Enjoy some of the hottest musical artistry from around the globe this winter without ever leaving the Finger Lakes when the Smith Opera House brings back its "Passport World Music Series." Now in its second year, this exciting concert series, spotlighting four different world beat music artists, promises to heat up even the coldest night.

 

The riveting and charismatic Gandalf Murphy and the Slambovian Circus of Dreams kicks off the series on January 25. In 1998 The Circus emerged from the misty hills of Sleepy Hollow, N.Y. and exploded upon the Hudson Valley music scene with their stunning self-produced debut release, "A Good Thief Tips His Hat". The music of Gandalf Murphy and the Slambovian Circus of Dreams has been described as "Hillbilly-Floyd, folk-pop", "alt-country roots- rock, and "surreal Americana". Dancing freely between existing religious and philosophical mythologies, their music is not only uplifting and empowering, but a lot of fun.

 

Heavily influenced by Celtic music from Ireland and Brittany, Quebec's Le Vent du Nord brings its traditional Quebecois music to The Smith on April 5. Made up of Réjean Brunet (vocals, accordion), Simon Beaudry (vocals, guitar), Olivier Demers (vocals, fiddle, foot- tapping), and Nicolas Boulerice (vocals, hurdy gurdy, piano- accordion, piano), the group’s first recording, "Maudite moisson!," was awarded the Juno for traditional album of the year in 2004 and was nominated for the same award by ADISQ. Their second album, "Les amants du Saint-Laurent," was also nominated by ADISQ in 2005 in addition to being chosen album of the year at the Canadian Folk Music Awards. 2005 was also the year that saw the group being rewarded as North American traditional artist of the year in Austin, Texas. Their show was nominated for an OPUS award and was named Show of the year by the American radio-concert series "Bound for Glory." The group also appeared on the top-ten charts of a few radio stations, as high as #1 on CIBL Montréal and #5 on BBC3 in the UK, ahead of such well- known artists as Youssou N’Dour and Peter Gabriel.

 

Le Vent du Nord has crowds dancing to the sound of fiddle and hurdy- gurdy, using an original repertoire. Their music is both fresh and bound to tradition. One of the group’s strength’s is their stage presence: energetic, dynamic, generous and in touch with the audience. Le Vent du Nord consists of four singers/multi-instrumentalists: Nicolas Boulerice, Simon Beaudry, Olivier Demers and Réjean Brunet. They sing originals and songs taken from the traditional repertoire, in their native French, to the delight of their audience -- for whom it is more often than not a foreign language. Le Vent du Nord’s energy amazes their audiences, and whether they perform at a festival or a concert, people keep asking for more.

 

The Santa Cruz River Band (Gilbert Brown, Michael J. Ronstadt and Ted

Ramírez) performs its unique blend of traditional Mexican and American styles with textures of country and blues rhythms to create a sound that is both familiar and refreshingly different on April 12.

 

Performing songs in English, Spanish and Native American languages, this Tuscon, Arizona-based trio presents a beautiful, intriguing and powerful musical program filled with history and the mystical lore of the Great American Southwest. Their music is authentic and original, rooted in the music styles of the United States and Mexico. They create a unique and beautiful musical sound filled with outstanding vocal harmonies and powerful acoustic instrumental sounds. Their stories and song introductions captivate and elevate the consciousness of the audience.

 

Punching through the walls of tradition on April 26, The McDades’ 

Celtic-rooted music fuses the spontaneity of jazz improvisation with infectious global rhythms. Their cutting edge sound is the perfect complement to their fiery performances.

 

At the heart of the group are siblings Shannon, Solon & Jeremiah who grew up playing Canadian folk music alongside their parents and among artists from around the world, a unique upbringing that led to a love and respect for all music. Their groundbreaking compositions and innovative arrangements are characterized by stunning virtuosity and a near-telepathic interaction on stage. 

 

With vocal harmonies that can only come from a family, and an obvious love for each other and their music, The McDades’ sound is immersed in the spirit of improvisation. Featuring both energetic instrumentals and sensitive vocals performed in English and French, this compelling and dynamic group “find their groove somewhere between a down-home kitchen party, a jazzy after hours club, and a folk festival.

 

The "Passport World Music Series" is sponsored by the Greater Rochester Association of Realtors. The Smith is supported, in part, with public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, the City of Geneva, the Town of Geneva and by contributions from individual supporters.