Sultans of String at The Registry

The Sultans of String are bringing their latest release, “Subcontinental Drift”, a collaboration with sitar master Anwar Khurshid (Oscar winning Life of Pi, Love Guru) to the Registry Theatre in Kitchener on Saturday September 19.

Sultans of String are a fabulous live band and a must-see for anyone who loves folk, world and jazz rhythms put through a blender and delivered with panache by a kick-ass string band. This promises to be a great show! Check out all the details and some comments from the band below.

According to bandleader and fiddler Chris McKhool, Subcontinental Drift is more than just a global sound-tapestry. It is a musical promise that embraces differences while finding common ground across culture, land, and time.

“There is something really magical about joining world music rhythms that we often play, but with pop sensibilities and forms and lengths, and blending that with the music of the East. One of the songs we wrote together, “Journey to Freedom”, actually traces Anwar’s journey from Pakistan to Canada and finding his new home here. He’s become a great musical and personal friend. Together we started writing songs about the freedom and equality we experience living here in Canada, about finding ourselves, and our hope of creating a better world. And I feel in some way, like these songs reflect our own personal journeys towards finding a world peace.”

Perhaps one song above all on the album highlights the universality of music. “Anwar and I discovered that we knew a tune in common with different names. There’s an ancient Irish fiddle tune called “Rakes of Mallow”. It also made its way to England and when the English were ruling India, I guess the English and the local Indian musicians were playing and learning from each other musically. I knew it on the fiddle and Anwar knew it slightly differently on the sitar. In India they have been calling it “Band Sargham” and our two interpretations of the tune totally matched and locked in together”.


Adds Anwar Khurshid, “There is this musical connection between us, but what I noticed the first time I came here and I played with you guys, was this wonderful humanity and generosity… such a nice welcome that you had for me. It was really soul-enhancing.”

Check out our interview with Chris McKhool recorded prior to the Hillside Festival HERE.

Sultans of String
Saturday, September 19 at 8:00pm
Registry Theatre
122 Frederick St, Kitchener
Tickets: $30. Box Office: (519) 578-1570