Midi de l’Escalier – Nadine Althouni & Stefano Pando | Jardins Gamelin

Every Wednesday*, Le Resto - Bar - culturel l’Escalier presents an eclectic and unique musicale programming.

Nadine Althouni

''Born and raised in Montreal, Nadine Altounji is a singer songwriter of Syrian decent whose inspiration is garnered from her personal life experiences as a daughter of first generation immigrants. The mood of her music is passionate, melancholic, raw in nature and laced with hope. The choice of using Middle Eastern instruments, like the Oud reflects, the nostalgia for her parent’s country that is now at war.

This project was born in 2012 when Nadine performed a series of shows for the first time as a singer songwriter while living in South Korea. Nadine has been active on the Montreal music scene for the past 14 years: as a writer (co-writing songs with Wayne Tennant as well as Mark Haynes of Flyte Tyme Productions), as a session guitarist (Wayne Tennant’s new album “Life in a Minor Key”), as a singer with the Imani Gospel singers, as a guitarist ( Kalmunity Vibe Collective, Carolyn Fe blues collective) and as a solo artist working on her first EP. Nadine Altounji’s EP Launch entitled I still will take place at Casa Del Popolo on September 29th, 2016.''

Stefano Pando

Formed in 2012, El Hispalis is a project led by virtuoso Montreal born guitarist Stefano Pando. Musically it is a unique blend of latin grooves, tinged with flamenco and jazz guitars and infused with urban vibes. El Hispalis's current core line up is completed by Yannick Strawinski on keyboards and vocals, Sébastien Blackburn on bass, Michel Medrano Brindis on drums, Clarence Corbeil on percussions. They have been performing on the Canadian flamenco scene as well as at major World Music Festivals such as ¨Rythme du Monde¨ in Chicoutimi, Festival International des Nuits d’Afrique. The band is currently preparing their first studio album "Primavera" that is due for release in 2016.