,etc...
I'll let the others know in case they can make it.
Thanks for the invite
Two comments? Wow! You leave people speechless with hyped traxxx like Katsivella! Really enjoyed the show at the Transac on Thursday... awesome energy. Rock on!!
