Tia's talk with Multilingual Singer & Musician Melani Miguel of Toronto

Tia's Talk



Multilingual Singer & Musician Melani Miguel of Toronto



www.insurancerate.com
StarBuzz Weekly, Toronto- 


Where were you born and raised? 
    - I was born in Wellawatte, Colombo, Sri Lanka & raised in a suburban town called Alwis Town, Hendala-Wattale (in Sri Lanka) until the age of 11. In 1983, ensuing the aftermath of the "Black July" riots, during which, my home (along with most of my extended family members' homes) was destroyed by the violence, we moved to one of the boroughs of Colombo City again.  I lived inKollupitiya-Colombo 3, until 1987, at which time, we migrated to Toronto, Canada; where I have lived most of my life, till date.
How do you think the environment you were in and your surroundings shaped you on all what you do now?
- Coming from a Sri Lankan Heritage & then integrating into the cosmopolitan Toronto culture certainly had a huge impact & influence in every aspect of my life, not just in my music.  Being raised in a Tamil home, I naturally learned to speak my mother tongue fluently & my parents chose to educate me in Sinhala medium (the major official language of Sri Lanka), so as to give me a better edge in the work force in Sri Lanka (obviously when I was starting school, they had no ideas of leaving Sri Lanka) Sri Lanka in & of itself is a very multi-ethnic & multi-faith country. So I attended school with & grew up surrounded by Buddhists, Hindus, Christians & Muslims. And with that I also developed a healthy respect, admiration, understanding, empathy & tolerance for differences in culture & creed.  It was great, because it made my assimilation into the Canadian (multi)culture, that much easier.  And now those different cultural influences are reflected in every aspect of my life from choice of food, clothing, entertainment & even how I think about everything in life (spiritually). I am definitely all the better for having been exposed to the different communities I lived in.  
What led you to realize that you wanted to be a singer? 
- I hate for this to sound like a typical cliche answer but it really is the truth! Michael Jackson! Pure n Simple! I've always been surrounded by music since birth. Both my parents sang & so does my (maternal) grandmother (to this day, even at 82, she still sings in her church choir!).  So, singing came naturally for me.  But when I was around 9yrs old, I saw Michael Jackson in the Jackson Five, on T.V. & that was it! I knew, THAT is what I wanted to do. To Sing! (Iike Michael).
What is your genre(s)? 
- Although my true passion in music is Jazz & it's what I'm best at singing, living in Flemingdon Park for the better part of the last 20+yrs had a big impact on why there's such a reggae flavour to my (thus far) recorded music. I sing everything from Jazz, Soul, R&B, Blues, Pop, Reggae & even Gospel.  I also have been freelancing with many a local bands, within the local Sri Lankan community & so I sing in Tamil, Sinhala & Hindi as well as some Spanish.
How do you think you are impacting the South Asian community through your music?     
- I'd like to think that I impact my community with my brand of performance by keeping our heritage alive with our own language songs & then also being reflective of the 2nd generation by performing the more "mainstream" western music.  My shows tie the 2 cultures together. And that ultimately is what I'd like to accomplish with my own original material as well.  To tie the two worlds (Bollywood & Hollywood?) together & offer a newer genre for us ex-patriots.
What are you currently working on?
- You can always see me perform locally with various bands at cultural events from time to time.  `Cause, performing with a live band is what I love doing the most! But, I'm also always working on songwriting & recording projects.
What do you have in mind for the near future?   
- A multilingual jazz/fusion album.  Preferably in Tamil & Sinhala cos I want to bring Sri Lanka into the mainstream music  I'd like to utilise my East/West musical influences.
Career wise what is the one thing that has been very special to you? 
- Being able to record my own songs! There is nothing like it.  It's no different from giving birth to a child (which I have done twice).  And especially having someone else connect with what I have written & sung is the best reward I get as an artist.
Do you have any particular project you have wanted to work on or be a part of? 
- Anything Bollywood!  I'm very proud of my Indian heritage. Indian movies is what I grew up with & which has influenced me the most artistically (other than Jazz).  I've always dreamed of working in that industry as a playback singer.  All I want is just ONE song. That's it. And I'll be happy! :D
Any thing else that you want to share with our readers?
- I have lived & proven, pretty much every cliche out there that speaks of following your dream & never giving up.  Those quotes & sayings are out there for a reason. Because they have been tried & are true.  And now more than any other time in history, it is the time of the independent artist, what with the advent of technology & social media.  So, anyone out there that has a passion for anything, I mean anything at all, creative or otherwise; pursue it. Love yourself enough to follow your heart & soul. Never listen to the naysayers!  If it makes you feel good in a positive way, then follow it to the end. No matter how long it takes, or how old (you think) you are.  Endeavour to overcome the obstacles. `Cause the reward of knowing that you fulfilled your heart's desire is unmatched by any other high!  And what would be a bonus is if it can also impact others & your community in a positive way! Ultimately, that is really our purpose in life.  To utilise our knowledge, gifts, talents & abilities to do good by others & our community.  That's what I'm trying to do. Pursuing my passion & loving (life). And it feels GREAT!

Visit Melani at:

http://www.myspace.com/melanimiguelmusic

http://www.reverbnation.com/melanimiguelmusic

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Melani-Miguel/155493564473209

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SASS | A Spontaneous Art Show Surprise!

www.insurancerate.com
StarBuzz Weekly, Toronto-

SASS | A Spontaneous Art Show Surprise!: WHAT IS SASS?
A smorgasbord of unique artists, illustrators, designers and craftsmen getting together to show the goods. This event was conceptualized, developed and hopes to present all within 14 days.

A balls to the wall approach of starting the new year with new faces and new talents. There will be booze, there will be art, some will have charcoal between their nails and some will be on their phones the entire time. Some have professional training and an OSAP bill to show it, some have no training but a credit card bill to show it.
Everyone has the love of the craft and now a new platform to present their works to a real audience.

The point is clear, It’s an art show, It’s neat and it has potential to become a stage for Toronto/GTA artists. After the shmoozing and a few drinks in we will have a DJ and dancing!

The Rustic Owl is a brand new cafe and art space, this event will be the first official event of the year.
It's located on 996 Bloor St. W, right between Dufferin and Ossington Station.

ARTISTS FEATURED IN THIS EXHIBIT*
Sabrina Smelko
Francie V
Colin Davis
David O'Connor
Steven Hughes
Erin McPhee
Jacqueline Musial
Tyler Semrick-Palmateer
Steven Glanville
Anthony Menecola
Miko M
Jori Bolton
KiSung Kohki Koh
Taryn Gee
Sidra Mahmood
Tyler Armstrong
Rachel Idzerda
German Selim Shible
Corey Way
Nathan Langdon
Kimberley Lillywhite
+ MORE TBA

Curated by
Bushra Mahmood

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Janak Khendry Dance Company's KAAL - TIME

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 StarBuzz Weekly, Toronto-

Telling the extraordinary cosmic and modern story of time
part of Harbourfront Centre's NextSteps
Choreographed by Janak Khendry, Music by Ashit Desai
 
 
TORONTO, January 5, 2012 - Rehearsals are underway for the world premiere of KAAL - TIME, an innovative dance work that tells the extraordinary cosmic and modern story of time, presented by Janak Khendry Dance Company, developed in collaboration with the Inclusive Design Research Centre and Inclusive Design Institute OCAD University. Conceived and choreographed by Artistic Director Janak Khendry with music by India's renowned Ashit Desai, KAAL - TIME runs January 26-28, 2012 at Fleck Dance Theatre as part of Harbourfront Centre's NextSteps series.

Kaal is the Sanskrit word for "time." It is most appropriate that a work about time is presented in 2012. There are numerous beliefs that a cataclysmic or transformative event will occur this year. The Mayan's 5,125-year-old calendar resets to 0.0.0.0.0, leading to endless dark prophesies; Nostradamus predicted massive destruction in 2012 as the result of a comet; according to Indian scriptures, we are in the age of Kalyuga (The Age of Darkness); and there are numerous other predictions about this significant year.

Based on three years of research of the ancient Indian scriptures - Rig Veda, Atharva Veda and Shveta Upanishad - and works of western physicists conducted under the guidance of eminent Vedic scholar Dr. Tulsiram Sharma, KAAL - TIME tells a fascinating story about the history of time: how time came into existence 14.9 billion years ago with the Big Bang; how galaxies, planets, elements, night and day cycle and seasons were created and, finally, how time comes to an end. KAAL - TIME is experienced in both a cosmic dimension and a modern perspective.

KAAL - TIME is performed by an ensemble of fifteen accomplished dancers who perform a myriad of dance styles ranging from classical Bharatanatyam, Kathak, Odissi and other South Asian disciplines to western contemporary.

Janak Khendry, an internationally renowned classical dancer and choreographer, has trained extensively in five distinct dance styles: Bharatanatyam, Kathak, Manipuri, Sattriya and modern dance. Khendry's distinguished dance career spans over 55 years and more than one thousand productions throughout the world. Khendry's focus is to create dance works with a philosophical centre that have a universal message of import.

Khendry's forte is in choreographing works based on philosophical subjects that have never been attempted as dance works, blending several different Indian classical dance styles and creating a new and powerful dance vocabulary.  The strength of Khendry's creative works lies in extensive scholarly research. With the passage of time his works have become even deeper in their philosophical approach, immersed with human concerns. His recent works have stressed messages of Non-violence, Self-discipline, Human-equality and Peace.

Now in its 33rd year, Janak Khendry Dance Company is dedicated to creating unique philosophical and outstanding dance works for diverse communities in Canada and abroad. Company members travel internationally as Indo-Canadian Cultural Ambassadors. Recently, the company was invited to perform by the governments Myanmar, Mexico, South Africa and India; co-sponsored by the Canadian and Indian Embassies. In the last five years the company has performed in 32 cities in six countries.


Janak Khendry Dance Company presents the world premiere of
KAAL - TIME
Choreographed by Janak Khendry, Music by Ashit Desai
Thursday, January 26 - Saturday, January 28, 2012, 8pm
part of Harbourfront Centre's NextSteps at
Fleck Dance Theatre, 207 Queens Quay West
Tickets: $31.50-$38.50 (discounts for seniors, students, groups)
Harbourfront Centre Box Office:             416-973-4000       OR online at www.jkdanceco.org

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