Memories: Voices from the Trojan Horse
August 6
Memories: Voices from the Trojan Horse
produced by CYNTHIA GRANT
August 6th
Synopsis
Memories: Voices from the Trojan Horse reunites musicians, performers, and writers from the famous Danforth coffeehouse, the Trojan Horse.
Featuring amazing talents from a time of cultural hybridity when Greek musicians in Toronto embraced Chileans in exile to form the legendary musical group, Compañeros.
This performance will evoke a sense of the magical period of poetry and protest, of a time when the voices of Nobel prize winning poet Pablo Neruda and Greece’s great composer Mikis Theodorakis joined together in a call for global change. In Toronto during the 1970s and early 1980s, the place to find community was at the Trojan Horse, a space founded by Governor General’s Award-winning poet Gwendolyn McEwen and Greek Musician Nikos Tsingos.
meet the team
Cynthia Grant (she/her)
After performing in Neruda’s The Splendor and Death of Joaquin Murieta, Cynthia founded Nightwood Theatre where she directed and produced for years including Memorias del Manama/Flashbacks of Tomorrow featuring Companeros. Later, she founded Company of Sirens with a focus on Social Justice theatre. She holds a PhD in Education (Cultural Studies) and taught at several Universities and secondary schools.
Marcelo was an architectural student at the time of the coup in Chile. He arrived in Canada and reinvented himself through music. He performed music in the Neruda play The Splendour and Death of Joaquin Murieta in Toronto. Soon, he and Ricardo Rivas and Juan Opitz visited the Trojan Horse playing nights there. When the Greek Musicians teamed up with them, Compañeros was born. He continues to be known for his original songs, playing Free Times Cafe and other venues.
