Excerpts from the website L’Art En Voyage: Société francophone de Maillardville, in partnership with Le Relais – The BC Francophone Immigration Program, presents L’Art En Voyage, a musical trip around the world on Saturday, February 12, 7:30 PM at Evergreen Cultural Centre, 1205 Pinetree Way, Coquitlam, BC, Canada. Performances are free and available both in-person and via live stream. In-person Event: 7:30 – 9:45 PM / Doors open at 6:30 PM.

Artists from all over the world have journeyed and settled in British Columbia over the years, bringing with them their talent, skill, traditions, and fresh energies — enriching BC culture and sharing their extraordinary arts with us all in the process. At L’Art en Voyage, you’re invited to join in an evening that celebrates some of these artists and their contributions. Together we’ll experience the gifts of some astonishing musicians, a rich array of sounds and cultures, and honour all that these artists have brought to BC’s shores from around the globe.

The evening features some of BC’s finest musical artists, showcasing music with roots in traditions from four continents – Asia, Africa, South America and Europe. It’s music that often reflects the sounds and influences of global travel and the rich environs of our own province’s eclectic cultural mix. Welcome to a special night to sit back, experience some extraordinary music, and marvel at the treasures in our midst! L’Art en Voyage presents the music of Anna Lumière and Finn Manniche, Celso Machado, Yoro Noukoussi and Silk Road Music.

Pianist, accordionist, and composer, Anna Lumière, came to BC from Switzerland at the age of 17. Alongside her background in classical piano, Anna’s interested in improvisation led her into the realm of jazz. For L’Art en Voyage, Anna, on piano, is accompanied by Finn Manniche on accordion, cello, and guitar. Together they’ll perform Anna’s original compositions, including an accordion waltz and a vocal jazz song in French, as well as selections of their favourite music – a composition by Richard Galiano and another by Enzo Enzo. Finn and Anna have collaborated on other projects, but this concert will be the first time they play together on stage.

Silk Road Music is a Vancouver-based, award-winning ensemble celebrating 3 decades of performance around the globe. Their rich and colourful music ranges from ancient Chinese scores to contemporary compositions, and from foot-tapping Scottish reels to heartfelt Chinese melody. For this their L’Art en Voyage concert, the ensemble features Qiu Xia He (pipa), André Thibault (guitar, oud), Phil Belanger (percussion), and special guest, Chinese wind player Zhong Xi Wu (suona – a reed instrument, and sheng – an instrument in the accordion family).

Yoro Noukoussi born in North Benin, Africa to the chief of the Waama people, this multi-instrumentalist singer-songwriter learned the art of storytelling and drumming from his family as they traveled the region sharing their cultural traditions. Now in Canada, Yoro is in great demand as a performer, having mastered the donga (talking drum), kokomba (congas), and djembe. On stage, both solo and with his band, he is a dynamic and mesmerizing performer, drawing you in to the sights, sounds, and rhythms of West Africa.

Virtuoso Brazilian guitarist and composer, Celso Machado’s music is rooted in Brazilian rhythmic and melodic styles, such as samba, chôro, baião, and frêvo, but it also reflects his incurable fascination with other world music traditions. Celso incorporates these influences into his own sound; his own unique Canadian-based contribution to the ongoing evolution of Brazilian music.

This concert is presented by Société francophone de Maillardville, the producers of Festival du Bois (April 2022 1, 2 and 3 2022 at Mackin Park) in partnership with Le Relais – The BC Francophone Immigration Program, and with generous support from the Department of Canadian Heritage.