British singer Abi Sampa and her husband, composer Rushil Ranjan, got a burst of fame during the pandemic, when their homespun rendition of a traditional Sufi poem blew up on YouTube. Inspired, they now collaborate with orchestras around the world to stage East-meets-West renditions of traditional qawwali music—devotional hymns from the Islamic Sufi tradition meant to evoke a state of divine rhapsody. Employing call-and-response elements and audience involvement, their performances combine ancient motifs, South Asian influences, modern orchestral techniques, poetry and dance to bring that state of joy to audiences around the world. Meridian Hall, February 13
Toronto rapper Shadrach Kabango, a.k.a. Shad, has been spitting his witty, sharp lines for two decades. In those years, he’s beaten Drake for a Juno, been shortlisted for five Polaris prizes and won an Emmy for his documentary, Hip Hop Evolution. He’s now on tour for his latest album, Start Anew, which deals with such weighty topics as the fear of death. He’s also taking requests: Shad has invited fans to DM him on Instagram if they want to hear a particular track—or even give him a topic to ramble about between songs. The Mod Club, February 21
In his debut novel, Seven Heavens Away, Toronto author and poet Ashraf Zaghal writes about a young Arab man coming of age in Jerusalem amid the Israeli occupation—a familiar setting to Zaghal, who was born and raised in the city. His book’s protagonist, Aziz, is shaken to the core after a friend named Hassan is killed at the hands of an Israeli. Reeling, Aziz struggles to process his grief, guilt and forbidden feelings for Dafna, a Jewish girl—all while being drawn closer to Hassan’s father, a community leader and local firebrand. Out February 3
This is a big night for lovers of ’90s R&B. Thirty years ago, Atlanta group 112 hit the scene hard with their eponymous debut album and won a Grammy a year later for their work on Diddy and Faith Evans’s Biggie tribute, “I’ll be Missing You.” They’re now on tour to celebrate 30 years of smooth, smooth harmonies (though, thankfully, with no Sean Combs association this time). They’re joined by Total, the girl group behind “Can’t You See,” and Case, of “Touch Me, Tease Me” fame, for a triple bill of millennial nostalgia. Danforth Music Hall, February 13
The COC’s production of The Barber of Seville is full-on madcap. The vivid, colourful set pieces include a four-foot-tall guitar, clown-esque makeup and colourful costumes, all evoking the irreverent nature of this Italian romance. Set in the Spanish town of Seville, it follows a young count enamoured of Rosina, a woman held captive by her guardian and suitor, Bartolo. With help from the scheming barber Figaro, the count endeavours to rescue and woo Rosina, and shenanigans ensue. Billed as an introductory opera for all ages, it’s liable to leave viewers young and old belting out their best “Figaro!” Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, February 5 to 21
February is a cold, dreary month, made worse for the singer-songwriters whose gigs tend to dry up this time of year. Thankfully, Brian Gladstone, a long-time staple of the Toronto folk scene and self-described techno-hippy, is back to help with the Winterfolk Blues and Roots Festival. All proceeds from the mini fest, which runs for four days every February, go directly to the artists, with no intermediaries or Ticketmasters siphoning funds. This year’s event takes place at the Tranzac Club and features more than 100 artists, including two-time Juno-winning musician and composer Donné Roberts and blues vocalist, songwriter and occasional actor Shakura S’Aida. Tranzac Club, February 12 to 15
In 1987, director Rob Reiner (RIP) knew just who to ask to score this post-modern fairy tale masterpiece: Dire Straits frontman Mark Knopfler. Not just a sultan of swing, Knopfler created a soundtrack that matched The Princess Bride’s quirky yet romantic tone and earned a Grammy nomination for the original album. (Toronto liked it too: the film snagged a People’s Choice Award when it premiered at TIFF that year.) Now, nearly 40 years later, Reiner’s film will play on the big screen as the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, led by Australian star conductor Nicholas Buc, plays Knopfler’s score live. Roy Thomson Hall, February 13 and 14
Anthony Milton is a freelance journalist based in Toronto specializing in long-form magazine writing. He previously worked as an assistant editor at Toronto Life, where he launched the Front Row newsletter. He regularly contributes all sorts of stories to the magazine, including deep dives on sports, business and housing as well as short-form commentary on our ever-changing city, from its obsession with cherry blossoms to its maddening NIMBYism. His work has also appeared in Maclean’s, Ricochet, TVO, the Trillium and more.
The July issue of Toronto Life features the monster cottages of Muskoka versus the resistance. Plus, our obsessive coverage of everything that matters now in the city.
