Sultans of String

Founding members Chris McKhool and Kevin Laliberté began performing together in 2004, combing McKhool's six-stringed violin and Laliberté's flamenco guitar. They began recording and touring with a full band, performing at festivals and events around Ontario.

In 2007 Sultans of String released their first album, Luna, which won a 2007 Musique du Monde Award and an Ontario Independent Music Award for Best Song and Best Instrumental. They were named Best Latin Jazz Group by Exclusive Magazine, and were nominated for a Canadian Folk Music Award (Best Instrumentalist Group) and a Toronto Independent Music Awards (World Music).

In 2008 Luna was a #1 hit across Canada on Top Ten national radio charts in the “International” & ” World/Folk” categories.{{cn|date=November 2019}} That year the band won the International Songwriting Competition Award (instrumental),{{Cite web|url=https://songwritingcompetition.com/previouswinners|title=International Songwriting Competition {{!}} The #1 Song Contest for Songwriters|website=songwritingcompetition.com|access-date=2019-05-04}} and was named Best Variety Act by Festivals & Events Ontario. The band were finalists for the International Independent Music Award for Best World Fusion Song.

In 2009 the band released their second album, Yalla Yalla, which was nominated for three Canadian Folk Music Awards, winning Instrumental Group of the Year, and in the finals for Ensemble of the Year and Pushing the Boundaries.{{cite web|url=http://mckhool.files.wordpress.com/2008/01/calgary-herald.pdf |title=The World in One Band|author= Mike Devlin|work=Calgary Herald, 2009-01-26 |date=January 26, 2009 |accessdate=2011-08-25}} (needs link to original source) They once again won the instrumental category of the International Songwriting Competition.{{cn|date=November 2019}} Exclusive named them Artist of the Year and their album Yalla Yalla won Best Toronto World CD.{{cite web|url=http://mckhool.files.wordpress.com/2008/01/ottawa-metro-hipster-contrast.pdf |title=Hipsters' Improv Jazz fusion earns award nominations|author=Vernette Kim Mannix|work=Ottawa Metro|date=2007-11-09 |accessdate=2011-08-25}} (needs link to original source) In 2010 they were nominated as Favourite World Artist/Group at the Canadian Independent Music Awards. Yalla Yalla was nominated for a 2010 JUNO Award as Instrumental Album of the Year.{{cite web|url=http://www.jazzintoronto.com/get_content.html?id=1269&year=2011&month=08 |title=Sultans of String (2010 Juno Award Nominees) |publisher=Jazzintoronto.com |date= |accessdate=2011-08-25}}

In 2011 Yalla Yalla was a finalist for an Independent Music Award in two categories, Instrumental Album and World Beat Album.{{cite web|url=http://www.independentmusicawards.com/ima/2011/sultans-of-string/ |title=Sultans of String |publisher=Independent Music Awards |date= |accessdate=2011-08-25}} Two of the band's songs, ”Auyuittuq Sunrise” and ”Gardens Of Lebanon”, were nominated for the International Songwriting Competition awards.{{cite web|url=http://www.songwritingcompetition.com/winners |title=International Songwriting Competition |publisher=Songwritingcompetition.com |date= |accessdate=2011-08-25}} In May that year the band's 3rd album MOVE was released.

Move appeared on the !earshot Campus and Community National Top 50 Albums chart in January, 2012.[http://www.earshot-online.com/charts/index.cfm?intChartTypeID=101&dWeekOfID=2012-01-03 "The National Top 50 For the Week Ending: Tuesday, January 3, 2012"]. !earshot. That year the band won a Canadian Folk Music Award as World Music Group of the Year{{cite web|url=http://folkawards.ca/past-years/results-2012/|title=Results 2012|publisher=Canadian Folk Music Awards |date= |accessdate=2016-01-25}} and were nominated for Instrumental Group of the Year and Pushing The Boundaries McKhool was nominated as Producer of the Year. The band were 2012 OCFF (Ontario Council of Folk Festivals) Songs of the Heart winners{{cite web|url=http://www.folkmusicontario.ca/about-folk-music-ontario/awards/songs-from-the-heart-past-winners/|title=Songs From The Heart Past Winners|publisher=Folk Music Ontario|date=|access-date=2016-01-25|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924014211/http://www.folkmusicontario.ca/about-folk-music-ontario/awards/songs-from-the-heart-past-winners/|archive-date=2015-09-24}} and Festivals & Events Entertainers of the Year.

In 2013 band leader Chris McKhool was presented with a Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal for his work in supporting community and music education programs for at-risk youth, and raising awareness of social and environmental issues through music.

Also in 2013 the band released their fourth album, Symphony! One of the tracks, “Monti’s Revenge”, won the ISC International Songwriting Competition{{cite web|url=http://www.songwritingcompetition.com/previouswinners |title=Previous Winners |publisher=International Songwriting Competition |date= |accessdate=2016-01-25}} and was named a Song of the Heart winner by Folk Music Ontario. The band was also named Festivals & Events Performer of the Year and nominated for a SiriusXM Canadian Indie Award. In 2014 the band was named World Group of the Year at the SIRIUSXM Independent Music Awards.{{cite web|url=http://indies.ca/2014-nominees-winners/ |title=2014 Nominees/Winners |publisher=SiriusXM Indies |date= |accessdate=2016-01-25}} Their song "Josie" was named Instrumental Song of the Year at the 2014 Independent Music Awards, and McKhool and Rebecca Pellett were given the Vox Pop Award for production of Symphony! This symphony recording and live show was developed under the direction of luminary John Morris Russell (conductor, Cincinnati Pops Orchestra), and was scored by illustrious arranger/composer [http://wantonfawns.com/about/composers/ Rebecca Pellett] (Toronto Symphony Orchestra, IMAX & Hollywood film productions).  They toured this album across North America including with the Annapolis Symphony Orchestra,{{Cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/annapolissymphony/events|title=Annapolis Symphony Orchestra|website=www.facebook.com|language=en|access-date=2019-05-06}} Chicago’s Full Score Chamber Orchestra, and Bangor Symphony in the USA. They also performed with many Canadian symphonies including Toronto, Vancouver, Edmonton, Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony, Niagara, North Bay, Windsor, and Kingston Symphony Orchestra. Symphony! was nominated for a 2015 JUNO Award,{{cite web|url=http://junoawards.ca/nominees/?nomination-year=2015|title=Nominees 2015|date=|publisher=The JUNO Awards|accessdate=2016-01-25}} and the band won a 2015 Toronto Independent Music Award for World Music.{{cite web|url=http://torontoima.com/awards/2015-nominees/|title=TIMA 2015 Nominees (Applicants from 2014-15)|date=|publisher=Toronto Independent Music Awards|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160127144114/http://torontoima.com/awards/2015-nominees/|archive-date=2016-01-27|url-status=usurped|access-date=2016-01-25}}

That same year Sultans of String independently released their fifth album, Subcontinental Drift.[https://www.thewholenote.com/index.php/booksrecords2/potpourri/25663-subcontinental-drift-sultans-of-string-anwar-khurshid "Subcontinental Drift - Sultans of String; Anwar Khurshid"]. The Whole Note, Tiina Kiik, 26 October 2015 This album was made in collaboration with sitarist Anwar Khurshid; in 2016 the band toured across Canada, the United States and the UK with this formation. This album also took them to the Billboard World Music charts in 2017. Subcontinental drift also received a JUNO Award nomination in the World Music category as well as their 3rd Canadian Folk Music Award for World Group of the year.

In 2017 the band released a world music Christmas album entitled Christmas Caravan. They toured across Canada in support of the album,[https://exclaim.ca/music/article/sultans_of_string-christmas_caravan "Sultans of String Christmas Caravan"]. Exclaim!, By Jason Parker Quinton, Nov 30, 2017 which was included in the New York Times Holiday Hits section and Spotify's Holiday Albums Hit List,{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/29/arts/music/holiday-christmas-pop-music.html|title=Holiday Hits, Christmas Comebacks and Some Jingle Bell Schlock|date=2017-11-29|work=The New York Times|access-date=2019-04-30}} as well as hitting the Billboard World Music charts at #6. Special guests included Richard Bona, Nikki Yanofsky, Rubén Blades, Sweet Honey in the Rock, Alex Cuba, and the City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra. Sultans of String's composition "Snake Charmer" was used in the soundtrack of the film Hotel Mumbai.

• Luna (May 2007)
• Yalla Yalla (May 2009)
• MOVE (September 2011)
• Symphony! (September 2013)
• Subcontinental Drift (September 2015)
• Christmas Caravan (October 2017)
• Refuge (August 2020)
• Sanctuary: The Refuge Project (November 2021)
• Walking Through the Fire (September 2023)

• Chris McKhool (Club Django, Jesse Cook, Pavlo) - six-stringed violin
• Kevin Laliberté (Jesse Cook, Amanda Martinez) - flamenco guitar
• Drew Birston (Chantal Kreviazuk) - bass
• Rosendo 'Chendy' Leon (Alex Cuba, The Parachute Club) - percussion
• Saskia Tomkins{{Cite web |date=June 4, 2025 |title=Sultans of String Band |url=https://sultansofstring.com/2015/10/sultans-of-string-band/ |url-status=live |access-date=June 4, 2025 |website=Sultans of String}} - Nykelharpa

• 2018 Canadian Folk Music Awards: Producer of the Year nomination for McKhool{{cite web |title=Canadian Folk Music Awards |url=https://folkawards.ca/nominees/ |website=Canadian Folk Music Awards |accessdate=24 April 2019}}
• 2017 New York Times Hits List{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/29/arts/music/holiday-christmas-pop-music.html|title=Holiday Hits, Christmas Comebacks and Some Jingle Bell Schlock|last=Pareles|first=Jon|date=2017-11-29|work=The New York Times|access-date=2019-04-28}}
• 2017 Billboard World Music Charts: Christmas Caravan CD hits #6{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/sultans-of-string|title=Sultans of String|magazine=Billboard|access-date=2019-04-28}}
• 2017 Folk Music Ontario: Songs From The Heart Award for "Sing For Kwanzaa" from Christmas Caravan{{Cite web|url=http://www.folkmusicontario.ca/awards/fmo-award-winners/|title=FMO Award Winners :: Folk Music Ontario|language=en-US|access-date=2019-04-28}}
• 2017 Folk Music Ontario: Songs From The Heart Award for “Road to Kfarmishki”
• 2017 ISC International Songwriting Competition: World category for "Sing For Kwanzaa"{{Cite web|url=https://songwritingcompetition.com/previouswinners|title=International Songwriting Competition {{!}} The #1 Song Contest for Songwriters|website=songwritingcompetition.com|access-date=2019-04-28}}
• 2017 JUNO Awards: Nominees for "World Music Album of the Year" for Subcontinental Drift{{Cite web|url=https://junoawards.ca/nomination/world-music-album-of-the-year-sultans-of-string/|title=WORLD MUSIC ALBUM OF THE YEAR {{!}} Sultans of String|website=The JUNO Awards|access-date=2019-04-28}}
• 2017 Billboard World Music Charts: Subcontinental Drift CD hits #15
• 2016 Canadian Folk Music Awards: World Music Group of the Year{{Cite web|url=https://folkawards.ca/past-years/results-2016/|title=Results 2016 {{!}} Canadian Folk Music Awards|language=en-US|access-date=2019-04-28}}
• 2015 International Songwriting Competition (ISC) for "Ho Jamalo"{{Cite web|url=https://songwritingcompetition.com/previouswinners|title=International Songwriting Competition - Previous Winners|last=|first=|date=|website=songwritingcompetition.com|access-date=}}
• 2015 JUNO Awards: Nominees for "Instrumental Album of the Year" for Symphony!{{Cite web|url=https://junoawards.ca/nominees/|title=See the Full List of JUNO Awards Nominees|last=|first=|date=|website=The JUNO Awards|access-date=2019-04-28}}
• 2015 Toronto Independent Music Award: World Music{{Cite web|url=http://torontoima.com/x/index.php/past-winners-old/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180816194337/http://torontoima.com/x/index.php/past-winners-old/|url-status=usurped|archive-date=August 16, 2018|title=past winners – TIMAs|language=en-US|access-date=2019-04-28}}
• 2014 SIRIUSXM Independent Music Awards Winner: World Group of the Year{{Cite web|url=https://cmw.net/2014-siriusxm-indie-awards-winners-announced/|title=2014 SiriusXM Indie Awards Winners Announced|date=2014-05-12|website=2019 Canadian Music Week May 6–12, 2019|access-date=2019-04-28}}
• 2014 IMA Independent Music Award Winner : Instrumental Song for "Josie"{{Cite web|url=http://independentmusicawards.com/blog/2014/06/03/13th-annual-independent-music-awards-winners-announced/|title=THE 13TH ANNUAL INDEPENDENT MUSIC AWARDS WINNERS ANNOUNCED|date=2014-06-03|website=Independent Music Awards|language=en-US|access-date=2019-04-28}}
• 2014 IMA Independent Music Vox Pop Award: Music Producer (Chris McKhool) for Symphony!{{Cite web|url=http://independentmusicawards.com/artist/past-ima-programs/|title=Past IMA Programs|website=Independent Music Awards|language=en-US|access-date=2019-04-28}}
• 2013 ISC International Songwriting Competition: Instrumental category for "Monti's Revenge"
• 2013 Folk Music Ontario: Songs From The Heart Award for "Monti's Revenge"
• 2013 Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal for bandleader Chris McKhool{{Cite web|url=https://www.gg.ca/en/honours/recipients/126-263503|title=Chris McKhool|last=General|first=Office of the Secretary to the Governor|website=The Governor General of Canada|access-date=2019-04-28}}
• 2013 SiriusXM Canadian Indie Awards: Nominee for World Group of the Year{{Cite web|url=http://indies.ca/2013-siriusxm-indies-honour-the-best-in-independent-music-with-awards-and-an-exclusive-headline-performance-by-metric/|title=2013 Indies Honour The Best In Independent Music With Awards And An Exclusive Headline Performance By Metric {{!}} Jim Beam INDIES with INDIE88|language=en-US|access-date=2019-04-28}}
• 2008 International Songwriting Competition(ISC): Winner - Instrumental

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Category:Musical groups from Toronto

Category:Musical groups established in 2004

Category:Canadian instrumental musical groups

Category:Canadian world music groups

Category:2004 establishments in Ontario

Category:Canadian Folk Music Award winners