Apr 20
Guest Concert: Les Arrivants "Home"
Les Arrivants (The Arrivals) is comprised of Amichai Ben Shalev (bandoneon), Abdul-Wahab Kayyali (oud), and Hamin Honari (percussions), three musicians who settled in Montréal during the COVID-19 pandemic between the summers of 2019 and 2020. Through the lens of this unique moment in history, they met and discovered their new home city as lockdowns and uncertainties permeated their lives.
The repertoire Les Arrivants has developed mirrors their resettlement experience. It is informed by the traditions the instrumentalists have mastered throughout their careers – Argentine Tango, Classical Arabic music, and traditional Persian rhythms. It equally reflects the musical possibilities that can only emerge out of a cosmopolitan centre such as Montréal. In other words, Les Arrivants have created an introspective sonic experience that depicts the relationships and views of newcomers to Montréal, while channeling complex emotions associated with migration and travel.
Their music captures the highs and lows of the resettlement experience, the nostalgia and longing for places and people left behind, and the search for new comforts and goals. It also expresses the joys of seeing friendly faces in times of great uncertainty and turmoil, and anger at global injustices and inequalities exacerbated by the pandemic.