Sled Island presents: Sun Ra Arkestra, shn shn and Shumaila Hemani

Sun Ra Arkestra

There aren’t many musical groups that are still going strong 30 years after their leader’s death, but then again, there aren’t any groups in the universe like the Sun Ra Arkestra. Since the passing of Sun Ra in 1993, the pioneering afro-futurist, avant-garde big band has been spreading the immensely influential music and philosophy of their late bandleader, Le Sony'r Ra.

With an ever-flexible lineup and a gargantuan catalog of music spanning cosmic jazz to disco to free jazz to bop, Sun Ra’s influence can be seen in every corner of contemporary music. From legends like John Coltrane to indie icons Yo La Tengo and punk forebears MC5, Sun Ra’s influence is so far-reaching that it’s hard to imagine modern music being the same without him.

Operating since 1958, the Arkestra has always maintained its reputation as one of the most progressive acts in music. With lineups that range anywhere from 12 to 20 musicians, and with afro-futurist players as otherworldly as Sun Ra himself that they could be a show on their own, the Arkestra’s live performances are a pure distillation of the spontaneity and electricity of Sun Ra’s compositions. 

The new Millennium has seen the Arkestra doing everything from a retrospective of its work at the Institute of Contemporary Art in Philadelphia to performances at prestigious venues such as the Kennedy Center, Radio City Music Hall and the Berlin Opera House. It’s a testament to Sun Ra’s music that seeing the Arkestra now is just as vital as it was 65 years ago.

 

shn shn

The lush ambient music of shn shn is a combination of earthly sounds fed through the digital world and a swirl of the producer’s own haunting vocals. On the 2021 e.strange.d EP, listeners can hear bits of acoustic guitar, strings and drums swept through shn shn’s authorial lens, coming out the other side like a Technicolour clouded sky.

 

Shumaila Hemani

Sufi singer-songwriter and acousmatic composer Shumaila Hemani has received critical acclaim for both her debut album Mannat and its standout, eco-aware composition “Perils of Heavy Rainfall.” Pulling from her South Asian roots without fear of experimenting, Hemani’s music includes chants, drones, harmonium, santur, poetry, field recordings and more. Start with “Perils..” and let yourself be immersed in her distinct sonic perspective.

 

 

About Sled Island

The Sled Island Music & Arts Festival is a five-day, multi-venue festival taking place June 21 - 25, 2023. For more information, visit SledIsland.com. 

Everyone has the right to feel safe and included at Sled Island. All festival attendees agree to abide by Sled Island's safer spaces and inclusion policy, which can be found at SledIsland.com/SaferSpaces.

Sled Island acknowledges Calgary as the traditional territory of the Blackfoot and the people of the Treaty 7 region in Southern Alberta, which includes the Siksika, the Piikani, the Kainai, the Tsuut’ina and the Ĩyãħé Nakoda First Nations, including the Chiniki, Bearspaw and Wesley First Nations. Calgary is also home to Métis Nation of Alberta, Region III.