Music festival and conference - Borderless Flows: Improvisatory interactions across Asia, Africa, and beyond
31 August 2022
"Borderless Flows: improvisatory interactions across Asia, Africa, and beyond” will be held on September 16 & 17 in the Old Arts Building at the University of Alberta and at the University of Alberta Botanic Garden. This festival of music and culture comprises workshops, concerts, and a two-day conference highlighting cultural interactions and globalization from a non western-centric point of view. The festival aims to redress the western bias of cultural connections resulting from western colonialism throughout the world through research presentations and music performances that explore flows of culture in Asia and Africa along the Indian Ocean, Silk Road and trans-Saharan trade routes from ancient to modern times.
The festival features two world-class ensembles: Aga Khan Master Musicians, including renowned Pipa master Wu Man, will perform music blending Tajik, Tunisian, Syrian and Chinese music traditions. Pan Project Ensemble, blending the traditions of China, Korea and Japan through modern improvisation will perform music from their new CD on the Neuma Record label.
Concerts and the conference are open to the public.
A Friday, Sept. 16 concert titled “Rivers Flow to Boundless Seas” will take place at 8pm in Convocation Hall, University of Alberta. Tickets ($10 general admission, 5$ students/seniors) can be purchased at here.
Saturday, Sept. 17 features events at the University of Alberta Botanic Garden, including afternoon intercultural music performances (2-4pm), a public talk on intercultural music (4:30pm) in the Aga Khan Garden, Diwan Pavilion and a main concert titled “Mountains Fall to Endless Plains” (6:30pm) in the Aga Khan Garden, Amphitheater. Events at the University of Alberta Botanic Garden are included with the purchase of an entrance ticket to the Garden.
The conference will take place on Friday Sept. 16 (8:30am-5:00pm) and Saturday Sept. 17 (8:30am-12:30pm) in the Senate Chamber, Old Arts building, University of Alberta.
For more information, visit the festival website.