In 2000, Suoni Per Il Popolo was launched by the folks behind popular venues Casa del Popolo and La Sala Rossa to showcase improvisational, avant-garde and otherwise out-there music from around the world: stuff a little too strange for the mainstream Jazz Fest.
That’s not to say that Suoni’s yearly offerings are inaccessible or overly esoteric – quite the opposite, in fact. This year’s line-up is testament to the festival’s intelligent programming, which brings together artists from multiple genres: free jazz, indie rock, contemporary classical and more.
The festival kicks off on Sunday, June 1 with electrified New York noisemakers Excepter and local psychedelic heroes the Shalabi Effect. Look for bandleader Sam Shalabi’s wild, orchestral Egyptian music project The Land of Kush the following week, featuring several dozen local artists.
Other highlights include Evangelista, a new project by Carla Bozulich,
featuring Montreal’s own Silver Mt. Zion. Mt. Zion will also be backing up brilliant singer/songwriter Vic Chesnutt – as well as playing on its own. Chestnutt will also be playing with Guy Picciotto of Fugazi. Oh – and Bozulich will also be presenting Scarnella, a collaboration with Nels Cline, lead guitarist for Wilco.
And some jazz: The Sun Ra Arkestra makes a rare Montreal appearance, which is not to be missed. Other guests include trombonist Roswell Rudd, Malcolm Goldstein and Matana Roberts, among others.
Whatever your flavour, there’s something worth catching at this year’s Suoni, which runs through June 28.
See casadelpopolo.com/suoni for more information.
