By: Natasha Tar
From Galician bagpipes to South African a capella, this season’s Chan Centre lineup is a mix, to say the least. Delving into the performances and the performers themselves, The Peak interviewed Joyce Hinton, the co-managing director and curator of the Chan Centre’s 2018–19 line-up, and asked her what we could look forward to.
Hinton started by explaining why she chose the musicians she did. “When the Chan Centre first opened, it was really thought of as more of a Western classical music space [. . .] and we do have a lot of that happening here,” she said. “[B]ut I looked at that [. . .] and I thought, ‘you know what? We need to also include other people that aren’t drawn to that particular kind of music.’”
She went on to say that while the music is contemporary, the artists reach into their cultural backgrounds and incorporate them into their sound.
There were also deeper reasons behind her choices, Hinton explained. “This season I just kept feeling really discouraged by all the division in the world, and all the bad news,” she said. “I just thought, ‘here’s a way to elevate our spirits, to really ignite curiosity about other parts of the world, [and] break down barriers.’”
From such a diverse group, Hinton found it difficult to choose a favourite out of the lineup, opting instead to highlight some of the lesser-known performers such as the Cristina Pato Quartet, who play Latin music, jazz, and pop. Pato is a Galician bagpiper, and credited by Hinton to be “energetic” and “a mesmerizing performer.”
Other artists she mentioned were Goran Bregović, a Bosnian musician who’s well known in Europe, and Aida Cuevas, a Mexican performer known for her “hugely emotional singing,” according to Hinton. Some recognizable musicians who will be making appearances include Bobby McFerrin and Ladysmith Black Mambazo.
Hinton commented that the wildly different touring schedules of the performers combined with the busyness of the Chan Centre made for a difficult task to schedule everyone in. However, she was sure of her decisions, as she said, “This is an incredible year in the world and I just wanted to make sure we had just as many women on this bill as men. [I] like a real diversity of age, [and] I really want them to be from different parts of the world. I want people in our city who are from different communities to feel like they’re being represented, but I also want to introduce other people that might not know or might be curious.”
As for the audience takeaway, Hinton summarized by saying, “The arts is such a great way to break down barriers.” She went on to say she hopes that the audiences not only enjoy the performers and great music, but be curious about the origins of the artists.
Having worked as a staff member since the Chan Centre first opened, and having become the co-managing director in 2010, I asked Hinton what some of her fondest memories on the job were. She said she enjoys seeing people’s positive reactions to shows, and how they are “moved or overwhelmed with the experience.” While she’s seen people react uncomfortably to some performances, she believes that it’s because “the art was challenging them, but in a really positive way.”
Tickets for the Chan Centre 2018–19 season are available on their website. Student rush tickets are $15 and available a week prior to shows.
