Walking East Trio

Juno nominated and award winning Arabic and Jewish music makers Maryem Tollar and Aviva Chernick join together with master percussionist Naghmeh Farahmand from Iran for the meeting of three rich musical cultures in the landscape of Toronto. Naghmeh Farahmand a multi-skilled Iranian percussionist , the daughter of a leading master percussionist Mahmoud Farahmand has performed with well-known ensembles in Iran and festivals and tours around the world, Europe,Asia and North America while collaborating with Iranian TV for more than a decade. In 2010 she moved to Canada and released her solo percussion cd “Unbound" while collaborating with top performers of world music, Persian and Western Classical music. She has had vast experience teaching at different institutes of music and has also conducted workshops throughout the world. in 2016 she released her first Instructional DVD on Persian rhythms “ The Iranian Daf “ in international drumming language. Maryem Tollar is a renowned Egyptian-Canadian vocalist, known for her performances of traditional Arabic music as well as original compositions. She has performed extensively for film and television, including the theme of CBC's Little Mosque on the Prairie and A.R. Rahman's Bollywood hit, Mayya Mayya. ​Tollar won a Juno Award in 2014 with Odessa Havana's CD "Walk to the Sea" and was nominated Dora Award nomination for her composition and performance in Nine Parts of Desire in 2010. Aviva Chernick garnered critical acclaim and a devoted following as the charismatic lead singer of the twice JUNO-nominated Canadian World Music group Jaffa Road and is now expanding further into her eponymous solo project and a diverse collection of musical adventures. Inspired by her work as a cantorial singer and Ba’alat Tefilah (prayer leader), and by her study of the Balkan Judeo-Spanish tradition under the tutelage of the legendary Flory Jagoda, Aviva has crafted a unique new sound defined by her distinctive vocal presence. Her first CD release was nominated for a 2013 Canadian Folk Music Award. Aviva integrates all of her skills into the facilitation of workshops and private teaching, bringing her unique approach to freeing the voice to diverse communities around the globe. UPCOMING performances: Walking East Trio will perform a set of music before the play WRESTLING JERUSALEM at Canadian Stage on Wednesday, November 23 and Sunday, November 27 from 7:45 to 8:15 p.m. More info: https://www.facebook.com/events/199152007160261/