Ground-breaking musical collective Toronto Tabla Ensemble (TTE) and legendary Indian-born Canadian artist Bif Naked mystify with cutting-edge sonics and sophisticated grooves on their latest jaw-dropping single, “Prayer for the Mother”.

Check out “Prayer for Mother” on YouTube here:

Celebrating their 30th anniversary, the song lands alongside Toronto Tabla Ensemble’s blistering new album, For the Love of Tabla — an 11-song LP that dazzles listeners start to finish with some of the best tabla playing in the world.

Can the burst of fresh energy and the promise of possibility a new year brings be embodied in a song? Canada’s JUNO-nominated Toronto Tabla Ensemble have their fingers on the right rhythm to get you up on your feet and dancing into 2022 with their new single and video, “Encore 21” – watch and listen here:

Featuring high velocity tabla and other percussion, along with rapid fire recitation of tabla bols (language) by TTE founder and composer Ritesh Das, “Encore 21” has the power to propel anyone into a joyous state of reverie. However, playing this composition requires a sobering amount of skill and practice.

“I originally wrote this piece for the Youth Ensemble,” explains Das. “A fast-paced and high energy composition to keep their chops up as we slowly emerge from the pandemic and prepare for in person shows again.”

Toronto Tabla Ensemble continue to entice ears and eyes with this, their new video for “Maryem’s Here”.

Fresh from their most recent release, Unexpected Guests, the track and video bring diverse musical traditions together — from Indian classical dance, to Japanese drumming, to Arabic singing, and Western classical instrumentation. The goal is simple: create compelling music and showcase it with visual flair.

Check out “Maryem’s Here” on YouTube here:

Canadian JUNO Award-nominated world ensemble Toronto Tabla Ensemble is having a party with some Unexpected Guests in this, their newest album release — available now!

Across the release’s seven tracks, the critically acclaimed group of artists weave a variety of instruments, from percussion to bagpipe, piano to taiko, sarod to flute, and more, with their signature sound rooted by the traditional tabla.

"This album is a simple one," TTE Founder and Artistic Director and Roy Thomson Hall Award winner Ritesh Das says. ”Most of the tracks are in very straightforward 4/4 grooves. On our other albums, you had tracks with different time signatures that made it really intellectual and complicated.

“I wanted this one to be something that anyone can sit back and listen to and enjoy." 

This week we spotlight The Sharing Place. It’s an essential resource for the Junction and Bloor West area providing food, clothing, items for home and other supports including showers and laundry for those in need.  Regular meals weekly on Thursdays. They accept donations from the community for all of the items and families can get free winter clothing items

624 Annette Street Toronto. Open Thursdays 9.00 am-8 pm. (416) 762-3322

Stepping in with a never-before-heard solo version of the late Aretha Franklin’s riveting and powerful collaboration with Mary J. Blige about faith and race, 2006’s “Never Gonna Break My Faith,” is very much getting heard...

 Sony’s RCA Records, RCA Inspiration and Legacy Recordings released the song aligning with the holiday celebrating the day in 1865 that all enslaved black people learned they had been freed from bondage.

“Never Gonna Break My Faith” resonates today, featuring lyrics like: “You can lie to a child with a smiling face/Tell me that color ain’t about a race.”

There’s something about ‘The Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald’ that makes it an essential Fall song as well as a crucial Halloween one.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UKJNBxDCMIs

Multi-Award Winning & JUNO Award Nominated Toronto Tabla Ensemble just dropped a new single “Dream Symposium.” It’s a large deal for the group as it features next gen players of the TTE carrying on the tradition of the table drum forming the core of a musically compelling drum-centric ensemble.

Watch "Dream Symposium" via YouTube Here
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TzmX5_6beOk

The Toronto Tabla Ensemble World Music Organization (TTE) is a non-profit charitable organization founded by Artistic Director and tabla master, Ritesh Das. The TTE’s mission is to share the depth and excitement of Indian classical music, culture and history and make it accessible to all people.

When the Toronto Tabla Ensemble was founded in 1991, the tabla was rarely seen on the Canadian stage. Since then, Ritesh Das’ exciting and groundbreaking performances have brought tabla and his Ensemble to the mainstream public through numerous concert series at the Harbourfront Centre as well as collaborations with Japanese Taiko, Celtic music, Spanish Flamenco, rock and roll and more.

Since 1996 the TTE has produced three music videos and six albums, including the Juno-nominated Firedance. The Ensemble’s original music has been used in numerous films and commercials, and in 2003 the Ensemble was commissioned to create the current theme music for CBC Radio’s daily morning show, Metro Morning.