The Mariachi Ghost, from Winnipeg, Canada, summon the ghosts of old Mexico through traditional Mexican song, haunting synths and explosive guitar lines, alongside rich harmonies, commanding lead vocals and spectral dance. Their show leaps from anguish and longing to a raging fury in a heartbeat.
The band started as an art project among friends in 2009 and has since grown to an internationally acclaimed touring act. The Mariachi Ghost has played festival stages such as Interstellar Rodeo, the Pan-American Games and the Winnipeg Folk Fest mainstage. The band has performed at SXSW, Tallinn Music Week, Mundial Montreal and Breakout West.
Their self-titled debut album won the "Best World Music Album" at the Western Canadian Music Awards and received international radio play. In 2015, they collaborated with legendary film director Guy Maddin to create a music video. The band’s upcoming work “Rencor Vivo” is inspired by Pedro Páramo, the iconic work of Mexican literature that inspired the magical realism movement in Latin America. Through the story’s lens, the band explores contemporary themes of toxic masculinity, prejudice and elitism. The Mariachi Ghost is currently expanding their artistic reach with a theatre play and 360 videos as well as planning an international tour.
Zrada is a folk-punk tour-de-force, their subversion of Eastern-European musical traditions, enigmatic imagery and raucous live shows are pushing Zrada to craft some of the most forward-thinking and captivating world music in Canada today. With its base in Winnipeg, Zrada has been experimenting with the soundscapes of their ancestral Ukraine for over a decade. Striking vocal harmonies, powerful trumpet and violin melodies combine with jazz infused rhythms to create a wild and joyous dance floor experience.
Zrada’s sound originates equal parts in the fog-shrouded valleys of the Carpathians and the sweaty mosh-pits of an Anthrax show; however their music is mysterious and primal in a unique way. Their songs have the ability to transcend language and act as a siren call for those ready to let loose and pick up on the band’s frenetic energy. While Zrada’s music strives to defy the conventional tropes of Ukrainian music from the diaspora, they remain proud of their musical and linguistic heritage. Their 2016 album “Legend” contains a kaleidoscope of folk sounds and styles all the while paying homage to contemporary influences like Gogol Bordello, The Clashand Ukraine’s Haydamaky. Each Zrada song leads the listener farther into a folk-punk universe of melancholy, madness and mystery.
Tickets - $20.00 [$25.00 at the door]