Canadian singer-songwriter Jarmo Jalava is celebrating the release of his second cd, Rites of Passage, recorded in Tepoztlán, Mexico, with some of the region’s top jazz and world musicians. Heartfelt vocals (in English, Spanish and Finnish) and Mongolian harmonic chants, backed by cello, banjo, tambura, trumpet and virtuoso percussion carry the folk-based compositions seamlessly around the globe.

Themes of spirit, conscience, love and mortality are explored with subtlety, originality and grace.

Hailing from Canada, Mexico, the United States and (Basque) Spain, the supporting cast features the vocals of Alison Wearing, as well as veteran musicians Jimi Doney (tablas, African talking drum, doumbek and huehuetl), Laura Alysia (cello, banjo), Juan Cristóbal (bass), Javier Carasusan (horns, harmonic chants), Magi Díaz del Castillo (tambura), Eve Rose (vocals), and a cameo harmonica solo by five-year old Noah Wearing Jalava.

Rites of Passage was co-produced with Carlos Walraven, one of Mexico’s most respected and accomplished sound engineers. Says Jarmo, “The project is totally acoustic, and was recorded mostly ‘live off the floor’ in a little brick and adobe house amongst mooing cows, crowing roosters, barking dogs and singing birds, at the foot of the mountains of Tepoztlán, in central Mexico. We could have recorded at Carlos’s state-of-the-art studio in Mexico City, but none of us relished the thought of commuting from the relative paradise of Tepoztlan to the smog and traffic of the biggest city in the world.

“So, more than once, a cow gazed in the window to see what was going on, and every now and then Carlos would tear off his headphones and run outside to chase away a rooster. On the first day of recording the power was off more than it was on. We eventually were able to reduce the frequency of blackouts by jiggling the main electrical line to the house with a long bamboo pole.”
Jarmo began his music career in 1972, at age 12, with a performance of original songs on-stage at Nathan Philips Square at Toronto City Hall. His life experience as a traveler, taxi driver, ecologist, poet, story writer and essayist is reflected in his music.

Whether performing solo, with his partner, author Alison Wearing, or with a full band, Jarmo is known for his warm and comfortable stage presence. Alison, who sings with Jarmo on his recordings, is author of the best-selling travel memoir, Honeymoon in Purdah, as well as a number of award-winning shorter non-fiction and fiction works. She has read and performed her stories in literary festivals across Canada, and adds vitality, humour and her great story-telling talent to their performances.
Major shows in recent years include the Festival of Lights in Peterborough, Ontario, the Finnish-Canadian Grand Festival in Calgary, Alberta, and the Desierto de Los Leones concert series in Mexico City.
"Jarmo Jalava writes songs rich in whimsy and wonder. There is a recognizable sound here-think of Bruce Cockburn's crisp melodicism and Daniel Lanois's low-burn intensity-but there is also a fresh voice. Jalava has edge and intelligence, heart and soul. His music stays with you." 
Charles Foran, music reviewer for the National Post.

"Warm, celestial sounds…mighty words…Jalava mixes lovely music with a mind, body and spiritual message on Hole in the Sky…The music stand[s] up as some of the best from the local scene in quite some time."
Peterborough Examiner, January 2002

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