ABOUT AL QAHWA
The group name Al Qahwa is Arabic for “the coffee house”. It was inspired by the coffee house culture in the Middle East where people would go to hear the latest news, music, poetry and stories. The repertoire began with traditional songs from Syria, Egypt and Iraq. Then the group started adding original repertoire by members of the band.
Al Qahwa’s new recording “Weyn Allah” adds Waleed Abdulhamid (bass, vocals) and Lauren Barnett (sax, b.up vocals) to the core group. It was made with support from The Toronto Arts Council and The Ontario Arts Council. It was released in June 2023 followed by a Canadian tour with the 6 piece ensemble. “Weyn Allah” was nominated for FMO’s ACTRA RACS award for best recording artists; and CFMA’s “Oliver Schroer’s Pushing The Boundaries” award. In 2024, Al Qahwa was invited to showcase at Circulart 2024 Music Conference in Medellin, Colombia sponsored by Sunfest, Capacoa and The Canadian Embassy.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Beverly Kreller
Publicist | SPEAK Music
bev@speak-music.com | 416-922-3620
Al Qahwa would like to acknowledge support from the Ontario Arts Council Market Development grant, which gave them support to showcase and attend Circulart 2024 in Medellín, Colombia.
To order and buy physical CDs, or to buy Al Qahwa CDs or tracks digitally, go to:
alqahwa.bandcamp.com
To contact the group or for bookings send an email to
Marilyn@mgam.com (MGAM)
To support Al Qahwa, please donate to their tip jar at this link:
https://www.paypal.com/biz/fund?id=L5HED3CL9JHHL
Or click the yellow donate button below:
UPCOMING GIGS
Al Qahwa Quartet (Maryem Tollar, Ernie Tollar, Naghmeh Farahmand and Waleed Abdulhamid) is excited to perform at Folk On The Rocks and to visit Yellowknife for the first time!
We’ll be performing Saturday, July 19 at 6 p.m. at the Beer Garden and Sunday, July 20 at 4 p.m. on the Main Stage
Join Al Qahwa, a dynamic ensemble of virtuoso musicians from Toronto, for an unforgettable musical journey that bridges cultures and hearts. Led by the mesmerizing vocals of Egyptian-born Maryem Tollar, who also enchants audiences with her mastery of the riqq (Arabic tambourine) and qanun (Arabic table harp), the band features Ernie Tollar on evocative wind instruments, Iranian-born Naghmeh Fahrahmand on dazzling percussion, and Sudanese-born Waleed Abdulhamid on bass and vocals. Al Qahwa weaves together original compositions and beloved Arabic classics—from Sufi devotional love songs and vibrant folk melodies to the timeless hits of Egypt’s golden age. Prepare to be transported by Al Qahwa’s rich tapestry of sound, where every note celebrates the power of music to unite, inspire, and move us all.
This concert is part of Caravan World Rhythms’ 25th Anniversary Celebrations.
Presented in collaboration with Vancouver Civic Theatres Summer Sounds Series.
FREE
All post high school Maryem Hassan wanted to do was make a living through music, something her father forbade. She joined a Toronto-based Arabic singing group in protest – a decision that would change her life. It renewed her interest in her cultural heritage, connected her with her future husband, Ernie Tollar, and led her to form the world music ensemble Al Qahwa (Arabic for “the coffee house,” inspired by vibrant Middle Eastern coffee house culture) in 2016. They gathered like-minded, musically curious and virtuosic Canadian, Greek, Egyptian, Sudanese and Iranian descendant artists to join the ensemble, which weaves together original compositions and beloved Arabic classics — from Sufi devotional love songs and vibrant folk melodies to the timeless hits of Egypt’s golden age. Tollar’s musical universe continues to widen, including work in theatre and being the voice behind CBC’s Little Mosque on the Prairie theme song. In Al Qahwa, she is the lead vocalist and she plays the riqq (Arabic tambourine) and qanun (Arabic table harp). This uniquely made-in-Canada coffee house group creates a multi-faceted, entrancing pan-global tapestry that transcends cultural barriers and ignites raw emotion.
– Kerry Clarke
Al Qahwa Quintet is excited to be performing at Blue Skies Festival for the first time. We’ll be on the mainstage on Saturday, August 2 at 10 p.m. and we’ll be participating in acoustic workshop stages during the day on the weekend. We’re very excited to be invited to perform at this very special camping festival!
Al Qahwa is excited to be returning to DROM Taberna and will have some special surprise guests – come on down and have some delicious Eastern European cuisine and hear some North African/Arabic/Jazz influenced tunes with Maryem Tollar, Ernie Tollar, Waleed Abdulhamid and Naghmeh Farahmand – and a couple of surprise guest artists!