Raucous roots string wizards, SULTANS OF STRING garner 4 CMFA nominations for their revved up & aptly-titled CD

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

October 7, 2012


WHO ‘N’ WHAT:    Raucous roots string wizards, SULTANS OF STRING garner 4 CMFA nominations

                             for their revved up & aptly-titled CD, MOVE !

BAND WEB:           http://www.sultansofstring.com

DOWNLOAD           Click here to download CD

MOVE &                 

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MEDIA                     Lisa Weitz,  LW Communications
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 [Toronto ON]  Raucous roots, string super-group, Sultans of String, just got the good news that their revved up CD, MOVE, is in the running for a quartet of Canadian Folk Music Awards nominations:  Instrumental Group of the Year, World Group of the Year, and Pushing The Boundaries. Bandleader Chris McKhool also picked up a nomination for Producer of the Year.

“We are humbled and honoured to have been nominated for four 2012 Canadian Folk Music Awards for our album MOVE! We could not have made this recording without the support of the whole Canadian roots community, and it is so great to see so many of our musical colleagues nominated as well.”

The band’s 3^rd CD can only be thought of as a perfect hat-trick, presenting, once again, an exhilarating celebration of world music styles.

“Canada is a real meeting place of musical influences from around the world” says bandleader/fiddler McKhool.  “At the same time, as a band we try to tell uniquely Canadian stories, putting forth our vision of the world as one family.” 

Seamlessly traversing diverse themes of heart, place and tradition, fiery violin dances with kinetic guitar while a funk bass lays down unstoppable grooves. Throughout, acoustic strings meet electronic wizardry to create layers and depth of sound.

Special Guests include a who’s who of Canadian talent , including Dala, Amanda Martinez, Ernie Tollar, Ken Whiteley, and Kevin Turcotte. The team included illustrious engineers Jeremy Darby (U2, Pink Floyd) & Nik Tjelios (Pete Seeger, Ken Whiteley), as well as seasoned mixer George Seara (Herbie Hancock, Sting).

Since their formation only 5 years ago, Sultans of String have been riding a wave of success, from their debut CD, "Luna", and 2nd offering, "Yalla Yalla!", both hitting # 1 on world/international music charts in Canada, to “Yalla Yalla’s!” triple CFMA nomination, winning Instrumental Group of the Year in 2009.

In the past 2 years alone, they've acquired a JUNO nomination, 1st place in the International Songwriting Competition, placed as finalists for two 2011 International Independent Music Awards and won this year’s Festivals & Events Ontario-Entertainer of The Year Award. Expert promoter David Wilkes (Emmylou Harris, Bela Fleck, Melanie) also joined the team after seeing them in action at their OCFF Official showcase.

Touring as a trio to a quintet, “Canada’s ambassadors of musical diversity” include 6-string violinist Chris McKhool (Pavlo), dueling guitar czars Kevin Laliberté (Jesse Cook, guested on tour with The Chieftains) and Eddie Paton (Robert Michaels), bass master Drew Birston (Amanda Martinez, Chantal Kreviazuk) and the jaw dropping talent of Cuban percussionist Chendy Leon (Parachute Club, Alex Cuba).

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"Sultans of String seem to be hoovering up Canadian awards and nominations like a Dyson on speed -- a joyful melting pot of folk, jazz, flamenco, and indeed anything else that takes their fancy.. energetic and exciting world music fest from a band with talent to burn.  This is the sort of band and music that would rip up any festival in the country."

Maverick Magazine

"Sultans of String are one of Canada’s hottest new musical exports, dynamically embodying their homeland’s values of tolerance and respect for diverse cultures. Centred on the founding interplay between Chris McKhool – a six-string violinist of Lebanese/Egyptian descent – and Kevin Laliberté’s rumba-accented guitar, they weave a gorgeously-hued tapestry of Spanish, Arabic, Latin, French and gypsy strands."
Celtic Connections Festival, UK

   

“For their third release, the Canadian string supergroup Sultans of String has ushered out a dozen mesmerizing examples of modern gypsy, Cubano, Arabic, flamenco, and other Euro-trad musics …Move is a vibrant example of just what that means... Nail down the furniture 'cause you're going to want to jump up and dance to a lot of this CD”

FAME

“Move is a treasure chest full of some of finest world music available. Words like depth, diversity and texture are sometimes tossed out with such regularity as to lose all real meaning. This Canadian string super-group carefully weaves a true sonic tapestry with influences from Spanish Flamenco to Arabic folk, utilizing Cuban rhythms, Bossa and French Manouche Gypsy-jazz music. Clearly eclectic world jazz gone unplugged...With a who's who of world music artists combined with an artistic and technical superiority, Sultans Of String manage to capture an infusion of sound that bridges all musical boundaries and genres.  Acoustic world music on steroids.”
Digital Jazz News
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CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:
•  2012 Canadian Folk Music Awards nominees – Instrumental Group of the Year

•  2012 Canadian Folk Music Awards nominees – World Group of the Year

•  2012 Canadian Folk Music Awards nominees – Pushing The Boundaries

•  2012 Canadian Folk Music Awards nominees – Producer of the Year (Chris McKhool)
•  2012 Festivals & Events-Entertainer of The Year

•  2011 Ontario Contact - Artist of the Year
•  2011 International Acoustic Music Awards Finalist – Instrumental
•  2011 Independent Music Award Finalist – Instrumental Album
•  2011 Independent Music Award Finalist –  World Beat Album
•  2011 ISC International Songwriting Competition Finalist  - Instrumental
•  2011 ISC International Songwriting Competition Finalist - World Music

•  2010 JUNO Nominees - "Instrumental Album of the Year"

•  2010 International Songwriting Contest 1st Place Winners - Instrumental

•  2010 Indie Awards Nominees - Favorite World Artist/Group
•  2009 Canadian Folk Music Award winner - Instrumental Group of the Year
•  2009 Canadian Folk Music Award nominees - Ensemble of the Year
•  2009 Canadian Folk Music Award nominees - Pushing The Boundaries
•  2009 Toronto Exclusive Magazine Award Winner- Best Toronto World CD
•  2009 Toronto Exclusive Magazine Award Winner- Artist of the Year
•  2008 International Songwriting Competition winner - Instrumental
•  2008 Festivals and Events Ontario- Best Variety Act
•  2008 International Independent Music Awards Finalists - Best World Fusion Song
•  2008 Canadian Independent Music Awards Finalists- Favorite World Music Band
•  2007 Canadian Folk Music Award nominees (Instrumental Group of the Year

•  2007 Ontario Independent Music Award winner- Best Song
•  2007 Ontario Independent Music Award winner- Best Instrumental

** Sultans of String are very grateful for the support of Canada Council for the Arts, FACTOR,

   Ontario Arts Council, and the Toronto Arts Council.