By Cal Koat, producer for MOSAIC
The more we are exposed to each other's cultures and traditions, the more we understand each other's thoughts, thereby ‘enriching’ society. Through the arts you see similarities of people from various cultural backgrounds more than differences.
– Eyob G. Naizghi, executive director, MOSAIC.
In 1976 MOSAIC, a Vancouver non-profit, was born under the Trudeau Liberals’ vision of multiculturalism; the vertical mosaic, not the American melting pot. In these times, new Canadians tend to keep their traditions instead of assimilating into societal soup. MOSAIC’s mandate (notably ahead of the curve) is to assist immigrants’ transition to their lives in Canada.
I’m producing the third MOSAIC fundraising gala in Vancouver’s Historic Theatre at The Cultch on Oct. 19, and the big draw is a pageant of home-grown global music and dance. It’s like a festival for world music speed daters; six separate acts in 90 minutes. To me, it's like a time-lapse glimpse into the richness of cultural diversity and collaboration in Canada, all in about the same time it would take to watch the Juno Awards on TV.
But, can cultural expression open doors for new Canadians? To help answer that question, I talked to some of the artists performing at MOSAIC.
Rossi plays steel pan in the duo Carumba with rumba flamenco guitarist John Gilliat, together creating a sophisticated Caribbean/Latin hybrid. Rossi only recently arrived in Canada from South Africa.
“For an immigrant, the most important tool for successful integration is communication," Rossi says. "Where language is a barrier, music is very useful.... People and music from different cultures have more in common than it might seem at first, closing the cultural divide and easing integration into society.”
Luciterra blends early 20th century Arabic dance with Western styles, pulling inspiration from circus, vintage burlesque and vaudeville. Dancer Laura Albert has obviously thought about this a lot.
“In this contemporary landscape of mixed identities and cultural hybridization,” she says, “art that blends traditions speaks to the in between. It allows us to envision and dream of plural cultural development, a webbed response to the 'global village' while resisting the ever present push towards monoculture.”
Cris Derksen is an extreme cellist, originally from the North Tall Tree Cree reserve of northern Alberta.
“I use music as a conduit to express the many different cultures I live in,” she explains. “I need my music to be relatable so I have taken the cello away from its original classical form. It’s really exciting to meld ‘heritage culture’ and ‘urban culture’ because it represents what is actually happening on the streets and in the schools around the globe.”
From performing the closing ceremonies of the 2010 Winter Olympics to serenading Will and Kate, Métis teen fiddler Wesley Hardisty expresses his roots in the new Aboriginal reality.
“Playing a recent wedding, where the bride was Japanese and the groom Greek, sharing music and dance helped the families understand each other and honour each other’s cultural heritage,” says Hardisty. His manager, Ellie Langford Parks, adds, “When a culture is in danger, creating and sharing cultural traditions is an act of resistance.”
Festival MOSAIC 2012 is on Oct. 19 at Vancouver's The Cultch.
Related:
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Small World Music Festival makes big noise
How London, Ont., became home to world music festival TD Sunfest