{"id":115030,"date":"2025-06-10T15:30:48","date_gmt":"2025-06-10T19:30:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/?p=115030"},"modified":"2025-06-11T08:00:01","modified_gmt":"2025-06-11T12:00:01","slug":"interview-tom-allen-rebekah-wolkstein-talk-legend-carau-concert-june-13","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/2025\/06\/10\/interview-tom-allen-rebekah-wolkstein-talk-legend-carau-concert-june-13\/","title":{"rendered":"INTERVIEW | Tom Allen &amp; Rebekah Wolkstein Talk The Legend Of Carau\u2014 In Concert June 13"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure id=\"attachment_115033\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-115033\" style=\"width: 1200px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-115033\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/06\/Copy-of-INTERVIEW-76.jpg\" alt=\"Illustration for The Legend of Carau (Photo courtesy of Payadora Tango Ensemble)\" width=\"1200\" height=\"628\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/06\/Copy-of-INTERVIEW-76.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/06\/Copy-of-INTERVIEW-76-300x157.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/06\/Copy-of-INTERVIEW-76-1024x536.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/06\/Copy-of-INTERVIEW-76-768x402.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-115033\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Illustration for The Legend of Carau (Photo courtesy of Payadora Tango Ensemble)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Payadora, Toronto\u2019s tango ensemble, will be premiering The Legend of Carau, a new album based on the Argentinian folk tale, in a concert on June 13. The CBC\u2019s Tom Allen, who\u2019s written a sequel to the traditional story it\u2019s based on, will narrate.<\/p>\n<p>Along with music performance by Payadora \u2014 Rebekah Wolkstein (violin, vocals), Drew Jurecka (bandoneon, violin, mandolin), Joseph Phillips (double bass, guitar) Mark Camilleri (piano) and Elbio Fernandez (vocals) \u2014 and storytelling, dance videos filmed by Canada&#8217;s PointeTango Dance Company and a folkloric dance troupe from Argentina round out the multimedia project.<\/p>\n<p>The album and live performance will debut, but The Legend of Carau is also a book and an online project you can find <a href=\"https:\/\/www.legendofcarau.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>LvT spoke to Payadora\u2019s Rebekah Wolkstein, and Tom Allen, about the concert.<\/p>\n<div class=\"jetpack-video-wrapper\"><span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/sErcqmgHOCg?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/div>\n<h3>Rebekah Wolkstein &amp; Tom Allen: Interview<\/h3>\n<p>Where did the idea come from?<\/p>\n<p>\u201cRebekah comes to this combination of music and story quite honestly,\u201d Allen says.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe only thing I came up with, how I came up with the idea of wanting to tell a folktale,\u201d Wolkstein begins. \u201cI think I was inspired by my aunt.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Her aunt was the late Diane Wolkstein, an author and folklorist who was also the official storyteller of New York City for a time. She was well known for weaving obscure and often forgotten myths into her stories, and left a legacy of many books and published works. Rebekah recalls her telling stories in Central Park. \u201cShe spent a great deal of time in Haiti.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>At one point, Wolkstein was doing some research with a view to using it for not only Payadora, but, among other things, Schmaltz and Pepper, the klezmer fusion ensemble she co-founded. \u201cI was doing some research in Argentine folklore.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s where she found the traces of the story of Carau. \u201cIt\u2019s very minimal, what exists out there,\u201d she notes of the source material she was able to find. Still, the outlines of the story intrigued her. \u201cThis has the bones of something that would be fun to work with.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She and fellow members of Payadora are intrigued by the culture as well as the music. \u201cWe love the folkloric music of the region, as well as tango.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The story allows for the idea of the main character traveling, which in turn allows for the inclusion of music from the various regions of Argentina. The album is composed of original music inspired by those diverse styles.<\/p>\n<p>What appealed to her was the multimedia mix which added dancers and an illustrator. \u201cMore and more, I really like collaborating with other artists and art forms,\u201d she says. \u201cIt\u2019s been a really exciting opportunity with the project to actually employ other artists.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Carau began as a COVID project which initially emerged as an online story video. \u201cThat\u2019s what I imagined what I wanted this to be,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n<p>The dance components included pointe tango, or a fusion of classical ballet and tango.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd we\u2019re classical and jazz musicians,\u201d she points out.<\/p>\n<div class=\"jetpack-video-wrapper\"><span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/MM0XKiXzmm8?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/div>\n<h3>Payadora: The Legend of Carau On Stage<\/h3>\n<p>As Tom Allen relates, the concert version came together through conversations that took place on the road while touring.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe was in the van. He and Laurie would kindly drive me to all these gigs,\u201d Wolkstein recalls. \u201cThey were interested in what I was doing.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt started as a gig conversation,\u201d Allen says. \u201cThings tend to happen. Seeds get planted.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI said, actually, it occurs to me, would you be interested in narrating this story?\u201d Rebekah says.<\/p>\n<p>After checking out her proposal, Allen came back with a positive response. \u201cIt just adds to the collaborative element, which I love,\u201d Wolkstein adds. \u201cI was looking for people who were looking to have their own voice.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That includes all aspects of the project. \u201cI got beautiful illustrations done by a Canadian illustrator.\u201d Rebekah says she looked through lists of OCAD grads, checking out their portfolios, before settling on the right person. \u201cI wanted somebody who wanted to be creative with it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She was thrilled with what the collaborating artists put into it. \u201cIt just made me cry when I saw it.\u201d Wolkstein came up with a samba, and the dancers went the extra mile to learn the moves. \u201cI love it so much. It\u2019s just magical what they did with it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Together with husband Drew Jurecka, they gradually assembled the moving parts they needed, from a folkloric dance troupe to a horse for the video. \u201cIt\u2019s completely obsessed both Drew and I for many years.\u201d It also took perseverance to apply for and wait for funding.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m really excited to have <a href=\"https:\/\/www.legendofcarau.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">this book<\/a>. I wish my aunt was around so that she could see I followed in her footsteps.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"jetpack-video-wrapper\"><span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/M0rl6TpUiyE?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/div>\n<h3>The Story<\/h3>\n<p>Specifically, the legend comes from the northeast region of Argentina. In the story, a young man\u2019s mother is sick with a deadly ailment, and he\u2019s sent to fetch medicine for her. But, once he sets out on his way, he hears an accordion ahead in the distance. Following its beckoning sound, he becomes more enchanted with the music, and forgets his mission.<\/p>\n<p>He dances with a girl, and gets carried away in the festivities. However, after a while, someone comes in with a message for him \u2014 My condolences, Carau, your mother has just died&#8230;<\/p>\n<p>Carau, however, thinks to himself that, since his mother has already died, he needn\u2019t hurry home just yet. He stays at the celebration, and at the end of the night, looks to leave with the lady he\u2019s been dancing with. But, she rejects him outright as someone who doesn\u2019t care about his own mother<\/p>\n<p>Carau\u2019s heart is broken, and he finally goes home in tears. But, a god sees what has happened, and he\u2019s transformed into a bird with black feathers and a mournful cry so that he can lament forever.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt ends in tragedy,\u201d Allen notes. \u201cThe gaucho has to face that he has been distracted by immediate pleasures and allowed his mother to die.\u201d The cry of the bird makes his shameful act permanent. \u201cThe cry of that bird is a cautionary tale,\u201d he says. \u201cRebekah said, it\u2019s kind of a sad way to end the show.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>According to Wolkstein, it was Allen who suggested turning the tragic ending around.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s always been a question about the piece,\u201d says Rebekah. \u201cIt\u2019s thought provoking. It\u2019s contemplative. Tom said, if there was more to the story, what would it be?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Allen says he began to think about what Carau would have to do to redeem himself.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe just sat down and wrote this sequel,\u201d Wolkstein recalls.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHonestly, I didn\u2019t know if Rebekah wanted to use it,\u201d Allen adds.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_115034\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-115034\" style=\"width: 1200px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-115034\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/06\/Carau-Image.jpg\" alt=\"Illustration for The Legend of Carau (Photo courtesy of Payadora Tango Ensemble)\" width=\"1200\" height=\"1200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/06\/Carau-Image.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/06\/Carau-Image-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/06\/Carau-Image-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/06\/Carau-Image-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/06\/Carau-Image-768x768.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-115034\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Illustration for The Legend of Carau (Photo courtesy of Payadora Tango Ensemble)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3>Timeless Themes<\/h3>\n<p>While it\u2019s a very old story, the themes are still relatable today.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis is why mythology, myths or legends, stay with us,\u201d Tom says. \u201cThe myths of humanity don\u2019t change. They tell us something about ourselves,\u201d he notes.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe\u2019s not an evil guy, this gaucho,\u201d he explains. He does make some questionable choices \u2014 but he\u2019s also been living with a mother who\u2019s been slowly dying of an illness. He\u2019s young, and can\u2019t face the harsh truth.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIn the sequel that I crafted, he is able to face some of the horror that he\u2019s done,\u201d Allen says. That\u2019s not to say he can go back and fix it. \u201cIn any retribution, there are costs.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s in keeping with the spirit of the music, of tango, for example, which incorporates both joy and a darker side.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat\u2019s interesting about the story to me is that his punishment is becoming a bird,\u201d he says. \u201cIt\u2019s really a question of him realizing what that gift of transformation is for him.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He\u2019s looking forward to the performance.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cElbio is just a thrilling singer,\u201d he says. \u201cThey\u2019re supremely inventive.\u201d<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Find tickets for the <a href=\"https:\/\/payadora.com\/legen-of-carau\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">June 13 concert premiere<\/a> of The Legend of Carau [<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.showpass.com\/payadora-2\/\" 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>Payadora, Toronto\u2019s tango ensemble, will be premiering The Legend of Carau, a new album based on the Argentinian folk tale, in a concert on June 13.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":64,"featured_media":115033,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[41660,18,19,29,32,38,4557,63],"tags":[41091,41354,4668],"yst_prominent_words":[27260,6616,8986,29434],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/06\/Copy-of-INTERVIEW-76.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p9bakr-tVk","amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/115030"}],"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=115030"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/115030\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":115079,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/115030\/revisions\/115079"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/115033"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=115030"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=115030"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=115030"},{"taxonomy":"yst_prominent_words","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/yst_prominent_words?post=115030"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}