If you live in the Ottawa area, the pefect place to celebrate Mother's
Day is the Great Canadian Theatre Company, (910 Gladstone Avenue near
Preston)  where Malaika (Ottawa's enthralling, eclectic 4 woman
mulit-cultural vocal group) will be in concert. Though this venue is
used mainly to stage plays, having seen Malaika perform there several
times, you can help but believe that the GCTC was built eapecially for
these angels.  Here's a press release from the beautiful Lee Hayes,
Malaika's mezzo-soprano.

Subject:        NEWS RELEASE, MALAIKA

Ottawa, Ontario.  The Ottawa based A Cappella group, Malaika, will be
debuting new member Bonnie Bradley at a special Mother's Day concert
on Sunday, May 9th, 1999 at 7:30 p.m.  This concert will be held at
one of Malaika's favorite venues, The Great Canadian Theatre Company.
Ms. Bradley was asked to join the four-woman band after alto Beth
Ferguson left in September 1998 due to health problems.

Bonnie Bradley, a well-known Ottawa blues veteran, has had extensive
international performing experience, and has sung with such greats as
Dizzy Gillespie, Bobby Blue Bland, and Freddy King.  Ms. Bradley
toured with Malaika in the summer of 1997 when Ms. Ferguson was too
ill to travel.  The group had less than a month to find and prepare
someone for a cross-country tour, and mezzo-soprano Lee Hayes
instantly thought of her aunt Bonnie.  "Poor Bon," says Hayes, "I
called her up, told she had two weeks to learn all the material, and
oh, by the way; half of it is in Swahili!"  The tour was a
huge success, and Ms. Bradley remained a stand-in during the next year
whenever Ms. Ferguson was not well enough to perform.

When Ms. Ferguson left the group, Malaika had some decisions to make.
New priorities were set, with an emphasis on fun.  Certainly a new
member added a new dynamic.  The group's aim was not to find a
carbon-copy of the previous member, but to work with an artist who,
like each Malaikan, past and present, was a gifted writer and
performer on her own.

The Mother's Day concert at the GCTC is a perfect place to introduce a
wonderful addition, as well as some fresh material, to Malaika's home
audience.  Tanzanian sisters Stella Haybukhai and Neema Mugala, along
with Lee Hayes and her aunt Bonnie Bradley, have prepared an array of
personal favorites as well as a selection of originals!

Tickets for the Mother's Day concert are $15 in advance, $17 at the
door. They are available at the Ottawa Folklore Centre, Mother Tongue
Books, Studio II Framing Gallery, and The Great Canadian Theatre
Company.  Call 236-5196 to reserve.

Lee Hayes
mailto:m...@igs.net