The Chan Centre for the Performing Arts at UBC has announced a diverse, global selection of performances for its 2019/20 series. The nine concerts at Chan Shun Concert Hall will welcome extraordinary talent from around the world, including an icon of Americana, the height of jazz royalty, and a compelling Norwegian songstress. Also announced is the 2019/20 Beyond Words series, featuring four heartrending interdisciplinary performances that affirm the importance of diversity in storytelling. In addition, Chan Centre Connects Series complements presentations with artist and expert talks, panel discussions, workshops, master classes, and film screenings, offering more in-depth engagement with the season’s programming.
“One of the most rewarding aspects of my role as curator for the Chan Centre Presents series is the sheer delight of discovery.” says Joyce Hinton, Co-Managing Director and curator of the Chan Centre Presents series. “This season brings Vancouver debuts, fresh new sounds, and time-honoured art forms from around the world to the Chan Centre stage. Encounter the ethereal harmonies of an extraordinary Sámi artist from Norway, the impactful gospel-inspired songs of the civil rights movement, and the romance of Cuba’s golden era revived for a new generation. Each of the brilliant artists we welcome will be taking us on an exploratory journey — so bring your sense of adventure!”
The 2019/20 Chan Centre Presents series includes:
photo: Michael Lavine
ROSANNE CASH
Saturday, September 28, 2019 at 8pmThe Grammy award-winning icon of roots music, Rosanne Cash, tours in support of her first album in five years, She Remembers Everything
MARI BOINE
Saturday, October 5, 2019 at 8pmBringing to life the rich sound of her native Sámi language, vocalist Mari Boine has cultivated a following with her trailblazing sound that harmonizes shamanic beats with bold expressionism.
DAKHABRAKHA
Saturday, October 19, 2019 at 8pmEastern European quartet DakhaBrakha presents their brand of “ethno chaos,” melding together Ukrainian folk music with Indian, Arabic, African, Russian, and Australian instrumentation.
FLAMENCO LEGENDS: THE PACO DE LUCÍA PROJECT
Saturday, November 2, 2019 at 8pmPaying tribute to their former bandleader, the Flamenco Legends project celebrates the late guitarist Paco de Lucía with an evening of incredible music and dance that delves into his rich legacy.
ORQUESTA AKOKÁN
Saturday, November 16, 2019 at 8pmOld Havana comes to life with this 13-piece ensemble that brings together Cuba’s top musicians and the best of New York’s Latin music scene.
WE SHALL OVERCOME: A CELEBRATION OF DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.
Saturday, February 29, 2020 at 8pmPianist, conductor, composer, arranger, and arts educator Damien Sneed commemorates Martin Luther King, Jr.’s legacy with a vibrant, multi-genre performance.
DIANNE REEVES: BELEZA BRAZIL
Sunday, March 8, 2020 at 7pmFive-time Grammy Award-winner Dianne Reeves explores the sounds of South America in her brand new project Beleza Brazil (“the beauty of Brazil”).
LA SANTA CECILIA
Saturday, April 4, 2020 at 8pmInspired by Pan-American influences while drawing on their own Mexican heritage, LA-based band La Santa Cecilia weave together influences from cumbia, bossa nova, rumba, bolero, tango, R&B, jazz, and more.
photo: Peter Graham
KALABANTÉ: AFRIQUE EN CIRQUE
Saturday, April 18, 2020 at 8pmMontreal-based Guinean Yamoussa Bangoura imports the athleticism, agility, and animation of African music and arts by fusing them with European circus traditions in his stunning multidisciplinary performances.
The 2019/20 Beyond Words series includes:
HUFF
Wednesday, October 30, 2019 at 12pm + 7:30pmPerformed by award-winning playwright Cliff Cardinal, the brutally honest, darkly comic one-man performance dives into the lives of three Indigenous siblings caught in a maelstrom of institutional prejudice and abuse.
TRADER TIME
Wednesday, November 6, 2019 at 7:30pmLong-term collaborators Ivan Coyote and Sarah MacDougall present their latest multidisciplinary work, Trader Time. Made up of a series of interrelated vignettes based on a local Whitehorse buy-and-sell radio show,
BLACK LIKE ME: AN EXPLORATION OF THE WORD N–––––
Wednesday, November 20, 2019 at 7:30pm + Thursday, November 21, 2019 at 12pmInnovative dance artist and choreographer Jade Solomon Curtis uses African, jazz, tap, ballet, musical theatre, and club dance vocabularies to investigate the reverberations of a single word across the global landscape.
RIDGE
Thursday, March 26, 2020 at 7:30pmAward-winning writer, musician, and slam poet Brendan MacLeod confronts the misconceptions and misunderstandings of the now-famed Battle at Vimy Ridge, in which more than 10,000 Canadian casualties were recorded.
For more details, season subscriptions and single tickets (on sale from June 18, 2019) visit chancentre.com