Sounds from the East brings newcomers and Saultites together (6 photos)

Food, music and culture was found in abundance during Sounds of the East at The Machine Shop Saturday night.

The event - which served as a way of welcoming newcomers to the Sault - was organized in part by Global Friends, a recreation and cultural program for newcomer youth that’s been rolled out by Refugee 705.

“It’s just an opportunity for people to come together, share a meal and enjoy some music,” said Simone Mitchell, project coordinator for Global Friends. “The focus of tonight is Middle Eastern, so we have quite a few refugees and newcomers who came to Sault Ste. Marie from places like Syria, and this is just an opportunity to come celebrate their background and their traditions.”

Mitchell told SooToday that people enrolled the hospitality training program at the Sault Community Career Centre helped prepare a Syrian menu for the roughly 200 guests in attendance.  

“We have chefs in the kitchen working with the Mill Steakhouse to create a really authentic menu tonight,” she said.

Percussionist George Al’Khoury says that a lot of time and effort went into rehearsing the traditional music for the event.  

“They play the classic music from back home, which not many people play this music anymore,” said Al’Khoury. “It’s very difficult to play, and you have to be very professional to play this type of music.”

Al’Khoury says he’s been playing a hand drum known as a darbouka since he was just seven years old.

“We grew up doing this, so I know how much it means to have people altogether or to host people, or to get people together,” he told SooToday. “It means a lot to me.”

Donations from the event will go toward sports-associated costs for newcomer youth.