OKTOPUS
Project primarily devoted to klezmer. Distinguished by a novel approach that incorporates components of the classical and Quebecois repertoire, with some jazz and Balkan accents.
OKTOPUS
A two-time JUNO nominated multi-instrumentalist/producer, spoken-word poet, arts educator and community worker. in 2021, he was chosen as the laureate of the 2020 Ontario Arts Foundation Arts Educator Award.
Oktopus performances are both passionate and virtuosic, laced with humor and storytelling. Melancholic tunes — echoes of centuries of persecution — are followed by unbridled celebrations. Their arrangements and interpretation are deeply rooted in klezmer tradition, yet the group extends these roots to include works by Brahms, Kodály, and Mahler, songs from Quebec, and even jazz improvisation. Respect for different traditions, authenticity, and a desire to unite through music are central to Oktopus’s artistic approach.
After Lever l’encre in 2014, Oktopus released Hapax in 2017, followed by Créature in 2021 — both earning multiple nominations in Canada. Now in spring 2025, Oktopus presents its latest album, Brahms, Balkans & Bagels. Behind this humorous title lies a unique project that sets ablaze the fusion of classical and Eastern European folk music.
In 2019, Oktopus won the Special Prize for the Most Creative Fusion of Ancient and Contemporary Music Traditions at the Slovak Radio’s International Competition of Folk Music Recordings in Bratislava. In 2023, their recording of Wiegala, a piece composed by Ilse Weber in the Theresienstadt concentration camp, received the People’s Choice Award at the Bubbe Awards for best Jewish song video, presented annually by the Jewish Music Institute of Brazil.
Formed in 2010, the eight-piece ensemble Oktopus was founded by clarinetist Gabriel Paquin-Buki, who arranges and composes for the group.
“Paquin-Buki is the driving force behind Oktopus’s mission to perpetuate klezmer. “By striving to perpetuate this musical tradition, I am keeping the culture of my ancestors alive and this is of special significance to me,” he said.”
Jewish Independant
Oktopus performances are both passionate and virtuosic, laced with humor and storytelling. Melancholic tunes — echoes of centuries of persecution — are followed by unbridled celebrations. Their arrangements and interpretation are deeply rooted in klezmer tradition, yet the group extends these roots to include works by Brahms, Kodály, and Mahler, songs from Quebec, and even jazz improvisation. Respect for different traditions, authenticity, and a desire to unite through music are central to Oktopus’s artistic approach.
After Lever l’encre in 2014, Oktopus released Hapax in 2017, followed by Créature in 2021 — both earning multiple nominations in Canada. Now in spring 2025, Oktopus presents its latest album, Brahms, Balkans & Bagels. Behind this humorous title lies a unique project that sets ablaze the fusion of classical and Eastern European folk music.
“Paquin-Buki is the driving force behind Oktopus’s mission to perpetuate klezmer. “By striving to perpetuate this musical tradition, I am keeping the culture of my ancestors alive and this is of special significance to me,” he said.”