Featuring Natasha Noorani, photo by Black Parrot Studio
Welcome to Char Bagh
at Luminato in the Square
Curated by the Tawoos Initiative
Friday, June 14
6pm - 11pm
David Pecaut Square
Free
Welcome to Char Bagh,
an outdoor celebration of South Asian music, visual arts, dance, architecture, and artisans. Based on the historic botanical gardens from pre-colonial South Asia, this is a night celebrating both queer and hidden histories of the subcontinent, bringing together a mix of the classical and the contemporary, with a South Asian bazaar featuring food vendors, textile crafts, artisanal vendors, and more. Come down and enjoy palm and tarot readings, intricate mehendi artwork, and textile workshops. Watch Kathak dance performances, listen to Hindustani ghazals, follow classical ragas, groove to Bangladeshi pop, and end the night with the stunning North American debut of Pakistani pop icon, Natasha Noorani, and veteran producer Talal Qureshi (presented in collaboration with Small World Music and Virasat), guaranteed to have you on your feet and dancing.
Performers and Activities
Schedule 6 - 11pm
Performances
6:00 pm - 6:30 pm
Band Bhaja Marching Band
6:35 pm - 7:20 pm
7:30 pm - 8:00 pm
8:05 pm - 8:20 pm
8:30 pm - 9:00 pm
9:00 pm - 9:30 pm
9:30 pm - 10:15 pm
10:15 pm - 11:00 pm
Times subject to change. Please check back regularly for most recent schedule
Activities
6:00 pm - 11:00 pm
6:00 pm - 11:00 pm
6:00 pm - 9:00 pm
6:00 pm - 10:00 pm
Word on the Street curated Book Nook
6:00 pm - 11:00 pm
6:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Mehendi Station - henna artists for face, hands and body
6:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Astrology Station - astrology, tarot card and palm readers
6:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Diya Painting workshop
6:00 pm - 9:00 pm
6:00 pm - 11:00 pm
South Asian Bazaar - featuring food stalls, jewellery, fabric, and more
Times subject to change. Please check back regularly for most recent schedule
About the curators:
Tawoos Initiative
The Tawoos Initiative is a not-for-profit music presenter established in 2018. Tawoos centers what it means to be an immigrant living in a genre-bending, multicultural city like Toronto. It was created as a collective for individuals to gather, and explore performers of South Asian origins from across the world, who offer innovative takes on the rich and vibrant history of music and arts in the subcontinent. Tawoos is not genre bound - from SASWANA dance parties, Queer Bollywood Nights, centering femme and non binary DJs, or live acts, Tawoos has presented artists such as Ali Sethi, Meesha Shafi, Qais Essar, Farooque Bhai, Hassan Raheem, Natasha Noorani, Nabihah Iqbal, Discostan, Lady Pista, and the Abu Muhammad Qawwali group. Tawoos believes in creating safe spaces for South Asian communities and artists alike, disrupting the norms of the Canadian music scene, with an anti-oppression framework and decolonizing perspective.
Event Supporters
Presented By
Partners
Accessibility
ASL interpretation will be available on June 7 and June 16.
An Access Tent will be onsite with staff and volunteers to assist, along with access kits. Sighted Guides and ASL Volunteers will also be available throughout the festival. Please review our Access Guide for more information.
A Relaxed Tent will be available every day for anyone who needs a quieter space.
There will be an AODA viewing platform in front of the main stage.
An Access Guide and Venue Guide are available
HERE
Luminato, Toronto Festival of Arts, Culture and Creativity
350 King St. W., 4th Floor,
Toronto, ON M5V 3X5
Charitable Registration Number: 81163 7347 RR0001