The Secrets Behind Toronto Dragon Festival (I)
With just days to come, Toronto Dragon Festival is about to unveil the secrets behind one of the most anticipated Chinese cultural extravaganza held in the summer of 2018 in North America.
From traditional Chinese wedding sedan to Mongolia Yurt, from Chinese calligraphy’s Four Treasures of the Study to martial arts, Toronto Dragon Festival will present to audience not only a spectacular range of Chinese culture elements, but also a heritage showcase down the 5,000 years in China’s history.
Named Intangible Cultural Heritage by Sichuan Province, China, Sichuan Research Institute of Chinese Folk Vocal Art Forms (SRICFVA) will be joined by Toronto’s local performing artists and groups including one of North American’s best Jazz bands, MegaCity Swing Band to produce a very Canadian Chinese cultural show.
Excellent performance brought by SRICFVA are traditional Sichuan folk opera, Sichuan dancing and singing, traditional acrobatic duo, rolling lantern, barrel crossing, Sichuan dulcimer and bamboo dulcimer, and, of course, the dazzling art of face-changing in Sichuan Opera that has impressed the whole world.
SRICFVA has received numerous and prestigious awards provincially and nationally. It is one of the most influential folk performing arts institutes in China. Toronto Dragon Festival is very thrilled to have the Institute join the event and present Canadians and tourists all over the world a cultural fiesta.
The Secrets Behind Toronto Dragon Festival II
Clock is ticking down, the time is coming! Under the heat wave of 2018 summer comes the very first, highly anticipated Toronto Dragon Festival on Nathan Phillips Square.
Beside the prestige Sichuan Research Institute of Chinese Folk Vocal Art Forms we’ve introduced last time, North American’s most popular Jazz band MegaCity Swing Band will be landing on the stage of Toronto Dragon Festival to celebrate the opening day with its fantastic performance.
Toronto’s won MegaCity Swing band burst onto the scene in 2000 and is one of the swingingest bands in the GTA. Being a full-sized jazz band – all 18 of instrument players, MegaCity is comprised of some to Toronto’s best musicians performing the best jazz, Latin, and swing tunes in the City. Upon its long show list, Toronto Dragon Festival is yet another high level stage MegaCity likes to perform, infused with Chinese Canadian singer Ann Zhou to present a Toronto diverse version of the classics of the 40’s like Fragrance of the Night (Ye Lai Xiang) and Nightlife in Shanghai (Ye Shanghai). Let’s swing along with MegaCity and Ann Zhou in the duo performance. Find a spot between 2 pm to 8 pm on Nathan Phillips Square on July 15th to enjoy it!
The Festival will also bring Guzheng, known as the Chinese zither, a plucked string instrument with a more than 2,500-year history to bring audience ancestral and harmonic tunes fuses with Chinese history and culture. A 30-performer Guzheng group, with the youngest member only 5 years of age, will take the stage at Toronto Dragon Festival to present a splendid show to audience. Songs the group will play include Chinese lengendary martial arts and chivalry novelist Jin Yong’s classic theme song “A Laughter From the Seas”, along with“Etiquette and Ceremonies” , a song about China’s core culture. The Festival provides audience a rare chance to experience the traditions and essence of China in local, without travelling to the Far East.
Among the excellence of the program, our dancing performance will nevertheless bring the Chinese historical figures such as Hua Mulan, who fought 12 years and gained high merit as a female warrior during the patriarchal society in ancient China. While Toronto-based Yang Yang Dance Studio will take a modern approach to show youthful spirit for its featured dance “Bambusa under the Moonlight” and “Salang Girls”.
What’s worth mentioning is another featured artist at the Festival Saro Panossian. Arriving in Canada under Federal government’s sponsorship program in 2015, Syrian professional singer Saro Panossian has more than three-decade of singing career that shines from his own country to middle east, from the world and finally here in Canada.
Born in Latakia, Syria, Saro has started singing at local church in his early life. His singing footsteps have been to cities such as Damascus, Dubai, Beirut, Shark El Sheikh in Egypt and Cyprus.
During the brutal Syria Civic War since 2011, Saro kept his life going on to not only ensure his family’s safety, but also to sing at private parties to make a living. The hope of living in a peaceful country and keep singing came to a reality when he learned Canadian government’s refugee and sponsorship program in 2014. Under the program, he brought his family and savings to Toronto the next year. He started working as humble as a security personal at day time but quickly fits into his passion at night singing at North York’s popular eatery Beiruti Café. His fantastic voice has quickly drawn Toronto Dragon Festival’s attention. He is very happily invited by the Festival.
To show his gratitude to Canada, Saro will perform songs at Toronto Dragon Festival in English, Armenian and Chinese, including Chinese family folk and pop singer-songwriter Han Lei’s 2005 hit “Waiting”. Audience is highly encouraged to watch his show on July 15th, the first day of Toronto Dragon Festival on Nathan Phillips Square.
The Secrets Behind Toronto Dragon Festival (III)
Toronto Dragon Festival is more than your every weekend street show.
Famed Toronto baritone and associate professor of vocal music Yun Wu will perform at Toronto Dragon Festival. Yun was a prize winner at both the CCTV Young Singer Grand Prix and the National Vocal Competition sponsored by the Ministry of Culture. With nearly 20 years of teaching experience in the Conservatory of Music, Professor Yun Wu has also brought up numerous vocal students, many of whom have won prizes in both domestic and international vocal competitions.
Since immigrating to Canada, Yun Wu has performed at many high-level and large-scale music events as solo singer, and advanced to hold his own solo concert. These events include the Celebration Concert for the 20th Anniversary of Chinese Artists Society of Toronto, Toronto Chinese New Year’s Gala, grand epic music and dance show Sun Yat-Sen in Toronto, East Meets West New Year Concert, and many more.
In Canada, he has founded Yun Wu Vocal Art Teaching Centre, which has trained a group of vocal enthusiasts at a professional landscape. Some of his students have since gone on to hold their solo concerts and received wide acclamation by public audience.
Toronto Dragon Festival is very honoured to announce that Yun Wu will be featured at our event and perform the classic Italian song Funiculi Funicula and Pavarotti’s greatest hit Libiamo, ne’lieti calici.
Come to join our yet the most splendid cultural event on Nathan Phillips Square from July 15th to July 16th. No admission ticket, no charge, no fees! Not only will you enjoy the high-quality show all at once at here only, you will also be able to participate, take part in, and join any open booth to experience what you see and get thrilled for what you will do!
We’ll see you on July 15th at 1 pm on Toronto’s Nathan Phillips Square!