Media Release
For immediate release
November 18, 2005
Tri-Continental brings a global blues vibe to
The Banff Centre December 3
Tri-Continental: Bill Bourne, Lester Quitzau, and Madagascar Slim
Saturday, December 3 – 8:00 p.m. Margaret Greenham Theatre
Tickets: Adult $21, Senior/Student/Child $18
The Banff Centre Box Office: 1-800-413-8368 or 403-762-6301
Several years ago, three seasoned guitarists — Bill Bourne, Lester Quitzau, and Madagascar Slim — got together casually to fuse their Celtic, blues, folk, and African rhythms. The trio, Tri-Continental, created a multi-layered blend of sound that was so different and became so popular it created a musical category of its own — called universal blues. The group has since been recognized, individually and collectively, with four Juno Awards and ten Juno nominations.
All three guitarists, major players on the Canadian roots music scene, continue to have successful solo careers. Both from Edmonton, Bourne is an accomplished writer-performer-musician, and Quitzau has performed blues-roots music as a guitarist-singer-composer for 15 years. Ben Randriamananjara, known as Madagascar Slim, has combined his love of the blues and his roots in Madagascar, and fashioned his very own approach to world music, infectious, passionate, and full of complex rhythms.
A collaboration of three artists and friends, Tri-Continental is built on a deep passion for and knowledge of the blues. Highlighted by engaging vocal harmonies and imaginative guitar playing, Tri-Continental’s performance style has been described by critics as wide open and alive. The trio captivates their audiences with improvisation and experimentation that can only come from three diverse artists and three distinct musical styles.
Tri-Continental hits the stage at The Banff Centre’s Margaret Greenham Theatre Saturday, December 3, at 8:00 p.m. Tickets are available through the Banff Centre Box Office: 1-800-413-8368 or 403-762-6301.
The Banff Centre’s Playbill Series continues with: Corb Lund and the Hurtin’ Albertans (December 4); and The Rankin Sisters (December 10); Les Deux Mondes Theatre (January 7); Red Priest (January 12); African Guitar Summit (January 14); The Shanghai Circus (January 22); Red Sky Performance Theatre (January 27); Eric Bibb and Linda Tillery (January 29), and much more.
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High resolution downloadable images of Tri-Continental
More information on The Banff Centre’s Playbill Series
Media Contact
Jill Sawyer
Media and Communications Officer, The Banff Centre
403.762.6475
