“WALKING THROUGH THE FIRE” - Indigenous Collaborations with SULTANS OF STRING. Performing at Festival Hall in Pembroke, ON
“WALKING THROUGH THE FIRE” -Indigenous Collaborations with Sultans of String
Award-winning First Nations, Métis, and Inuit artists performing with 3x JUNO Award nominees Sultans of String, WALKING THROUGH THE FIRE is a musical multimedia event unlike any other! From Métis fiddling to an East Coast Kitchen Party, Rumba to Rock, to the drumming of the Pacific Northwest, experience the beauty and diversity of music from Turtle Island/Canada with Alyssa Delbaere-Sawchuk of the Métis Fiddler Quartet, Ojibwe/Finnish Singer-Songwriter Marc Meriläinen (Nadjiwan), and Coast Tsm’syen Elder and Singer-Songwriter Shannon Thunderbird performing on stage, as well as virtual guests on the big screen, including Dr. Duke Redbird, the Northern Cree Pow Wow group, and more!
SULTANS OF STRING
2015 JUNO (Canada’s Grammy) nominees and SiriusXM winners Sultans of String create “Energetic and exciting music from a band with talent to burn!” (Maverick Magazine UK). Thrilling audiences with their genre-hopping passport of Celtic reels, flamenco, Gypsy-jazz, Arabic, Cuban, and South Asian rhythms, fiery violin dances with kinetic guitar, while bass and percussion lay down unstoppable grooves. Throughout, acoustic strings meet with electronic wizardry to create layers and depth of sound. With their new release, Subcontinental Drift, they serve up a blend of ragas, reels and rumbas with sitar master Anwar Khurshid (featured in the Oscar winning Life of Pi, Kama Sutra, and Love Guru). Fusing the virtuosic talent of Anwar Khurshid adds to their truly global and mesmerizing sound!”
Since forming 8 years ago, Sultans of String’s CDs have hit #1 across Canada on Top 10 national radio charts, and received multiple awards and accolades, including 2 JUNOs nominations, 1st place in the ISC (out of 15,000 entries), 2 Canadian Folk Music Awards, plus invitations to perform/record with such luminaries as The Chieftains and David Bromberg, and Alex Cuba.
Bandleader Chris McKhool (Jesse Cook, Pavlo), who was awarded a Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal, grew up in a Lebanese-Egyptian (Makhoul) house bursting with music and diversity. Growing up, he was fed a steady diet of delicious musicality alongside Middle Eastern cuisine and violin lessons.
When McKhool first heard founding guitarist Kevin Laliberté’s (Jesse Cook) rumba rhythm, their musical synergy created Sultans of String’s signature sound – the intimate and playful relationship between violin and guitar. From this rich foundation, the dynamic duo grew, featuring such amazing musical friends bass master Drew Birston (Chantal Kreviazuk), jaw-dropping Cuban percussionist Rosendo Chendy Leon (Alex Cuba, Parachute Club), guitarist Eddie Paton (Robert Michaels), as well as special guests such as Dala and Rebecca Campbell.
Sultans of String have been criss-crossing North America for the last several years at many taste-making forums such as JUNOFest, legendary jazz club Birdland in NYC, the renowned Celtic Connections Festival in the UK, US syndicated radio, and their sold-out show at Koerner Hall (Toronto’s Carnegie Hall).
RECENT AWARDS:
• 2025 Canadian Folk Music Awards-nominated Ensemble of the Year with Walking Through The Fire (WTTF)
• 2025 Cannes World Film Festival -Best Musical Film, Best Soundtrack with WTTF
• 2024 Folk Music Ontario–Performing Artist of the Year nominee
• 2024 Burlington Performing Arts Centre Hall of Fame
• 2024 Merilaïnen Music Awards–Indigenous Ally of the Year
• 2023 International Songwriting Competition–Finalist with Black Winged Raven, The Rez, and Nîmihito
• 2023 Canadian Folk Music Awards-Global Roots Album of the Year with Sanctuary
“Sultans of String are fun, enthusiastic, professional, and team players with our staff and volunteers, but most importantly, as their standing ovation attested to, they’re supremely talented musicians. Book them! You will not be sorry.”
Terry Wickham, Edmonton Folk Festival
“Virtuoso playing…. An exuberant and infectious sound… the Sultans are simply an awesome musical group!”
Mike Hill, Mariposa Folk Festival
“Sultans of String are one of Canada’s hottest musical exports, dynamically embodying their homeland’s values of tolerance and respect for diverse cultures.“
Celtic Connections, Glasgow UK
“An amazing performance… and we’ve truly never had such great support from an artist ….ever ….with promo, media follow-up, personalized rack cards….”
Camden Opera House, Camden ME
“Your set was sensational. Loved it.”
Peter Yarrow (Peter, Paul & Mary)
“Chris McKhool and the boys are fantastic!"
Bob Ezrin (Producer, Pink Floyd. Peter Gabriel)