Since 1996 Kuljit Sodhi, Galitcha's lead singer, composer and percussionist has been building an ensemble which integrates music with a strong North Indian footprint overlaid with influences from western folk and jazz and instrumentation from around the world. From heartfelt devotional and love songs, to compelling lively dance tunes, Galitcha (meaning tapestry) takes audiences on a musical journey from one end of the emotional spectrum to the other. The songs are mainly sung in Punjabi, Urdu and Hindi with explanations in English and/or French. Vocalists Kuljit Sodhi also on East Indian dholki drum and Chris MacLean also on guitar, the accordion-like harmonium, Appalachian dulcimer and a one-stringed banjo called gopichand; Linsey Wellman on saxophones and flutes; and Shawn Mativetsky on East Indian tabla drum, dhol (barrel drum) and percussion; create a culturally diverse Canadian sound. But Galitcha's performances are not just about the music. There is an inspiring sense of devotion - to the muse, to each other, to the audience - which is consistently part of their presence on and off stage.

Based in Ottawa, Canada, they have performed in concert halls, schools and folk festivals across Canada and at:

  • The Canadian Museum of Civilization
  • The Canadian Tulip Festival
  • The National Capital Canada Day Celebration (2001/02/03)
  • The Black Sheep Inn (Wakefield Quebec)
  • The National Arts Centre (Ottawa)
  • The National Library Auditorium
  • Hugh's Room (Toronto)
  • The Lincoln Center (NY)
  • Ontario Center for the Performing Arts (Oswego NY)
  • Place des Arts (Montréal)
  • Festival de Rabat and International Festival de Tetouan - Morrocco 2002
  • Festival au Désert - Timbouctou Mali - January 2005
  • and have collaborated on stage with artists such as acoustic blues guitarist Harry Manx, violinist Oliver Schoer and Yves Lambert (la Bottine Souriante).

Galitcha has also been chosen to perform official mainstage showcases at the following industry conferences:

  • The Ontario Council of Folk Festivals conference (2002)
  • The Ontario Arts Council's Ontario Contact (2002)
  • NERFA (North East Regional Folk Alliance) conference (2003)
  • Folk Alliance Canada (2003)
  • Folquébec (2003)
  • Pacific Contact conference in Vancouver (2004)
  • Folk Alliance Canada showcase at the NA Folk Alliance conference Feb 2005
  • ArtStarts in Schools conference in Vancouver (March 2005)
  • Arts Presenters (APAP) conference (Jan 2006) NYC
  • North American Folk Alliance Conference (Feb 2006) Austin Texas
  • La Bourse RIDEAU (Feb 2006) Quebec City

Galitcha has received financial support from the Government of Canada through the Canada Music Fund for promotion and for attendances at NERFA, Contact Ontario, Pacific Contact, the Vancouver Island MusicFest and the Festival au Désert in Mali. Assistance was also provided by the Canadian Embassy in Mali for travel to the Festival au Désert in January 2005 and from the Department of Foreign Affairs Canada for travel to the US in August 2004.

Galitcha's premiere full-length recording entitled SATRANG, (2002), has done well on radio across Canada. Their concerts have been recorded live for CBC radio's Bandwidth, The World in Performance and Global Village and for Radio Canada. The CD has reached 'top 10' status on world music charts on stations from Toronto to Victoria. Galitcha was awarded CIUT's (Toronto) 'Porcupine Award' for Musique du Monde CD of the year (2003). Philly Markowitz, host of CBC's Roots and Wings, chose SATRANG as a 'Pick of the Year' (2003). The group has just completed a new CD (their second full length disc) for which they have received assistance from the Ontario Arts Council and FACTOR. The recording, entitled Célébration Blé d'inde Celebration, reflects Galitcha's progress as a group and tells the story of their travels both geographically, historically and musically. The CD is distributed by Festival Distribution.

Continuous creativity and performance excellence are the primary goals of Galitcha. With a solid base in Ottawa Canada, Galitcha is steadily working at reaching out to an ever widening audience - across Canada, in the US and internationally.


Linsey WellmanShawn MativetskyChris MacLeanKuljit Sodhi
photo: Mike Beedell for personal bios, click on the person's name