Tash Sultana: Mesmerizing Opening Night of Le Festival International de Jazz de Montréal

There is nothing better to herald in the summer than the Festival International de Jazz de Montréal.

Having a full-blown event, after so long, gives us a sense of normality, even if it possibly just a short reprise.

Tash Sultana

I can’t think of a better artist to inaugurate the festivities than Tash Sultana.

When I think of Jazz, I think of bursts of creativity, craftmanship, improvisation and a free flow of musical exploration.

Tash Sultana embodies the spirit of Jazz, using a sampler as a way to build layer upon layers of various instruments, like a painter adding layers to a canvas.

I remember watching Jungle on YouTube 144 (million views) and being mesmerized by the sheer talent.

Tash started with Big Smoke, spending a mere few seconds to get the instrument looped, only to move onto the next as if it was second nature.

For Mystik, the addition of the Saxophone made the crowd go wild, while the back visuals and lights created a kinetic energy.

Eventually, the band joined in, and it got quite jazzy with Tash on the trumpet and sax.

For those more into rock, there were moments where Tash would windmill and headbang while playing a guitar solo.

As the first notes of Notion started, I got goosebumps.  The song, from the EP of the same name that put them on the map, was magical.  At the end of the song, Tash flexed her vocal skills and attained heights of Everest proportion.

Of course, Jungle was the last song and highlight of the night, which ended with a Prince worthy guitar solo, as Tash’s tattooed fingers slid along the frets with intent purpose.  The crowd lost it.

It’s one thing to noodle alone in your room, like the bedroom sessions, but it’s quite another to do it in front of a packed Place des Festivals with 40,000+ in attendance.    

I don’t know how many knew of Tash Sultana before tonight, but one thing I know is that they will never forget the experience we all felt.

Writer: Randal Wark is a Professional Speaker and MasterMind Facilitator with a passion for live music.  You can follow him on Instagram, Twitter and YouTube. His Podcast RockStar Today helps musicians quit their day jobs with out-of-the-box advice from Ted Talk Speakers, Best Selling Authors and other interesting Entrepreneurs and Creatives. He created the Rock Star Today Music Business Jam Session for musicians. Randal is a collector of signed vinyl, cassettes and CDs.

Photos: Marianne Charbonneau

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Written by Montreal Rocks