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Sultans Of String

Walking Through the Fire

self-released
Release Date: February 10, 2023

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Nîmihito (Dance) - Sultans of String feat. Northern Cree
A Beautiful Darkness feat. Marc Meriläinen (Nadjiwan)
Our Mother The Earth feat. Duke Redbird
Take Off The Crown
1 Ni^mihito (Dance)  
2 A Beautiful Darkness  
3 Our Mother the Earth  
4 Take Off The Crown  
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Nîmihito (Dance) is a collaboration between 3x JUNO nominated, 4x CFMA winning Sultans of String and Northern Cree, a nine-time Grammy nominated pow wow and round dance group from Treaty 6 territory in Canada, who have released more than 50 albums over their 40-year history.

A Beautiful Darkness is a collaboration between 3x JUNO nominated, 4x CFMA winning Sultans of String and Marc Meriläinen, the creative force also known as Nadjiwan, who has been recognized in many corners, including Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards, the Native American Music Awards, the Indigenous Music Awards, along with invitations to perform at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics and the 2015 Pan-Am Games in Toronto.

‘Our Mother the Earth’ is a collaboration between legendary Chippewa/Anishinaabe Elder Dr. Duke Redbird and Sultans of String. It is the third single of the upcoming album entitled ‘Walking Through the Fire’ (Sept 22, 2023 release), a CD and concert of collaborations with First Nations, Métis, and Inuit artists across Turtle Island. Redbird was inspired by the idea that every country has a national anthem, yet there is no anthem for Our Mother the Earth.  Redbird said “if people included an anthem to the Earth along with their national anthem at every event, it would serve to acknowledge our identity, values, and sense of pride in the fact that we are all children of the Earth.”  With this idea in mind, he wrote the poem Our Mother the Earth.

‘Take Off The Crown’ is a collaboration between Raven Kanatakta of 2x JUNO Award winning Digging Roots, and 3x JUNO nominated, 6x CFMA winning Sultans of String, with bed tracks recorded at Jukasa Studios, an Indigenous-owned world-class recording facility on the Six Nations reserve south of Hamilton, Ontario.  It is the fourth single off the upcoming Sultans album entitled ‘Walking Through the Fire’ (Sept 22, 2023 release), a CD and concert of collaborations with First Nations, Métis, and Inuit artists across Turtle Island.

  • Sultans of String and Digging Roots want to 'Take Off The Crown' / TINNITIST
    Posted At: June 5, 2023 12:00 AM
    The global music crew share the latest preview of their Walking Through The Fire LP.TINNITIST - Darryl Sterdan writes…Sultans of String and Digging Roots issue a call to action with their confrontational and defiant new single and lyric video Take Off The Crown. The fourth preview of the upcoming Sultans album Walking Through the Fire — featuring collaborations with First Nations, Métis, and Inuit artists l...
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  • Sultans of String perform 'FiddleFire!' at Dubuque IL - Bryant Elementary School / Telegraph Herald
    Posted At: April 17, 2023 12:00 AM
    3x JUNO nominees and SiriusXM winners Sultans of String create "Energetic and exciting music from a band with talent to burn!" (Maverick Magazine UK). Thrilling their audiences with their genre-hopping passport of Celtic reels, flamenco, Gypsy-jazz, Arabic, Cuban, and South Asian rhythms, Sultans of String celebrate musical fusion and human creativity with warmth and virtuosity. Fiery violin dances with rum...
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  • Sultans of String set for First Presbyterian Church performance / The Lincoln Journal Star
    Posted At: April 7, 2023 12:00 AM
    3x JUNO nominees and SiriusXM winners Sultans of String create "Energetic and exciting music from a band with talent to burn!" (Maverick Magazine UK). Thrilling their audiences with their genre-hopping passport of Celtic reels, flamenco, Gypsy-jazz, Arabic, Cuban, and South Asian rhythms, Sultans of String celebrate musical fusion and human creativity with warmth and virtuosity. Fiery violin dances with rum...
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  • Sultans of String win 2 Canadian Folk Music Awards: 'Global Roots Album Of The Year 'and 'Producer of the Year'
    Posted At: April 4, 2023 12:00 AM
    Toronto-based Sultans Of String continues to lead the global music world with two wins last night at the Canadian Folk Music Awards:  Global Roots Album Of The Year for their album “Sanctuary” and Producer of the Year (John “Beetle” Bailey and Chris McKhool) for the same album.Keeping within the band’s dedication to the global music scene, this multi-award-winning, 3x Juno-nominated and Billboard chart...
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  • Sultans of String set for the Ponca City Concert Series / The Ponca City News
    Posted At: March 17, 2023 12:00 AM
    The Sultans of String have a new album coming. Entitled ‘Walking Through the Fire,’ bandleader: Chris McKhool calls this recording the most ambitious and important project of Sultans career, a CD and concert of collaborations with First Nations, Metis, and Inuit artists across Turtle Island. Chris writes…..We are creating this recording concert in the spirit of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s...
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  • Sultans Of String and Marc Merilainen embrace 'A Beautiful Darkness' / TINNITIST
    Posted At: March 6, 2023 12:00 AM
    The world-music outfit & the Indigenous artist join forces for a space-age video.TINNITIST - Darryl Sterdan writes…..Sultans Of String and Marc (Nadjiwan) Meriläinen become the light in A Beautiful Darkness — their new collaborative single and futuristic video showcasing today on Tinnitist. A Beautiful Darkness is the second single off the upcoming Sultans Of String album Walking Through The Fire (due S...
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  • Sultans Of String & Northern Cree pair up for 'Nimihito' dance / TINNITIST
    Posted At: January 18, 2023 12:00 AM
    The collaborative tune previews the Sultans' upcoming LP Walking Through The FireTINNITIST - Darryl Sterdan writes…Sultans Of String and Northern Cree are right in step on their new single and video Nîmihito (Dance) — showcasing today on Tinnitist.A collaboration between Juno-nominated, CFMA-winning Sultans and the Grammy-nominated Northern Cree — a pow wow and round dance group from Treaty 6 territory in C...
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  • Sultans of String notch a film-festival victory at their album release party / TINNITIST
    Posted At: October 8, 2022 12:00 AM
    TINNITIST - Darryl Sterdan writes…Sultans of String have two reasons to party right now — and you’re welcome to join the celebration.The Billboard-charting world music supergroup’s new documentary Sultans of String: The Refuge Project Visual Album just won Best Musical Film at the monthly competition of Cannes World Film Festival — so they’re marking the occasion with a milestone Sanctuary CD release concer...
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  • Sultans of String embark on 9th recording: 'Walking through the Fire,' their most ambitious to date / CASHBOX CANADA
    Posted At: September 26, 2022 12:00 AM
    CASHBOX CANADA writes….Canadian 3x JUNO Award-nominees and 4x Canadian Folk Music Award-winners Sultans of String & Friends are now embarking on the most ambitious and essential project of their career: Their ninth album entitled “Walking through the Fire”, which will be a beautiful collection of collaborations with First Nations, Metis, and Inuit artists across Turtle Island/Canada. The band has launch...
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  • 3x JUNO nominees & 4x CFMA winners: Sultans of String join friends for 'Walking Through the Fire' / radioandmusic.com
    Posted At: September 15, 2022 12:00 AM
    radioandmusic.com writes….. Canadian 3x JUNO Award-nominees and 4x Canadian Folk Music Award-winners Sultans of String & Friends are now embarking on the most ambitious and essential project of their career: Their ninth album entitled “Walking through the Fire”, which will be a beautiful collection of collaborations with First Nations, Metis, and Inuit artists across Turtle Island/Canada. The band has l...
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  • Sultans of String Refuge' wins 2020 ZMR Music Awards for Best World Album'
    Posted At: February 2, 2022 12:00 AM
    Over the past dozen years and six albums, Sultans of String founder and band leader; Chris McKhool and his mates - co-founding guitarist Kevin Laliberté, bassist Drew Birston, Cuban percussionist Rosendo ‘Chendy' Leon and second guitarist Eddie Paton - have been thrilling listeners around North America with their genre-hopping fusion of Celtic reels, flamenco, Gypsy jazz, Arabic, Cuban, and South Asian rhyt...
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  • Sultans of String Tell the Night feat. Leen Hamo is the ROOTS MUSIC CANADA: EXCLUSIVE PREVIEW!
    Posted At: January 12, 2022 12:00 AM
    “Tell the Night” by Sultans of String is a song written by Syrian refugee Leen Hamo, who came to Canada about four years ago. Sultans of String co-founder Chris McKhool said they were thrilled to have the opportunity to work with Leen for many reasons. He commented; “We just love her voice, and she is such an interesting person, and her music is very compelling, and we wanted to have her share her experienc...
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  • Sultans of String release; 'Mi Santuario' featuring; Juan Carlos Medrano
    Posted At: September 10, 2021 12:00 AM

    folk radio's FRUK Staff writes....With a new album in the pipeline, NY Times and BILLBOARD charting world music supergroup Sultans of String are releasing their brand-new single Mi Santuario on Sept 10, 2021. The song features the four core Sultans as well as an incredibly talented and inspiring special guest Juan Carlos Medrano, who co-wrote the music with the band, and sings his original lyrics, as...
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  • New video from Sultans of String might be the first truly moving piece of COVID art / Roots Music Canada
    Posted At: July 9, 2020 12:00 AM

    With artists stuck at home these days struggling to make sense of a radically new normal, many are turning to the one thing you can do when everything else is on hold:  create. We've had a wonderful smorgasbord of new songs and videos coming out over the past three months – but so far, few artists have tried to create work about the pandemic, and some of the efforts I've seen to date have felt...
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  • KCRW: Rhythm Planet likes new Sultans of String album and its pair up with Israeli singer Yasmin Levy
    Posted At: April 23, 2020 12:00 AM

    The new Sultans of String release; ‘Refuge,' Produced by Chris McKhool and John ‘Beetle' Bailey features; McKhool: violin, viola, ChinCello, vocals, Kevin Laliberté: nylon, steel & electric guitars, vocals Eddie Paton: high strung acoustic guitar, vocals, Drew Birston: electric & acoustic bass, Moog Synth, vocals Rosendo ‘Chendy' León: drums, percussion...
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  • Sultans of String - Chris McKhool says CERB changes offer some financial relief as uncertainty persists / The Star
    Posted At: April 17, 2020 12:00 AM

    Chris McKhool still has many questions about how the federal government will support Canadian artists in the latest update to the COVID-19 emergency benefits program - but for now he's trying to stay focused on the music. The violinist in Sultans of String, a three-time Juno nominated act, has spent the past several weeks in a holding position as he wondered if accepting live streaming performance sp...
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  • Sultans of String 'The Grand Bazaar' featuring; Bela Fleck & Robi Botos gets IMA nom
    Posted At: April 12, 2020 12:00 AM

    Sultans of String 'The Grand Bazaar' was written by Chris McKhool, Kevin Laliberté, Drew Birston, Rosendo León, and features Béla Fleck – banjo, Robi Botos – piano, keyboard, Gundem Yayli Grubu – Turkish strings  Béla Fleck reflects: "My family's story involves immigration. Of course, we came in through Ellis Island, my grandparents on my...
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  • fyi music news has 5 questions for Chris McKhool
    Posted At: April 1, 2020 12:00 AM

    Since first appearing on the scene in 2007, Toronto's Sultans Of String has never taken the easy road in terms of crafting their internationally acclaimed hybrid of folk, jazz and world music. Their latest album, Refuge, is their most ambitious yet, a collection of 13 songs that speak to the challenges facing the world's displaced peoples-their stories, their songs, their persistence and their humanity. ...
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  • Sultans Of String release 'Asi Soy' video / Cashbox Magazine Canada
    Posted At: March 20, 2020 12:00 AM

    Internationally awarded and honoured Canadian quintet Sultans of String collaborates with over 30 musicians on Refuge, including Yasmin Levy, Béla Fleck, Robi Botos, Ifrah Mansour, Demetrios Petsalakis, Imad Al Taha, Amir Amiri, Sammy Figueroa, Twin Flames, and many others on the wide-ranging treatise on displaced peoples, Refuge. On this visionary seventh album, Sultans of String bring their ...
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  • Sultans of String 'Asi Soy' by Yasmin Levy / folk radio video premeie
    Posted At: March 12, 2020 12:00 AM

    There is no denying that Internationally awarded and honoured Canadian quintet Sultans of String celebrate diversity and creativity with a warmth and virtuosity. On Subcontinental Drift you could hear influences that included Indian classical, Spanish Flamenco, Arabic folk, Cuban rhythms, and French Gypsy-jazz. In our interview with founding band member Chris McKhool, he said "I feel so lucky to live her...
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  • Sultans Of String are ready to hit Dryden and Chris McKhool chats with 92.7CKDR
    Posted At: March 2, 2020 12:00 AM

    The Centre in Dryden will be experiencing the Sultans of String all in support of the Midtown Stage. The band will be performing on Friday at 7:00pm and tickets are only $25. Band Member Chris McKhool was a guest on the CKDR Morning Show Tuesday and he says their band has grown significantly in the last 11 years. "Started off as just impromptu jams, just having fun, playing music with amazing musicians. ...
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  • Chris McKhool is making the world a smaller place with 'Fiddle Fire!' / Regina Leader-Post
    Posted At: February 21, 2020 12:00 AM

    The Toronto-based musician introduces children to world music through his Fiddle Fire! performances. He's always "adding, adding, adding" to what young audiences will hear when he steps on stage. Over the Rainbow Children's Entertainment Series presents Fiddle Fire! Sunday at 2 p.m. at Sault Community Theatre Centre. "For me, it's just this great opportunity to expose young people to sounds t...
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  • Sultans of String releases 'El Bint El Shalabeya' from upcoming REFUGE album / CASHBOX CANADA
    Posted At: January 11, 2020 12:00 AM

    Over the past dozen years and six albums, McKhool and his bandmates - co-founding guitarist Kevin Laliberté, bassist Drew Birston, Cuban percussionist Rosendo ‘Chendy' Leon and second guitarist Eddie Paton - have excelled at both. Thrilling listeners around North America with their genre-hopping fusion of Celtic reels, flamenco, Gypsy jazz, Arabic, Cuban, and South Asian rhythms, Sultans of ...
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  • Sultans of String brings their Christmas Caravan to Cazenovia's Nelson Odeon / syracuse.com
    Posted At: December 20, 2019 12:00 AM

    Sultans of String create a magical music experience with a blend of international, folk, and jazz. Their songscape pulls from rich cultural music traditions ranging from the Middle East to Cuba to Southeast Asia. Each player of the five-person outfit shines throughout each thoughtfully produced piece. For this performance, The Sultans of String will perform a rousing roundup of Christmas and holiday favo...
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  • Watch Sultans Of String: The Power Of The Land / THE GATE
    Posted At: October 27, 2019 12:00 AM

    Juno Award nominees Sultans Of String have collaborated to create one of their most powerful tracks to date, bringing their sound together with the wisdom of Ojibway Elder Duke Redbird, and stunning vocals by Indigenous artists Twin Flames. The video is beautiful, with evocative lyrics, and it's inspirational. "The Power Of The Land" was originally written as a poem by Duke Redbird, and the way the artis...
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  • Sultans of String play LA's McCabe's Guitar Shop and makes KCRW's Rhythm Planet - 'October Concert Picks'
    Posted At: October 4, 2019 12:00 AM

    The instrumental group Sultans of String hails from Toronto, Ontario. They play barn hoe-down style as well as flamenco, Arabic folk, and French gypsy-jazz. While you're at McCabe's, be sure to check out all the guitars on their hallowed walls but observe the "refrain from clutching to bosom" signs on them. Click HERE for tickets and more information. The band performs a timely song in this video (fe...
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  • Sultans of String brought a lively, international mix of music to Peterborough Musicfest / The Peterborough Examiner
    Posted At: July 6, 2019 12:00 AM

    Instrumental band The Sultans of String brought a lively, international mix of music to Del Crary Park. Performing on the Fred Anderson Stage, The Juno-nominated instrumental band played Celtic, Cuban, Middle Eastern and flamenco music for the crowd at the park. 3x JUNO nominees and SiriusXM winners Sultans of String create "Energetic and exciting music from a band with talent to burn!" (Maverick Mag...
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  • If you haven't reached your seasonal saturation point, get Sultans of String - Christmas Caravan / The Guardian.pe.ca
    Posted At: December 24, 2018 12:00 AM

    Christmas is literally just days away. But it's still not too late to add to your holiday music collection if you haven't reached your seasonal saturation point. I add that qualifier because some people - and I'm thinking specifically of those who work in retail - may have already hit their limit. If you do have room for one more seasonal offering I'd like to suggest something a little different from the...
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  • Sultans of String bring their holiday cheer to Cazenovia / Utica Observer - Dispatch
    Posted At: December 20, 2018 12:00 AM

    Three times Juno (Canada's Grammy) nominees and three times Canadian Folk Music Award winning Sultans of String are taking their Christmas Caravan CD and show to venues across Canada and the U.S. for a special fundraising Christmas Caravan World Music Tour. Their holiday cheer and goodwill includes a much anticipated stop in Cazenovia as they will perform at 4 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 23, at the Catherine Cummi...
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  • artsfile chats with Sultans of String leader Chris McKhool
    Posted At: December 18, 2018 12:00 AM

    The Christmas album has almost become a banal cliche. But not to Ottawa native Chris McKhool and his band of merry music makers, the Sultans of String. For these players, it's go big or go home every time out and so this season they have released an 18-song CD with a string of guest artists that includes the Panamanian star Rubén Blades, the a cappella ensemble Sweet Honey in the Rock, the patriar...
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  • Watch Sultans Of String - The Little Swallow (Carol Of The Bells)/Al Vuelo / BGSWraps
    Posted At: December 17, 2018 12:00 AM

    "This song ‘Shchedryk,' known in English as ‘The Little Swallow,' is a Ukrainian New Year's carol. Many people know it by its later adaption to another song, ‘Carol of the Bells.' Here we created a mashup with our original song ‘Al Vuelo,' arranged in a Spanish bulerias style. We took this song full-circle, back to Europe, to record with the City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra. ...
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  • 89.1KMUW celebrates World Violin Day with Sultans of String & Regina Carter
    Posted At: December 12, 2018 12:00 AM

    Thursday, December 13, is World Violin Day. 89.1KMUW - Wichita KS Global Village, Strange Currency and Night Train are teaming up to mark the occassion with 5 hours of music, 7 p.m. to midnight. Global Village gets the special feature underway with music from a number of violinists from around the world.  Hear the violin and cello quartet, the Fretless, who just was named Instrumental Group of t...
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  • Stone Church Arts will present 'Christmas Caravan' / The Keene Sentinel
    Posted At: December 10, 2018 12:00 AM

    Stone Church Arts will present "Christmas Caravan," a holiday world music concert for all ages on Wednesday, Dec. 19 at 7:30 p.m. featuring Sultans of String and singer Rebecca Campbell. The concert will be held at Immanuel Episcopal Church, the stone church on the hill, 20 Church St., Bellows Falls. Sultans of String have won three Juno awards (Canada's Grammy). They play original songs, world-music ins...
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  • Sultans of String's Christmas Caravan' rolls into N. Vancouver / North Shore News
    Posted At: December 2, 2018 12:00 AM

    Christmas Caravan with the Sultans of String will be n North Vancouve at the North Shore Celtic Ensemble, Centennial Theatre, on Wednesday, Dec. 5, 7.  Bandleader and violinist Chris McKhool loves the musicianship. "The music is just so interesting," McKhool tells the North Shore News. "There's also definitely a virtuosity to a lot of the musicians who are playing prog rock, like if you've ever seen...
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  • Chris McKhool discusses Happy Xmas (War is Over) on MY SPILT MILK podcast / nola.com
    Posted At: November 21, 2018 12:00 AM

    New Orleans music writer Alex Rawls has a passion for Christmas music in all its heart-tugging, sometimes cheese-dripping glory. For Rawls it's more than wintertime sonic wallpaper, it's a frosty window into pop culture. If you tune into his new podcast "The 12 Songs of Christmas," don't expect sentimentality, expect lively, opinionated conversations with musicians who sometimes find themselves making th...
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  • Sultans of String bring their Christmas Caravan to The Registry Theatre / OBSERVER
    Posted At: November 21, 2018 12:00 AM

    While the day after Halloween may have been too soon for the Christmas music – early and often works for retailers – we're probably heading into a more appropriate time, with the big day just a month away. For Chris McKhool and the rest of the Sultans of String, now really is the time, as they kicked off their Christmas Caravan on Thursday in Owen Sound, arriving in Kitchener on Sunday for tw...
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