Artist Information Biography BUY SULTANS OF STRING- YALLA YALLA MapleMusic: http://www.maplemusic.com/artists/sos/ CDBaby: http://cdbaby.com/cd/sultansofstring3 And on iTunes • 2009 Canadian Folk Music Awards Triple Nomination (Best Instrumental Band, Best Ensemble, Pushing the Boundries) • Luna CD hit# 1 across Canada on Top Ten national radio charts - "International" & " World/Folk" categories • 2008 International Songwriting Competition Winner- Instrumental • 2008 Festivals and Events Ontario- Best Variety Act • 2008 Canadian Independent Music Awards Finalists- Favourite World Music Band • 2008 International Independent Music Awards Finalists- Best World Fusion Song • 2007 Musique de la Monde Award • 2007 Canadian Folk Music Award nominees – Best Instrumentalist Group • 2007 Ontario Independent Music Award winner- Best Song • 2007 Ontario Independent Music Award winner- Best Instrumental • 2007 Toronto Exclusive Magazine Award Winner- Best Latin Jazz Group • 2007 Toronto Independent Music Award nominees - World Music Category • 2006 Ontario Council of Folk Festivals - Songs of the Heart Competition Finalist - World Music Category • 2006 Toronto Independent Music Awards Nominees - Best Instrumental Band “Chris McKhool and the boys were fantastic!  They can play my Bar Mitzvah.” - Bob Ezrin, producer (Pink Floyd, Kiss) “Groundbreaking…virtuoso…boundary pushing...infectious…visionary…brilliant…absolutely stunning!” - Sebastian Cook, The Live Music Report “Simply brilliant!” - Jeff Mifsud, 3NRG 99.3FM, Australia “GREAT Album! The uplifting energy that comes from these songs has earned it a permanent place in my cd player." - Andy Dooley-Miller, KVMR, 89.5 FM, California “A well crafted, stylish CD filled with passion - the music is sublime yet is subtle, powerful and emotive. The compositions are stunning as is the playing!“ - Peter Merrett, PBS 106.7 FM Melbourne Australia Sultans of String are Canada’s ambassadors of musical diversity. The band romps through an energized adventure of Latin, Gypsy–jazz, Middle Eastern and folk rhythms, celebrating musical fusion and human creativity with warmth and virtuosity.  Fiery violin dances with rumba-flamenco guitar while a funk bass lays down unstoppable grooves. Acoustic strings meet with electronic wizardry to create layers and depth of sound.  World rhythms excite audiences to their feet with the irresistible need to dance. Sultans of String have been called "groundbreaking…virtuoso…boundary pushing… infectious…visionary… brilliant…and absolutely stunning!" (The Live Music Report). Their debut CD Luna soared to # 1 across Canada on Top Ten national radio charts, and won the award for Best Variety Act from Festivals & Events Ontario.  They were finalists in the Toronto, Ontario, Canadian and International Independent Music Awards, winning both the best song and best instrumental categories for the 2007 Ontario Independent Music Awards. Six-string violinist and bandleader Chris McKhool grew up in a house bursting with music and diversity. His paternal Makhoul grandparents immigrated to Canada from Lebanon in the early 1900’s. His Egyptian-born mother is a piano and theory teacher. Growing up Chris was fed a steady diet of delicious musicality along with Middle Eastern cuisine and violin lessons. From a very young age Chris was taught the Canadian values of tolerance, respect for all peoples and celebration of culture. His passion for exploring the rhythms and melodies has led him to the far corners of the world, collecting instruments and styles everywhere he went. Travels to the Canadian Arctic, Indonesia, France, England, Cuba, Peru, Guatemala, Costa Rica and the Indian Himalayas to perform and conduct music workshops have added to his depth of musical and spiritual understanding of our global community. Chris has also guest starred internationally with Jesse Cook, Pavlo, Amanda Martinez and Club Django. When Chris first heard founding guitarist Kevin Laliberté’s rumba rhythm their musical mind-meld created the Sultans of String’s sound - the intimate and playful relationship between violin and the flamenco guitar. Sultans of String includes such amazing musical friends as: guitarists Kevin Laliberté (who has toured around the world with Jesse Cook and the Chieftains) & Eddie Paton (Robert Michaels), bassists Drew Birston (Chantal Kreviazuk) & David Woodhead (Stan Rogers, Loreena McKennitt), Cuban master percussionists Chendy Leon & Alberto Suarez, Bassam Bishara (master oud player from Palestine), and vocalists Amanda Martinez (Latin) & Maryem Tollar (Arabic). Touring as a trio to quintet, Chris draws from this collective of master musicians to bring Sultans of String to jazz, folk, classical and family audiences around the world including the Toronto Downtown Jazz Festival, Mariposa Folk Festival, and the Broadway Center for the Performing Arts (WA). Also available with Cuban Trumpet Ensemble, and complete with scores as a feature act with symphony orchestra. To book call 1-800-MCKHOOL (625-4665) anywhere in North America, 416-469-3180 in Toronto. Sultans of String would like to thank: Ontario Arts Council for their support for us creating new works. Canada Council for their support for us creating new works and touring. FACTOR for their support making our Demo recording. We acknowledge the financial support of Canada’s private radio broadcasters as well as the Government of Canada through the Canada Music Fund for this project. “From family concerts to workshops to the late night after hours crowd... The Sultans of String owned every audience they played in front of at Northern Lights Festival in 2007. Brilliant energetic playing and a warm rapport with the listeners. We'll definitely bring them back!" - Paul Loewenberg, Artistic Director, Northern Lights Festival Boreal “I remember the shiver up my spine on hearing the calls of Luna- the west coast killer whale searching for her pod- amazingly recreated on Chris’ electric violin. Haunting, moving and not to be missed!” - Charles McFarland- Artistic Producer, Centrepointe Theatre “Sultans of String were a definite highlight of the festival.  Their original performances were a delight ... consistently engaging and entertaining.  These are two talented, energetic musicians that we would like to see perform again and again.” - Bryan Bondy, Prince Edward Country Jazz Festival "Kevin and Chris are two extremely talented and creative musicians.  Each of them have an extensive background in various traditions and numerous musical accomplishments to their credit. Their own compositions are … exciting and highly original.  They are musicians and song writers of the highest caliber.” - Ken Whiteley, Producer SULTANS OF STRING PAST SHOW HIGHLIGHTS • Live on Breakfast Television & Daytime Television • Live on CBC Radio, Jazz.FM & CIUT.FM • Pacific Contact 2008 • Ontario Contact 2007 Showcase • Saskatchewan Showcase 2007 • Arts Northwest Showcase 2007 Washington State • Toronto Downtown Jazz Festival • Mariposa Folk Festival, Orillia • Sunfest, London • Toronto City Roots Festival • Festival of Lights, Sudbury • Acoustic Harvest, Toronto • Beaches International Jazz Festival • Milton Concert Presentations • Eaglewood Folk Festival, Pefferlaw • Mariposa at the Cloud Music Series, Toronto • McMichael Gallery Music Series, Kleinberg • Music on the Hill Concert Series, Toronto • Toronto Canada Day Main Stage • Ottawa Organicfest Headliner • Prince Edward County Jazz Festival • Hugh’s Room, Toronto • The Carlu Toronto • The Distillery District, Toronto • The Free Times Café, Toronto • The Liberty Grand- Consuls General of Toronto special performance • Toronto City Hall- European Union Consuls General Induction Ceremony Instrumentation Chris McKhool-6 string violin Kevin Laliberte- nylon string guitar, loops Eddie Paton - guitar Drew Birston- electric/acoutic bass Chendy Leon- percussion Special Guest Performers include: Amanda Martinez- Spanish-English vocals Maryem Tollar- Arabic vocals Ernie Tollar- nay, bansuri, saxophone Bassam Bishara/ Aaron Lightstone- oud David Woodhead - bass Alberto Suarez- percussion Discography BUY SULTANS OF STRING- LUNA and YALLA YALLA! MapleMusic: http://www.maplemusic.com/artists/sos/ CDBaby: http://www.cdbaby.com/Artist/SultansofString And on iTunes Links http://www.sultansofstring.com BUY CDs at Maple Music BUY CDs at CDBABY Chris McKhool's concerts for young audiences Kevin Laliberte's website