Lula Lounge will celebrate its third anniversary with a ground breaking global music festival that celebrates the diversity of Toronto and the musicians that have graced the stage at Lula for the past three years.

In 2002 Lula Lounge opened its doors at Dufferin and Dundas as a live music dancehall focused mainly on salsa and the impressive musicians of Toronto's growing Latin music scene. Since then Lula has developed into TO's home for the best of world music. Through its own programming, debuting and supporting many young projects such as Eliana Cuevas, Manhino Costa, Fito Blanko and New Cuban Generation, as well through relationships with Small World Music, Gary Topp, Music Africa, Lisa Pijuan, The Institute of Cuban Music, Jane Bunnett and others, Lula Lounge continues to build bridges between international and local musicians as well as artists working in diverse genres.

Multi-talented trumpeter, composer and cultural inventor, David Buchbinder kicks off the Lula World festival with the exhilarating and danceable music of the Flying Bulgar Klezmer Band, the Buchbinder Brass Band and belly dance troupe Roula Said and the Roulettes. Drawing on the music of the Jews, Arabs, Greeks and Roma, the sound of Feast of the East is that of radical roots: traditional, yet filtered through the prism of Toronto, a rainbow of the world's richest colours.

Event Details And Photos: http://www.lula.ca/eventdescription.aspx?id=1634&index=0&weekname=WEDNESDAY&month=JUNE&day=1

Music Africa is pleased to commemorate the third anniversary of Lula Lounge as a force for diversity in Toronto, by presenting a festival preview party for Afrofest 2005. The program features the Malagasy Soul of Dieu-Donné, led by Donné Robert, the guitarist-extraordinaire from Madagascar recently on Lula's stage as a member of the African Guitar Summit CD group, winner of the 2005 Juno Award for World Music Album of the Year. The evening includes the enthralling Congolese dance performance of Moto Kapia, with his crowd-pleasing acrobatic antics and traditional moves. Special guest host will be local Calypsonian royalty, King Cosmos. Music Africa provides the DJ music to spin the groove all night long.

Event Details And Photos: http://www.lula.ca/eventdescription.aspx?id=1635&index=1&weekname=THURSDAY&month=JUNE&day=2

Hailing from the sleepy Mediterranean town of Bodrum on the southern coast of Turkey, Necmi Cavli, the composer and music weaver of Oojami, has an ear for the traditional sounds of Turkey and the Far East and takes great delight in juxtaposing them with exhilarating electronic beats and grooves. Well known in London for his spectacular club nights, Oojami's music is a fitting backdrop to the whirlwind of belly dancers, fire eaters and trapeze performers that accentuate his funked up beats.

Event Details And Photos: http://www.lula.ca/eventdescription.aspx?id=1589&index=2&weekname=FRIDAY&month=JUNE&day=3

Proving that Toronto is one of the world's major centres for contemporary salsa, Daniel Stone has put together a Lula super band with representatives from Toronto's top salsa combos. The group will perform original compositions by Cache, Luis Mario Ochoa, Ricky Franco, Proyecto Charanguero, Nick "The Brownman" Ali, Evaristo Machado and Latin Street, and will feature the leaders and singers from each of these accomplished bands. Come to Lula on June 4 and remind yourself how lucky we are to live in one of the salsa capitals of the world! We are very proud to welcome host of "Café con Leche' on JAZZFM 91 Amanda Martinez as MC for the evening.

Event Details And Photos: http://www.lula.ca/eventdescription.aspx?id=1636&index=3&weekname=SATURDAY&month=JUNE&day=4

Jane Bunnett will celebrate Lula Lounge's 3rd anniversary by gathering together some of her favourite jazz and world music artists. This very special evening will feature performances by three stunning vocalists- Jose Aguilles, Dione Taylor, and Laura Ocampo. Aguilles is one of Cuba's best loved singers and will join us directly from Santiago de Cuba. JAZZ.FM91 fans will know Toronto's own Dione Taylor who was a 2005 Juno jazz vocalist nominee. Originally from Buenos Aires but now based in Toronto, the beautiful Laura Ocampo is one of Argentina's most popular vocalist. Also joining Jane will be the 2005 Juno award winner for Best Contemporary Jazz Album Hilario Duran and some very special surprise guests.

Event Details And Photos: http://www.lula.ca/eventdescription.aspx?id=1637&index=4&weekname=SUNDAY&month=JUNE&day=5

This is new traditional music from Québec that puts a smile on your face and quickens the pulse rate. Originally founded by pianist and hurdy-gurdy player Nicolas Boulerice and fiddler Olivier Demers, the band now boasts the addition of step dancer/accordionist Benoit Bourque (Matapat) and singer/guitarist Simon Beaudry. The energy emanating from these four excellent musicians is unstoppable and audiences everywhere find it impossible to sit still.

Event Details And Photos: http://www.lula.ca/eventdescription.aspx?id=1653&index=5&weekname=TUESDAY&month=JUNE&day=7

Our trip around the Lula world ends in Brazil. Learn to samba and lose yourself in the rhythms of Rio with these two high-energy bands lead by Maninho Costa. Toronto's newest Samba group Batucada Carioca will transport you south with hit songs from Rio's biggest samba schools.

Event Details And Photos: http://www.lula.ca/eventdescription.aspx?id=1603&index=6&weekname=FRIDAY&month=JUNE&day=10