VOLUME 5 of the INSTITUT experiment. Every week, a different hypothesis. Underground at 620 Spadina Ave — around the back, through the lot to the steel doors, down the stairs, past the mechanical room, through the swinging wood laminate door.
Tonight: an open folk session rooted in village traditions, an evening of Greek taverna music, an intimate solo set from Toronto legend of button accordion , and vinyl til close.
PWYC. RSVP so we know who to expect.
Residency | Kryva Kosa
Open acoustic rehearsal of Balkan, Baltic, and Slavic village folk — simple songs to learn, easy listening for the curious.
KRYVA KOSA is a collective of musicians and artists dedicated to sharing folk traditions from their diverse backgrounds. "Kryva Kosa" — meaning "crooked scythe" in Ukrainian — brings timeless village melodies from Ukraine and neighbouring Slavic, Baltic, Balkan, and Finno-Ugric cultures to life through music, dance, and communal exchange. They have performed and taught at the Bloor West Village Ukrainian Festival, Drom Taberna, Kosa Folk Arts Melanka, and recently completed a four-month residency at Hart House, UofT.
RSVP
Concert | Greek Trio
From Northern Greece to Thrace to Asia Minor — music meant for folk dancing, celebrations, and quieter moments of song shared around the table. Voices, laouto, saxophone, and percussion in the basement.
DIMITRA KAHRIMANIDIS is a singer, ethnomusicologist, and recent participant on The Voice Greece. Known for her versatility and deep roots in traditional Greek repertoire, she is a familiar presence within Greek communities across the GTA. She performs on voice and laouto.
ARIANE MORIN brings her ongoing research and studies in Greek and Turkish music, cultivated in Thessaloniki and Istanbul, alongside a strong background in Balkan music. She performs on saxophone.
NAGMEH FARAHMAND is an Iranian percussionist from a musical family, trained in Persian classical traditions. Based in Toronto, she is an active performer and teacher across a wide range of ensembles and collaborations.
RSVP
Concert | Tangi Lion
Intimate solo set from toronto legend of button accordion
One accordion. A thousand miles of stories.
Button accordion wizard, cultural nomad, and longtime fixture of Toronto’s folk underground, Tangi takes the stage solo for a rare close-up encounter. A veteran of countless dance floors, tavernas, festivals, and late-night sessions, he digs deep into the folk traditions that shaped him, weaving together melodies that feel ancient, restless, and alive.
TANGI LION is a Brittany-born multi-instrumentalist, producer, and dance teacher whose career spans Celtic, Balkan, Klezmer, Brazilian, and world music traditions. Based in Toronto, he has co-founded influential projects including Lemon Bucket Orkestra, Balfolk Toronto, and Moskitto Bar, while championing cultural exchange through performance, production, and community building. Today, he continues to celebrate Toronto’s diversity on local and international stages.
RSVP
Vintage Vinyl | Janina Marie
Eclectic vinyl selections that get hearts pumping and blood bubbling — funky soundscapes, Italo-boogie-disco, and 90s-00s house.
JANINA MARIE is a Polish-Canadian DJ, record collector, and fixture in Toronto's underground music scene. Her sets span funky soundscapes, Italo-boogie-disco, and 90s-00s house. She has performed alongside Waajeed, Lefto Early Bird, and Xica Soul, toured across Europe and the USA, and appeared on Brooklyn's The Lot Radio and Poland's Czworka Radio. She is also a founding member of Group Benefits, a multi-genre dance party series dedicated to amplifying the work of women, queer, and non-binary artists.