We sat down with the group to speak about the worldly sounds they bring to traditional holiday standards. The show will feature a silent auction with proceeds going to NLFB and Jazz Sudbury.
JS: Christmas Caravan is a special holiday-themed Sultans of String spectacle. It isn’t a typical holiday album! What inspired you to put a unique twist on such traditional music?
SS: One of the things we love to do with Sultans of String is play rhythms and grooves that come to North America from all around the globe–everything from rumba flamenca from southern Spain, gypsy-jazz from eastern Europe, Arabic rhythms (my background), Cuban rhythms (our percussionist Chendy’s background), Panama, Africa, East Coast Celtic music—we thought it would be really fun to bring that energy and drive of all those rhythms to the Christmas songs that people love to sing, as well as some of the musical mash-ups that we create from scratch. So while it’s a Christmas album, we’ve really tried to tie in diverse voices from many parts of the world.
JS: Every year we hear the same tunes around December. Your aim was to create some new standards. What goes into producing a new classic such as the Christmas Caravan?
SS: We really did want to contribute to the Christmas repertoire in a meaningful way and we wanted to do so in a way that honoured the Christmas tradition while paying tribute to the world music traditions. It was a lot of fun to do! Mostly, we were thinking about how to create a really enjoyable experience for our fans who are fans of Christmas music and world music that stands alone as one piece of art.
JS: There are so many wonderful tunes on the album! What are some of your favourites?
SS: One of my favourites tracks is Turkish Greensleeves because with that song we had the opportunity to collaborate with a collective of Turkish Roma string players and they brought the song to a whole other place, a whole other world which we couldn’t have done on our end. Same with Silent Night and the hang drum playing of David Charrier, or Neil Gow’s Lament and the pennywhistle playing of Paddy Moloney. The strength of the guests and being able to collaborate with them is what really makes this album shine,
JS: From a Himalayan sleigh ride to gypsy-jazz, ska and African roots music, the holiday spectacle takes many turns. What is the best part of undertaking a project that blends so many different styles of music?
SS: This is the kind of music that can only be made in collaboration with different cultures and languages, and that’s what makes it I think a more compelling holiday project. The idea of the Christmas Caravan linking people together to make a beautiful sound together. And that’s what really is a big part of what it means to be Canadian. The more diverse a population is–its cultures, languages and traditions–the more chances you have of coming up with a great idea.
Check out the Christmas Caravan on 14 DEC at Collège Boréal and participate in the Jazz Sudbury and NLFB silent auction. Tickets available at Jett Landry, Old Rock, A&J Home Hardware, NLFB and Jazz Sudbury.
