Join us for the soft opening of the Claremont Creative Center! Toronto’s Polky, led by multi-talented female musicians, delights audiences with joyful vocal harmonies, unusual instruments, and upbeat performances. Drawing deep inspiration from Poland’s rich cultural tapestry, they push musical boundaries by fearlessly blending Polish traditional music with sounds and rhythms from across the globe.
This event will be live in person and livestreamed on YouTube.
Polky stands out for its distinctive elements, including the mesmerizing traditional vocals and incorporation of the ‘suka,’ an ancient lap fiddle reconstructed from historical paintings. Marta Solek, an accomplished suka virtuoso, has performed alongside esteemed Polish artists like Same Suki, Maria Pomianowska, and Nikola Kołodziejczyk. Furthermore, the lead vocalist, Ewelina Ferenc, earned the prestigious title of Traditional Singer of The Year at the 2022 Canadian Folk Music Awards. Through their performances, Polky introduces Polish culture to North American audiences, embodying the role of cultural ambassadors for Polish modern traditions.
The richness of Andean folklore comes alive with New Inca Son, “proud bearer of an indispensable cultural legacy.” (Keith Lockhart, Boston Pops Conductor). Acclaimed in the U.S. and abroad for over 20 years, the group has performed its ancient melodies and dances on world class stages such as the 1994 FIFA World Cup, 1996 and 2002 Olympic Games, and the White House. In 2019, New Inca Son had the honor of headlining at both of our country’s Smithsonian National Museums of the American Indian, NYC and Washington DC locations. In 2015, the band performed at the Kennedy Center for the Arts and the Smithsonian FolkLife Festival, as part of a special tribute to Peru; and at Philadelphia’s Mann Center’s for an audience of over 4000 enthusiastic kids from inner city schools.
New Inca Son is a band with a mission: to preserve its indigenous heritage and to instill, particularly in children and young people, an understanding and appreciation of it. As such, our artists both perform and educate, offering hands-on workshops, interactive concerts, and residencies for students in schools, colleges, libraries, and performing arts centers nationwide. As recognition for its educational work, the band has earned the 2007 “Distinguished Arts Educator in Music” award from the Massachusetts Alliance for Arts Education (MAAE) and 2009 “Gold Star Award,” Mass Cultural Council. Manager Marianne Ruggiero is available to help educators write grant proposals to NEFA toward bringing the group to their schools for activities which connect meaningfully to Music, Dance, Social Studies, World History, and Spanish.
