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!
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!
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
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
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
Inspired by Middle Easten coffee house culture that encourages guests to enjoy the latest news, music, poetry, and stories, Al Qahwa (“the coffee house” in Arabic) is a six-piece folk group that blends traditional Arabic music with original compositions. The band performs Sufi devotional love songs, popular folk music, and classic Egyptian songs. Al Qahwa includes Maryem Tollar on vocals, riqq (Arabic tambourine), and qanun (Arabic table harp); Ernie Tollar on wind instruments; Demetri Petsalakis on oud (Arabic fretless lute); Naghmeh Fahrahmand on percussion; Waleed Abdulhamid on bass and vocals; and Lauren Barnett on back-up vocals and sax. Their latest release Weyn Allah (Where Is God?) was nominated for the 2024 Oliver Schroer – Pushing The Boundaries Canadian Folk Music Award and the 2023 Folk Music Ontario ACTRA RACS Award for Best Recording Artist.
In addition to the 2 evening concerts on July 8 and 9 at 7:30 p.m., Al Qahwa will do a Noon hour performance on July 9, 2025.
All performances – FREE
Come and celebrate mother’s day with a delicious dinner followed by music by Al Qahwa sextet (Maryem Tollar, Ernie Tollar, Naghmeh Farahmand, Waleed Abdulahmid, Demetri Petsalakis and Lauren Barnett). We are getting ready for our summer tour across Canada in July and August 2025. Look out for tour details coming soon! But for now – come and join us – we can’t wait to see you! PWYC
Al Qahwa Quartet (Maryem Tollar, Ernie Tollar, Waleed Abdulhamid, Naghmeh Farahmand) is excited to announce that we will be official showcase artists at Folk Alliance International 2025 in Montreal Quebec. Check out our official showcase on Saturday, February 22, 2024 from 6:45 to 7:15 p.m. at The Queen Elizabeth Hotel located at 900 Rene Levesque Blvd W, Montreal – Quebec H3B 4A5, Canada – and look out for us in the after hours private showcases!
Al Qahwa Quartet (Maryem Tollar, Ernie Tollar, Waleed Abdulhamid, Naghmeh Farahmand) is excited to announce that we will be official showcase artists at “Your Roots Are Showing” conference in Killarney, Ireland.
Thank you to Factor Canada for contributing to our travel funding.
Come and hear the full 6 piece version of Al Qahwa in the cozy Southern Cross front room of The Tranzac – Maryem Tollar (vocals, qanun, riqq); Ernie Tollar (sax, flutes); Demetri Petsalakis (oud, guitar); Naghmeh Farahmand (percussion); Waleed Abdulhamid (bass, percussion, vocals); Lauren Barnett (b.up vocals, sax).
292 Brunswick Avenue, Toronto, ON
PWYC