JAZZ.FM91 launches season two of the critically acclaimed, five-part series focusing on stories of New Canadians and their music, Identities: The Documentary Series.
Narrated by acclaimed vocalist and actress Jackie Richardson, and written/produced by Alan Lysaght and Paul McGrath, Identities: The Documentary Series chronicles the lives and careers of remarkable musicians from around the world whose search for their identities was challenged as a result of their decision to leave their home and move to Canada.
“Storytelling is integral to what we do at JAZZ.FM91. We are proud to tell the stories of these new Canadian artists and how they strived to assimilate into a new culture while trying to preserve the values and culture of their native countries. These are important stories to tell, especially now, in light of current world events,” said Ross Porter, CEO & President of JAZZ.FM91.
Created by Ross Porter, the first season of Identities: The Documentary Series received a finalist award at the prestigious New York Festivals International Radio Award in the “Culture and Arts” category. The musicians featured in season two are:
· Ezra Kwizera, a multi-genre singer-songwriter from Rwanda, currently living in Vancouver;
· Maryem Tollar, an Egyptian-born, Toronto based Arabic singer;
· Minor Empire, a band which combines elements of Turkish and North American styles, led by guitarist Ozan Boz and singer Ozgu Ozman;
· Quique Escamilla, a multi-instrumentalist singer from Mexico, currently based in Toronto; and
· Alex Cuba, a Cuban-born guitarist and singer, currently residing in Toronto.
Identities: The Documentary Series will begin airing on Documentary Sunday at 11AM starting October 25th for five weeks.
JAZZ.FM91 is called “One of the most vibrant and versatile jazz stations on the planet” by Jazz Times. More than just a radio station, the JAZZ.FM91 enterprise is Canada’s only 24/7 jazz broadcaster and registered not-for-profit charitable arts organization dedicated to enriching the cultural, educational and community experience of their audience. JAZZ.FM91 can be heard live on the air at 91.1FM, streamed online at www.jazz.fm, or listened to on an iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch, with the free JAZZ.FM91 App and via the JAZZ.FM91 Android App, available for download from the Google Playstore.
Funding for Identities: The Documentary Series was provided by Maytree. Established in 1982, Maytree is a private Canadian charitable foundation committed to reducing poverty and inequality in Canada and to building strong civic communities. Maytree seeks to accomplish its objectives by identifying, supporting and funding ideas, leaders and leading organizations that have the capacity to make change and advance the common good.
