Gord Grdina's Ru'ya Vancouver
Tue, Nov 04
|Christ Church Cathedral Vancouver
Featuring Legendary Tunisian Vocalist : Ghalia Benali
Time & Location
Nov 04, 2025, 7:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.
Christ Church Cathedral Vancouver, 690 Burrard St, Vancouver, BC V6C 2L1, Canada
About the event
Presented in Partnership with Capilano University and Infidels Jazz
Ru’ya—which means “foresight” or “vision” in Arabic—is an ensemble that brings together diverse musical traditions, led by Vancouver-based guitarist and oud player Gord Grdina, with vocalist Ghalia Benali (Belgium/Tunisia), pianist Elias Stemeseder (U.S.), violinist Eylem Basaldi (Türkiye/U.S.), percussionist Hamin Honari (Canada), and drummer Christian Lillinger (Germany).
Ru’ya is the culmination of 20 years of musical exploration that started with Grdina’s debut album, Think Like the Waves, recorded with Gary Peacock and Paul Motian. This led to projects examining the edges of tonality and including elements of Persian classical music and Arabic maqam. This new program uses an inclusive focus while creating space for each of these incredible musicians to freely express themselves in their unique voices.
The concept is taken further in collaboration with Ghalia Benali’s idea of poets as the true chroniclers of human history, capturing…