Sultans of String

Join Sultans of String's mailing list to stay in the loop with all things strings, breaking news, giveaways, and more! Go to /, scroll to the bottom of the page, type in your email address, and hit the teal subscribe button. We always look forward to meeting you in person at one of our shows! 🥰🙏🎶 #sultansofstring #saskiatomkins #joinourmailinglist #signupnow #globalmusic #worldfolk #globalgrooves #canadianfolkmusic #folkmusicians #canadianmusic #canadianmusicians #canadianmusicscene #nyckelharpa

NEW VIDEO ALERT: This important song, “Lost and Found,” is written and sung by Ts’msyen Elder Shannon V Thunderbird who is originally from the Pacific Northwest coast of British Columbia: Gilut’sau Band of the Royal House of Niis’gumiik, Gispudwada (Orca) Clan. The music is arranged with Sultans of String and the epic strings of the City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra @praguephil from the Sultans of String album Walking Through the Fire. Says Shannon: “On May 27, 2021, the bones of 215 Indigenous children were found in a mass grave on the grounds of a former residential school in Kamloops, BC. I wrote ‘Lost and Found’ several days later to acknowledge the fact that with tangible evidence Canadians could no longer deny what we have been saying for over a century.” Supporting Shannon in this live presentation are @thenorthsoundyxe , Alyssa Delbaere-Sawchuk @alyssakatrine , Marc Meriläinen @marcmerilainen , Don Ross @donrossmusic , and Sultans’ band members Chris @mckhool , Kevin Laliberte, and @drewbirston . #newmusicfridays #newmusicvideo #newmusicvideos #newmusicvideoalert #lostandfound #residentialschools #residentialschoolsurvivors #shannonthunderbird #walkingthroughthefire #truthandreconciliation #sultansofstring #livemusicvideo

Northern Ontario is amazing! 🤩 Hello friends! Every day I live in this fabulous country I fall more and more in love with it. The natural beauty of Northern Ontario is what stole my heart over the last few weeks as we performed for kids and adults, and also showed our feature film. Here are a few photos from our tour, and we hope to see you soon on our summer tour, with some dates for events in Toronto, Burlington, Ottawa, Orillia, Aurora, Kleinburg, Ajax and beyond on /calendar. Thanks to Ontario Presents @ontariopresents and Canada Council for the Arts @canada.council for their tour support! @kevinlalibertemusic @saskia_tomkins @sultansofstring

Hey Ottawa! Kevin Laliberte @kevinlalibertemusic and Chris McKhool @mckhool are looking forward to returning to Chris’s hometown for a duo performance on Sunday, May 31st, at 7:00 p.m. at 176 Cameron Avenue—part of a cool new series at the Ottawa Tennis Club! Tickets are available here: https://ottawaconcerts.ca With 7 CFMA wins, 3 JUNO nominations PLUS a 2026 CFMA nomination for Single of the Year, Sultans of String perform a genre-hopping concert that traverses Folk, Django-jazz, Flamenco, Arabic, Middle Eastern and Cuban rhythms. Fiery fiddle dances with kinetic guitar, laying down unstoppable grooves and painting soundscapes that seem impossible to be coming from just two people. The Sultans have gigged at JUNOfest and the legendary Birdland in New York City. They have sold out Koerner Hall three times and performed with the Annapolis, Toronto, Vancouver and Edmonton Symphony Orchestras. @ottawatennisclub @folk_canada @ottawamic @ottawagrassrootsfestival

We’re so honoured to be a part of this year’s Luminato Festival @luminatofestival and to be able to amplify these amazing Indigenous artists’ music. The whole day of FREE programming on Saturday, June 6, is called The Power of the Land, and we’ll be performing our Walking Through the Fire concert at 8:00 p.m. on the Harbourfront Concert Stage. Get all the details at /power-of-the-land In this daylong celebration of earth, water, and community, The Power of the Land invites audiences into the cultural teachings of Turtle Island, led and curated by Elder Duke Redbird (Ojibwe/ Saugeen First Nation), featuring artist and ancestral knowledge keeper, Philip Cote (Ojibwe/Moose Deer Point), Sultans of String, SHUB, and Día de los Muertos Collective. Based on the Indigenous ecological knowledge system of the lunar calendar, you will be immersed in traditional and contemporary Indigenous art, including processional performances, interactive works, ceremony, and daytime musical acts from the award-winning album Walking Through the Fire, including, Alyssa Delbaere-Sawchuk @alyssakatrine Don Ross @donrossmusic Marc Merilainen @merilainenmusic and The North Sound @thenorthsoundyxe @fontananorth @canada.council @ontarioartscouncil @mckhool @kevinlalibertemusic @drewbirston #luminatofestival #thepoweroftheland #walkingthroughthefire

Orillia! On Wednesday, May 20, 2026, we’re honoured to bring our Cannes World Film Festival Award-winning feature film, Walking Through the Fire, to Creative Nomad Studios for Gathering: Festival of First Nation Stories. The screening is at 6:30 p.m. Songs and Stories by Elder Jeff Monague, followed by opening remarks and post-film Q&A with filmmaker/Sultans of String producer Chris McKhool, Shannon Thunderbird, and Kate Dickson. Tickets are $15 / cash at the door. Get them in advance here: https://www.artsorillia.ca/event-details/walking-through-the-fire @northsimcoelife @artsorillia @canada.council @ontarioartscouncil @mckhool #orilliaontario #gatheringfestival #walkingthroughthefire

Our good friend Raymond Waters just entered ‘The People’s Artist’ contest to help raise funds for The Art of Elysium! For as little as a $10 donation or any custom amount, 100% of it goes to this non profit’s work bringing artists into children’s hospitals, elder care facilities, veteran centres, homeless shelters, and other communities facing significant life challenges. Vote/Donate here: /2026/raymond-waters In support, Raymond’s art is on display and the top fundraisers (votes) will stay in competition over multiple rounds and receive much needed media exposure along the way. You can also vote daily for free on Facebook! Raymond’s art has supported many causes over the years raising funds for the Toronto Humane Society, for colon cancer with Darryl “Sittler & Friends” celebrity Bar Stool Auction, Baycrest Foundation’s “ The Brain Project” and most recently, The David Suzuki Foundation with his series “Nature in Crisis” . Please share this with your friends, family and others in your circle. Much gratitude! #votedaily #theartofelysium #thepeoplesartist

We are so excited to welcome Chris McKhool and Elder Shannon Thunderbird to our community to share their work - Walking Through the Fire - A Visual Album. Screening of the film will take place May 20th at Creative Nomad studios. Doors open at 6:30. Get your tickets on our website: https://www.artsorillia.ca/event-details/walking-through-the-fire - Shannon Thunderbird is an Elder of the Giluts’aaw tribe, Royal House of Niis’gumiik, Gispwudwada (Orca) Clan. She is a celebrated, international Speaker/Educator/Storyteller who introduces audiences to the history, culture, and spirituality of Canada’s Indigenous People. She is also a Singer/Songwriter, Recording Artist, Actor, Writer and Painter. Chris McKhool is a Canadian violinist, guitarist, composer, producer, filmmaker, and educator. As the leader and producer of the Canadian band Sultans of String, McKhool has built a career centred on fusing folk, jazz, and global musical traditions including Arabic and Flamenco styles.

With support from Mariposa Folk Foundation — Gathering Festival of First Nations Stories opens with – “Walking Through The Fire - Visual Album” by 6x CFMA winners, Sultans of String! This Cannes World Film Festival winner is a musical film experience unlike any other! Remarks and post-film Q&A with filmmaker/Sultans of String producer Chris McKhool and Elder Shannon Thunderbird. May 20th @ 6:30 PM - Creative Nomad Studios – Space is limited. Tickets are $15.00 cash at the door or book through artsorillia.ca

#sultansofstring #afmlocal1000 #nyckelharpa #masconline #americannyckelharpaassociation

Setting up for the @elliotlakeentertainmentseries screening of #walkingthroughthefire visual album! Swipe to see setup pics! With thanks to non-Indigenous streams of @canada.council and @ontarioartscouncil