Suzi Silva, voix

Suzi Silva made her debut at the age of 11. In Montreal she presented herself for the first time at a local fado house. At 12, she returned to Portugal and then began to discover several other musical genres. And then there was Jazz… She attended Coimbra’s Music Conservatory in classical singing and then devoted herself to musical education and training in Jazz at “Sítio de Sons” Music School (Coimbra) and Jobra’s Music Conservatory (Albergaria-a-Velha).

She returned to Montreal in 2013 and was admitted into the Jazz Interpretation Program at University of Montreal in 2014. 

Suzi’s been performing at Montreal’s major Jazz clubs and taking part in numerous festivals, such as Mont-Tremblant Festi-Jazz, Sutton Jazz Festival and Montreal International Percussion Festival. Jazz, bossa-nova, french music and fado are her specialties.

Her recent project Fad’AZZ has been awarded the “Traditional” category prize at the 2018’s IPMA (International Portuguese Music Awards) with her song “Fado Mestiço – Amanhã”.

A singer, performer and composer, buzzing between fado and jazz in search of a possible fusion of the two styles.

José Brites, guitare portugaise

Specialist in the Portuguese guitar

Rodrigo Simões, guitare classique

Rodrigo Simões is a composer with a signature style, seamlessly blending Brazilian music with jazz improvisation. Throughout his international career, he has performed on stages across China, Australia, South Korea, Paraguay, and the United States, in addition to his native Brazil and his adopted home of Canada.

The guitarist has collaborated with world-renowned artists in both Brazil (Elza Soares, Carlos Malta, Paulinho da Viola, Dominguinhos, Zeca Baleiro, and Paulo Moska) and Canada (Bill McBirnie, Joel Miller, Sienna Dahlen, Alex Lefaivre, Sonia Johnson, Mark Nelson, Carl Mayotte, Pierre Verville, Rémi Bolduc, and Jean-Pierre Zanella).

2013: Released his debut album, Aos Velhos Amigos, in Brazil.2018: Earned a Master’s degree in Jazz Composition from the Université de Montréal under the mentorship of bassist Alain Caron (UZEB).2018: Released his second album, Jazz Brésilien, under the Montreal-based label MCM. This record won a Bronze Medal at the Global Music Awards and was ranked among the top five jazz albums of the year in Quebec by Sorties Jazz Nights.2023: Released his third album, TRE. This concept album, published by the Canadian jazz label Three Pines Records, also received a Bronze Medal at the Global Music Awards in the "Best Latin Album" category.

Driven by the strength of this repertoire, Rodrigo’s ensemble was honored with the "Group of the Year" award at the 10th TU Jazz Festival in Toronto.

Ziya Tabassian, percussion

Ziya Tabassian is artistic director of Montréal’s 9e Musique@17h VoixMonde series at the 9e Grande Salle, Festival Accès Asie and the Garage Concerts series and is recognized for his virtuosity and innovative approach to percussion.  

Festival Accès Asie is a Montréal-based multidisciplinary festival, founded in 1995, that showcases and celebrates Asian arts, cultures, and stories through diverse artistic programming and community engagement. 

9e Musique@17hVoixMonde and Concerts Garage are principally offered to immigrants who are professional musicians. The aim is to help outstanding artists introduce their culture of origin, and work with local artists in a spirit of diversity and inclusion. 23% of the Canadian population are immigrants. Concerts Garage focuses on the Plateau-Mont-Royal, “the most densely populated district in Canada,” recognized internationally as a major artistic center with a large concentration of artists, musicians and arts organizations. 

Ziya began his musical journey at the age of ten in Iran, where he immersed himself in the study of the tombak. After moving to Quebec, he pursued classical Western percussion studies with Julien Grégoire from 1994 to 2001 and earned a Bachelor’s degree in Performance from the Université de Montréal. A pivotal moment in Ziya’s artistic development occurred during an artistic residency at the Banff Centre in 2003, where he explored Iranian percussion within a contemporary context—an approach that continues to shape Ziya’s distinctive musical voice. 

Ziya’s artistic quest has led him to advanced training with renowned masters including Bahman Rajabi, Aziz Alami, Trichy Sankaran, Mısırli Ahmet, Shree Sundarkumar, and Yogesh Samsi. Driven by boundless musical curiosity, Tabassian has established himself as a distinctive figure at the crossroads of early music (medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque), contemporary music, and world music traditions. 

A sought-after percussionist, he collaborates with numerous ensembles and artists, notably Ensemble Caprice. Ziya’s performances have taken him to stages in more than 40 countries, appearing at international festivals and prestigious concert halls. 

Supported by the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec and the Canada Council for the Arts, he has also contributed to recordings with artists such as the Kronos Quartet, Kayhan Kalhor, and Mercan Dede. Ziya’sdiscography includes the albums Tombak (2007), Le Cercle des Cycles (2017), Zarb-e Osul (2020), Remembrances (2023), and most recently SafarNameh (2025). Ziya’s compositions are characterized by a rich sonic palette that brings together Persian rhythmic traditions and contemporary musical aesthetics. 

Ziya’s work continues to captivate audiences through a compelling dialogue between tradition and innovation.