Summer Jam 2025 II: Sophie Lukacs & Tommy Youngsteen

Ashkenaz Festival & Magen Group are returning to Earl Bales Park for the third edition of the Summer Jam 2025 FREE concert series from July 14 to August 25, including FOUR exciting and eclectic double-bill concerts on alternating Monday evenings. Each concert will feature a Jewish roots performance, paired with a pop, rock or jamband tribute act, attracting inter-generational fans from across the musical spectrum. Bring a blanket or lawnchair, a picnic and beverages and enjoy amazing music in an idyllic setting with friends and family. Mondays will never be the same!

Monday July 28 – “Under African Skies”

Sophie Lukacs (Soulful Songs with African Vibes)
Tommy Youngsteen (Tribute to Paul Simon)

Sophie Lukacs is one of the few women in the world performing on the kora, the 21-string West African harp. Born in Budapest and raised in Canada, she grew up surrounded by classical music, studying the violin from a young age. A trip to Burkina Faso in her early twenties altered the course of her life when she discovered Mandingue music and began to study the kora. Her unique approach to using the kora blends folk, pop, and classical influences with aspects of her Hungarian Jewish heritage, while also paying homage to the kora’s African roots with her interpretations of traditional pieces. She sings and tells stories in English, French, Bambara and Hungarian, and has worked and studied with such legends as Toumani Diabaté and Habib Koité. Sophie captured the Stingray Rising Star Award in 2020, and her debut release was named Global Roots Album of the Year by the Canadian Folk Music Awards in 2024. For Summer Jam Sophie will be joined by Noel Mpiaza (percussion + vox), Laszlo Koos (bass) and Kobe Aqua-Harisson (guitar).

Video: https://youtu.be/4NELYVS9y18?si=bwLesETjOB3Vc8O7

Tommy Youngsteen is a Toronto-based classic rock supergroup that includes members and alumni of such Juno winners as Stars, Sam Roberts Band, The Arkells, Serena Ryder, Lowest of the Low.   The group has built a reputation for high-powered takes on some of the most legendary artists of all time. Their tribute to Paul Simon spans the legendary songwriter’s vast catalogue from Simon & Garfunkel to Graceland and beyond.

Video trailer: https://youtu.be/_CxUfbBlY-M?si=9lCCXKspyPsVk-D9