Pop-up Performances 2023
Date:
2023
Price: Free with Museum Admission
The Aga Khan Museum provides a platform for emerging and established award-winning artists to showcase their craft, initiate cross-cultural dialogue, and engage new audiences.
Throughout the season, experience poetry, music and dance that reflects the rich tapestry of diverse world regions, from the Balkans to the Nordic countries, from the Middle East to Asia. Enjoy informal performances presented by TD Bank – of jazz, Latin, Persian, traditional Asian music, and more – by a range of captivating artists in the Museum’s public spaces and galleries.
Join us every week for a new Pop-Up experience
Wednesdays at 5 pm, 6 pm, and 7 pm.
Saturdays and Sundays at 12 pm, 1 pm, and 3 pm.
June Performances
Roshane Wright
May 31–June 4
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Fethi Nadjem
June 7–11
Born in Algeria to a family of musicians, Fethi Nadjem started playing the guitar and oud at the age of 13. During his studies at the Fine Arts Association in Algiers, he learned how to play Andalusian music as well as the violin and mandolin. Nadjem co-founded Djmawi Africa, a fusion band, and since moving to Toronto, has performed with various bands and musicians including Jesse Cook and Moneka Arabic Jazz.
Learn more about Fethi Nadjem
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Georgia Hathaway
June 14–18
Georgia brings a unique perspective to fiddling, having started with Canadian and Irish fiddle as a child and falling in love with Arabic, Turkish, and Balkan music as an adult. Growing up and living in the most multicultural city in the world, they have had the benefit of learning these styles from different teachers, and they believe music has the power to unite people no matter where one comes from. They begin with their roots and end with their current branches, from old-time Quebecois and Irish tunes as well as the melodies of Turkish, Balkan, and Arabic music.
Learn more about Georgia Hathaway
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Past Performers
January
Kyler Mackenzie
January 4–8
Fusing Spanish, Celtic, and Slavic music on classical guitar, Kyler Mackenzie's musical journey began in Toronto and has since taken him worldwide. He has performed his take on Modern Folk Fusion in Eastern Europe, France, and Portugal.
Roshane Wright
January 11–15
A drummer and percussionist hailing from Portmore, Jamaica, Roshane Wright started playing percussion instruments at the age of six and has gone on to win numerous awards in his divisions. Wright fuses his musical Caribbean roots with jazz to create his own authentic sound. Roshane has been a freelance artist as well as a music educator, composer, arranger and band leader.
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Ross Morgan
January 18–22
Ross Morgan is a Toronto-based guitarist, composer, and arranger. Originally from Richmond, Ontario, Morgan began his musical journey studying 70’s folk and soul. He discovered a passion for jazz at the age of 18 after hearing Ed Bickert's "At The Garden Party" for the first time. Since graduating from Humber College, he has performed locally with groups like Tideways Collective, TJ and the Crew, and the Tomoko Abe Trio and released his debut EP Migration — an exploration of Canadian journeys and a tribute to his favourite musicians.
Listen to Ross Morgan's EP, Migration
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Ross Morgan will be accompanied by:
Nathan Hiltz and Hiro Suzuki on Guitar (January 18th)
Tyler Campbell on Saxophone (January 21st)
Andrew Kay
January 25–29
Andrew Kay is an acclaimed musician and composer from Toronto, Canada. Kay writes and performs music ranging from Indo-Jazz, World Music, and Indian Classical Raga Music to Contemporary Jazz and contemporary Improvisations. He is among one of the first musicians in the world to perform Indian Classical music on the Alto Saxophone after spending more than a decade living and studying in the traditional Guru-Shishya parampara system with his Guru in Kolkata, India. He has also pioneered a unique set of tuned Himalayan Singing Bowls that he performs with, as well as using tuning forks, various woodwinds, and hand percussion. He is a seasoned performer with dozens of feature concerts around the globe with world-renowned maestros and is the co-leader of many creative musical projects.
Learn more about Andrew Kay
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Watch Andrew Kay on YouTube
February
Behzad Danesh
February 1–5
Jerusa Leão
February 8–12
Roshane Wright
February 22–26
March
Aimal Khan Khattak
March 1–5
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Aimal Khan Khattak is a musician, Rubab player, art & culture preservationist, philanthropist, and entrepreneur from Mardan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He aims to promote Pashtun culture through his music and gained recognition for his song ‘Meena Oor De Zargiya,' on which he gained more than 4 Million views across different digital platforms. Khattak is a founding member of Islamabad-based instrumental band, Pro-Zac and collaborates with organizations and international music bands to promote Pashtun music and culture.
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Watch Aimal Khan Khattak on YouTube
Sridaya Srivatsan
March 8–12
Kousha Nakhaei
March 15–19
Kousha Nakhaei is a musician and co-director of Sarv Music Academy, with expertise in Western classical and Iranian traditional music. He performs with various artists and has toured extensively with Sarv Ensemble. Nakhaei also teaches violin and kamanche, leads Sarv String Orchestra and Sarv Choir, and has guest-taught Iranian music at several institutions.
Learn more about Kousha Nakhaei
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Kazdoura
March 22–26
Toronto-based band Kazdoura fuzes nostalgia and reinvention in their modern interpretation of Arabic music. Their style is a cross-cultural blend of Eastern and Western music that combines old-world Arabic classics with jazz, funk, electro-pop, and disco. This project was founded in the summer of 2020, quickly finding success online, where their videos have collected more than 3 million views on Tik Tok. In June 2022, Kazdoura released their debut EP "Wain," which received support from the Ontario Arts Council, CBC, Danny Hajjar’s popular Sa'alouni El Nas Substack, and featured on Habibi Funk’s popular Spotify playlist.
Learn more about Kazdoura
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Marta Solek
March 29–April 2
Marta Solek is a multi-instrumentalist from Poland. She graduated from the Krakow Academy of Music, specializing in cello and Polish/World knee fiddles. She is the first musician in the world to hold a masters degree in suka from bilgoray and plock fiddle-unique traditional instruments from XVII Century. She has performed worldwide with classical orchestras, jazz, pop, rock, and world music bands, recorded 14 CD’s, and composed music for music for TV shows, games and theatre.
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João Leão
April 5–9
Musician and producer João Leão brings the creative energy of Brazil's independent music scene through his interpretations of Bossa Nova and contemporary Brazillian Music. Having recorded more than 30 albums and toured extensively with prominent Brazilian indie artists like two-time Latin Grammy Award winner Céu, Leão is highly sought after in the local Brazilian and Latin music scenes.
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Watch João Leão on YouTube
Shanaya Patel
April 12–16
Rising singer-songwriter Shanaya Patel, from Mississauga, Ontario is on a passionate path of bringing her music to a worldwide audience. With lush, deep vocals filled with grit and nuance, Patel's vocals and writing style draw inspiration from artists like Ariana Grande, H.E.R., and Julia Michaels.
Learn more about Shanaya Patel
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Dwit Hathi
April 12–16
Toronto-based musician and guitarist Dwit Hathi is currently pursuing higher music studies at Humber college. Originally from Ahmedabad, India, Hathi has been a student of the North Indian classical tradition, and his musical style involves a lot of influences, from his South Asian roots to contemporary jazz, fusion, rock, and pop music through which he showcases a deep sense of musicality when it comes to composing and arranging music. Hathi also leads a contemporary jazz quintet in Toronto and regularly performs at various festivals and local venues across the city.
Follow Dwit Hathi on Instagram and Facebook
Watch Dwit Hathi on YouTube
Dhaivat Jani and Paula Sofia
April 19–23
Paula Sofía is a Guatemalan singer-songwriter based in Toronto. With a repertoire of predominately Spanish music, Sofía forms playful connections with her audience through her dynamic storytelling, imagery, and quirky songwriting.
Dhaivat Jani is a Toronto-based award-winning drummer, tabla player and composer. A recent graduate with a Bachelor of Music at Humber College, Jani leads two of his own bands — Dhaivat Jani PLUS and Electrio. He is also an Artistic Associate at Spectrum Music, Canada. Originally from Ahmedabad, India, Jani also performs with multiple artists across various genres.
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Learn more about Dhaivat Jani
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Roa Lee
April 26–30
Roa (HyunYoung) Lee is a Gayageum musician from Korea. She began playing when she was seven years old and received formal training at a high school and university for traditional performing arts. Interested in collaboration and incorporating the Gayageum with various music genres, Lee's music blends traditional Korean with different elements from a diverse selection of other genres.
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Kyler Mackenzie
May 3–7
Sarah Abusarar
May 10-14
Using stories as a therapeutic tool in her work with both adults and children, Sarah Abusarar comes from a long line of storytellers. She tells stories from all over the world, with a focus on Palestinian and Croatian stories where her roots lie. She is a member of the Musical Story Studio, a collective that combines stories and music in performances and workshops. Abusarar has travelled the world telling her stories at festivals in Canada, the United Arab Emirates, Bosnia, and Croatia.
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Watch Sarah Abusarar on YouTube
Amin Reihani
May 17–21
Traditional Iranian santoor player Amin Reihani started his musical journey when he was only 10 years old. Since mastering his skills at the University of Tehran, Reihani has participated in numerous festivals and performances and performed with acclaimed musicians including Daryoush Talaiei and Majid Kiani.
