Virtual Hear Here: Spring Fling

Forest City Gallery’s Hear Here Committee presents a free Instagram Live event in lieu of unprecedented times.

Join us on Friday, May 14th at 5pm EST

Free Instagram Live Event

Follow @forestcitygallery on the Instagram app

Developed in 2013, Forest City Gallery’s Hear Here Committee executes live musical experiences throughout the year to celebrate the gallery’s roots in music and to foster London’s creative and contemporary culture.

For the 35th edition of the live music series, Hear Here invites Oslo’s Lerin/Hystand and Toronto’s Omar Bongo to perform virtually for you on Instagram Live.

Artist Statements:

“We use sensors on the leaves to capture electrical currents inside the plants. The plants use these electrical currents to send signals both internally and to communicate with other organisms. We then transmit these signals from the plants through modular synthesizers and the plants then control melodies, notes and rhythms in our music."

- Lerin/Hystand for Hear Here

“The kaban has a special place in Somali music. It was a foreign instrument that, upon its arrival to Somalia in the 1940’s, became the centre of the immensely popular style of music known as qaarami.

For many Somali music fans the sound of qaarami — poetic lyrics accompanied by the sparse sounds of the oud and bongo drums — is the quintessential Somali sound.

In the hands of Omar Bongo the kaban becomes a jukebox of songs from 30 plus years of Somali popular music and Omar has been bringing this music to life for almost 20 years in shisha bars and community events in Toronto’s Somali community.”

- Omar Bongo For Hear Here

*Hear Here is generously supported by the Bowden Family Fund through the London Community Foundation.