Grace Nono: Live in Toronto

Grace Nono, the Philippine music performing and recording artist, author, and cultural worker, whose work has garnered her over 40 awards worldwide, comes to Toronto for the first time for a one‐evening only Solo Presentation – Talk with Performance.

The intimate setting of St. John’s Cathedral Polish Catholic Church, 186 Cowan Ave, serves as a welcoming venue for this multifaceted artist’s first visit to Toronto.

Born and raised in the river valley of Agusan, Northeastern Mindanao, Southern Philippines, Grace specializes in the contemporary performance of Philippine sung oral/aural traditions‐with special focus on songs with sacred themes‐taught to her by oralists/auralists from different parts of the Philippines.

She has been featured in numerous concerts internationally, including the Cultural Center of the Philippines in Manila, the House of World Cultures in Berlin, the Circulo de Bellas Artes in Madrid, and the World Exposition on Nature’s Wisdom in Nagoya. She has also published six award‐winning solo albums, and also co‐produced and co‐published together with composer Bob Aves, five recordings of Philippine oral/aural music traditions.

Most notably as an author, Grace has published two books (with accompanying recordings): The Shared Voice: Chanted and Spoken Narratives from the Philippines (ANVIL Publishing and Fundacion Santiago, 2008), winner in the 2009 Book Awards, and the newly launched Song of the Babaylan: Living Voices, Medicines, Spiritualities of Philippine Ritualist‐Oralist‐Healers (Institute of Spirituality in Asia, 2013). As cultural worker, Grace founded the Tao Foundation for Culture and Arts, a Philippine non‐government organization engaged in cultural regeneration and grassroots development initiatives, for which she has received support from the Toyota Foundation, UNESCO, Advocates of Philippine Fair Trade, Australia-Philippines Community Cooperation Program, local communities and institutions.

Grace Nono is proudly presented in Toronto by the Cana Caridad Foundation, in community partnership with Kapisanan Philippine Centre and KAPWA Collective. With the full support of the Philippine Consulate General of Toronto, and joined by special guests, Pantayo Kulintang Ensemble, this rare event is not to be missed! The Cana Caridad Foundation supports charitable organizations worldwide, including Free The Children, the IMQH Missionaries (Cebu, Philippines), and FOSSSI (Filipino‐Ontario Seminarian Scholarship Society International). Kapisanan Philippine Centre for Arts & Culture (or KAPISANAN or The K) is Canada’s premiere Filipino‐Canadian arts & cultural facility located in Toronto’s Kensington Market district. Kapisanan’s mission is to promote the social and professional development of Filipino youth, artists, and entrepreneurs, using Filipino culture and knowledge‐of‐self as a foundation for empowerment — for the whole community! The Kapwa Collective is a group of Filipino‐Canadian artists, critical thinkers, and healers who work towards bridging narratives between the Indigenous and the Diasporic and between the Filipino and the Canadian. This volunteer‐run, mutual support group aims to facilitate links among academic, artistic, activist, and other communities in Toronto.

Tickets are $20.

May 24, 2014 | 8:00 PM

Contact: Lilac Caña 416.727.4839 / Kapisanan 416.979.0600 / Kapwa 647.784.6877

Press release courtesy of Cana Caridad Foundation.