{"id":112250,"date":"2025-02-28T11:02:56","date_gmt":"2025-02-28T16:02:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/?p=112250"},"modified":"2025-02-28T14:38:51","modified_gmt":"2025-02-28T19:38:51","slug":"interview-measha-brueggergosman-lee-talks-women-song-coming-march-7","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/2025\/02\/28\/interview-measha-brueggergosman-lee-talks-women-song-coming-march-7\/","title":{"rendered":"INTERVIEW | Measha Brueggergosman-Lee Talks About Women In Song Coming Up March 7"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure id=\"attachment_112252\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-112252\" style=\"width: 1200px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-112252\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/02\/Copy-of-INTERVIEW-55.jpg\" alt=\"Vocalist Measha Brueggergosman-Lee (Photo courtesy of the artist)\" width=\"1200\" height=\"628\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/02\/Copy-of-INTERVIEW-55.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/02\/Copy-of-INTERVIEW-55-300x157.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/02\/Copy-of-INTERVIEW-55-1024x536.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/02\/Copy-of-INTERVIEW-55-768x402.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-112252\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Vocalist Measha Brueggergosman-Lee (Photo courtesy of the artist)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Measha Brueggergosman-Lee, Zeb Bangash and Tia Wood will team up for the Women In Song concert that\u2019s coming up on March 7. The three vocalists bring diverse traditions to the mix, and will be accompanied by live music and dancers.<\/p>\n<p>We spoke to soprano Measha Brueggergosman-Lee about the performance and what\u2019s in store.<\/p>\n<h2>The Concert<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Zeb Bangash<\/strong>\u00a0is a Pakistani singer-songwriter, originally from Lahore, Punjab. She became the first Pakistani to serve as music director of a Bollywood movie, and it went on to win 18 awards. She has often appeared on Pakistani TV, and has recorded music in multiple languages. Zeb has also performed as part of a klezmer group in Brooklyn. Her work is informed in tradition, but also incorporates innovation.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Tamar Ilana<\/strong> is a singer and flamenco dancer, leader of the global fusion band Ventanas, which serves as the house band for the concert, and is also co-founder and executive director of FabCollab, an organization that focuses on raising the voices of BIPOC, minority, and female-identify artists. Tamar is known for singing in several languages. With Ventanas, she\u2019s recorded three albums, and been nominated for multiple Canadian Folk Music Awards.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Tia Wood<\/strong> is a member of the Saddle Lake Cree Nation with both Cree and Salish heritage, and began singing and dancing with her family at powwows. Notably, some members of that same family are also members of the Grammy-winning ensemble Northern Cree. Tia came to the attention of Sony Music through her 2 million+ TikTok following, and recently released her first recordings to media and public acclaim.<\/p>\n<p>Featured dancers:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Indigenous fancy shawl\/contemporary collaborative dancer: Cotee Harper<\/li>\n<li>Flamenco: Lia Grainger and Virginia Castro<\/li>\n<li>Hip hop: Safa Ali<\/li>\n<li>Indonesian Legong: Arma Dharma<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>After the concert, Toronto artist <strong>JER<\/strong> will perform a \u201cfusion of psychedelic grooves with northeast Brazilian rhythms\u201d.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_112253\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-112253\" style=\"width: 1200px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-112253\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/02\/Copy-of-NEWS-2025-02-28T110225.875.jpg\" alt=\"L-R: Vocalists Brueggergosman-Lee; Tia Wood; Tamara Ilana (Photos courtesy of the artists)\" width=\"1200\" height=\"628\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/02\/Copy-of-NEWS-2025-02-28T110225.875.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/02\/Copy-of-NEWS-2025-02-28T110225.875-300x157.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/02\/Copy-of-NEWS-2025-02-28T110225.875-1024x536.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/02\/Copy-of-NEWS-2025-02-28T110225.875-768x402.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-112253\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">L-R: Vocalists Brueggergosman-Lee; Tia Wood; Zeb Bangash (Photos courtesy of the artists)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2>Measha Brueggergosman-Lee: Women in Song<\/h2>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s kind of an extravaganza of estrogen and power,\u201d she says. \u201cI\u2019m so excited. I don\u2019t know any of the people on the program.\u201d The call to participate came through Tamar Ilana and her organization FabCollab. \u201cShe\u2019s a super force. She\u2019s an amazing woman,\u201d she says. \u201cI\u2019m excited to be on this program.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She appreciates the diversity that she and FabCollab have brought to the table. \u201cIt\u2019s so rich for me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>These days, Brueggergosman-Lee and her family live in rural Nova Scotia. As she notes, she lives at the end of dirt road. It\u2019s peaceful and bucolic, but&#8230; \u201cWhen we come to Toronto, we\u2019re just like wow, what a richness,\u201d she says. \u201cI feel so incredibly blessed to be able to raise my babies in the remote woods and still take part in this concert.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The concert will see Measha perform in collaboration with Tamar (as both singer and flamenco dancer) and with Tia, then a finale in what she calls a smorgasbord of song.<\/p>\n<p>She mentions her 2024 double album Laureate, named after and commemorating the fact she\u2019d received the Governor General&#8217;s Lifetime Achievement Award in Classical Music. The album includes a recording of her live concert at Westben, firmly establishing her eclectic brand of classical music \u2014 one that is diverse and inclusive, and incorporates any number of influences. The second CD on the album consists of remixes and features hip-hop artists, electronic musicians and DJs.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI have an album called Laureate,\u201d she says. \u201cI use Laureate as an inspiration. [It\u2019s] a snap shot of my career.\u201d It\u2019s about stretching the potential of what classical music can do, and where it can go. She mentions here 2021 collaboration with the National Arts Centre Orchestra, Forgotten Coast, which explores her heritage as a descendant of Black Loyalists.<\/p>\n<p>Collaborations and storytelling are vital to her work. \u201cI\u2019ve never really left that space.\u201d Taking up bits of jazz, Latin music, folk \u2014 it all comes from recognizing her surroundings. \u201cIt\u2019s all within the ether of people I love and that I\u2019m surrounded by. I create projects for people to get together. It\u2019s really very selfish on my part,\u201d she adds with a laugh. \u201cIt really sells itself.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Creation can be a form of protest, as she points out.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBringing together elements of music that aren\u2019t supposed to go together is a form of resistance.\u201d Reaching out is the key to sticking together.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cA celebration of all things women, indigenous, Maritime \u2014 can that all really be together? And the answer is yes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In the end, it\u2019s all about the music and its power to bring people together.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMusic is the soundtrack of wisdom, and we are the partakers of this feast,\u201d Measha says. \u201cThe uniqueness of the medium humbles us all to be literally in harmony, and figuratively in harmony with each other.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She\u2019s advising people to bring their dancing shoes. \u201cPeople are going to leave so fit!\u201d she laughs.<\/p>\n<h3>The Spirit of Collaboration<\/h3>\n<p>\u201cShare your joys. Make sure you extend across the aisle. Don\u2019t be a jerk.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The concert is a clear fit with her own direction as an artist. \u201cIt\u2019s been a real joy to be able to collaborate with [Tamar],\u201d she says. \u201cIt is magic.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She\u2019s also looking forward to the concert finale and working together with everyone involved.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat\u2019s what is jazzing me the most as a performer at this point in my career,\u201d she says. \u201cI\u2019ve just embraced my versatility and made it my brand.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Is it jazz, or is it classical music? She\u2019ll decide. \u201cI\u2019ve earned the right to call things new things, and make people mad,\u201d Brueggergosman-Lee says.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCome to the party. It\u2019s super fun if you can get over your labels.\u201d<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Find out more about the March 7 performance, and get tickets, [<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/tolive.com\/Event-Details-Page\/reference\/Women-In-Song-2025\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">HERE<\/a><\/strong>].<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong><em>Are you looking to promote an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/advertising\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"color: #0e101a\"><u>event<\/u><\/span><\/a>? Have a\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/masthead\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><u>news tip<\/u><\/a>? Need to know the best\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/events\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><u>events<\/u><\/a>\u00a0happening this weekend? Send us a\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><a href=\"mailto:anya@ludwig-van.com?subject=Let's%20chat\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong><em><u>note<\/u>.<\/em><\/strong><br \/>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"western\"><em><b>#LUDWIGVAN<\/b><\/em><\/h3>\n<p class=\"western\"><em>Get the daily arts news straight to your inbox.<\/em><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"western\"><em>Sign up for the Ludwig Van Toronto e-Blast! \u2014 local classical music and opera news straight to your inbox <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/583e6ce0-dfd0-48be-8a33-61256b3c58e3.mlbtlr.com\/p2\/Fbd8jWoWQQ6CdBcLIvut3Q\/02E3cYaETqaj4Xm087cpSg?contactid=S3HHYfHY5rZv5f94S15MnA\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/583e6ce0-dfd0-48be-8a33-61256b3c58e3.mlbtlr.com\/p2\/Fbd8jWoWQQ6CdBcLIvut3Q\/02E3cYaETqaj4Xm087cpSg?contactid%3DS3HHYfHY5rZv5f94S15MnA&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1695737525351000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0QTqKRwRJQFGK3KoJYigxX\">HERE<\/a>.<\/h3>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Measha Brueggergosman-Lee, Zeb Bangash and Tia Wood will team up for the Women In Song concert that\u2019s coming up on March 7.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":64,"featured_media":112252,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[41660,76,19,29,32,43,4557,63,70,72],"tags":[2175,41059,41788,41775,41776],"yst_prominent_words":[6715,7202,35965,10803,6616,8798,8590],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/02\/Copy-of-INTERVIEW-55.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p9bakr-tcu","amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/112250"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/64"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=112250"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/112250\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":112279,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/112250\/revisions\/112279"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/112252"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=112250"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=112250"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=112250"},{"taxonomy":"yst_prominent_words","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/yst_prominent_words?post=112250"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}