The music scene in Canada’s capital is growing rapidly, but sometimes lost in the mix is the francophone side of the scene. But with a number of Gatineau artists having had success on the latest season of La Voix, the Quebec version of The Voice, and with Ottawa having recently played host to the 2019 Trille Or awards, the premiere awards for francophone artists in Ontario and the provinces west of Quebec, the spotlight is increasingly shining on francophone music coming out of the capital region. Looking to add a little fuel to the fire is David Muipatayi, founder of…
Author: Kevin Bourne
Kevin Bourne
Kevin Bourne, also known as "KB The Boss" or simply "KB", is a Toronto-based host/on-air personality, arts & entertainment journalist, TV/film producer, and communications and content strategist. As a commentator and freelancer, he has appeared nationally as a correspondent on CBC News Network and host on CBC Music. He has also appeared locally on CTV, CBC Radio, CityNews, Newstalk 1010, and ByBlacks.com, and in the United States on Fox’s Black digital TV network, Fox Soul. He has covered some of Canada’s top red-carpet events, from the Toronto International Film Festival to the Canadian Screen Awards, and has interviewed everyone from Kevin Hart and "Fast and the Furious" star Tyrese Gibson to Ziggy Marley, Ava DuVernay, Dascha Polanco, Lilly Singh, and Howie Mandel. His years of work as an entertainment journalist led to him being named a Golden Globe® Awards voter and Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer-Approved critic and being quoted as a critic in national ad campaigns for Black films and TV shows, both in Canada and the United States. Pivoting into the world of film and television, Kevin co-founded the film, TV, digital content, and live experiences company, SHIFTER Entertainment, alongside his wife and business partner, Koliah. Through SHIFTER he has produced a number of projects, including the Bell Fibe TV1 unscripted reality series A Date In The Life, serving as showrunner, executive producer, writer and co-director. Now, with a number of pilot and feature film scripts written and projects in development, KB is poised to continue to be a champion for Black entertainment and culture alongside his wife and business partner, Koliah.
Just in time for Mother’s Day, today Toronto-based, Ottawa-raised hip-hop artist City Fidelia released a new song called “Mama Knows”, the first single off his upcoming album. While the song opens with a real life conversation between Fidelia and his mother (with the two sharing a laugh), it is really a celebration of all mothers who have persevered and held it down for their children. The song also tackles some hard issues like his mother’s reaction to his brother’s cocaine use, and provides a glimpse into what it is like to grow up in a Caribbean home in Canada. In the…
After a very lean roundup in March, this month’s Ottawa music video roundup includes artists from both sides of the river, including Timal Garnier, SVDVM, Sean Lightz, KVY, and OTG featuring Sixonetrey. April was dominated by music video maker Goat Vision Studios who was responsible for three out of the five videos on our list. We’re continuing to ask you, the fans, to vote for the capital’s Video of the Month. Check out the videos below in order of release date, then help us crown the top video in the city for April. As usual, if there are any videos we…
Welcome to our second Toronto Music Video Roundup! Every month we’ll be featuring some of the top music videos coming out of Toronto. This month’s list features Alessia Cara, Jessie Reyez, Maestro Fresh Wes, Pressa and more. We’re asking you, the fans, to vote for Toronto’s Video of the Month. Check out the videos below in order of release date, then help us crown the top video in the city for April. If there are any videos we forgot make sure to comment below. Alessia Cara Out of Love Release date: April 4, 2019 Shot by: Sunny Visual This video starts with…
Vladimir Jean-Gilles recently sat down with Chilean filmmakers Silvio Caiozzi and Edgardo Viereck ahead of the Canadian Film Institute screening of their film …And Suddenly the Dawn (…Y de pronto el amanecer) at the Ottawa Art Gallery. They talked about the creative inspiration for the film and Caiozzi’s long-awaited return to the director’s chair. Vlad: So for starters, the first thing I wanted to talk about is in regards to the filmmaking process – the pre-production side of it, how the two of you got connected to make this film, and what exactly inspired you to put that together. Silvio: Well, with Edgardo,…
You’ve asked and it’s finally here. This weekend marks Ottawa native Maurice Moore’s first homecoming show of 2019. Brought to you by Smallworld Live, this intimate all-ages show will take place on Saturday, April 27 at The 27 Club in the Byward Market. Holding down emcee duties are Kevin B. and Vladimir Jean-Gilles of SHIFTER magazine. Fresh off releasing his latest EP Destination Unknown, the Canadian singer-songwriter sensation has consistently shown that he is able to go beyond the traditional horizon of the R&B genre. Through his down to earth persona, Moore paints the picture of an up-and-coming artist who’s…
The NBA Playoffs are back and there’s a notable name missing from any of the eight first-round series. Lebron and his baby Lakers (no surprise) are nowhere to be seen this postseason. A first for LBJ in 8 years, but a reccurring theme for the Lake show which hasn’t been to the playoff since Kobe retired. In the absence of Lebron’s star power, there doesn’t seem to be a shortage of intriguing storylines to follow—Kawhi in the East, DeRozan with Pop in the West, and of course everyone’s default Finals pick, the Dubs of Golden State. Let’s take a closer…
The height of the mixtape era was one of the most exciting times in hip-hop history, especially as a fan. It was like the Wild West as the internet was flooded with new music. It allowed artists to bypass the industry crap for a second and get back to the love of hip-hop. This era blessed us with Drake’s So Far Gone and Lil’ Wayne’s Dedication 2 and Da Drought 3. People still debate mixtape Wayne vs. album Wayne almost like #8 Kobe vs. #24 Kobe. Last month, Pittsburgh-raised, Ottawa-based rapper Cashtro Crosby took us back and reminded us why mixtapes were such…
Self-described as an adhesive/aerosol artist — also known as a sticker artist — Tyler Proulx is using his platform of teaching at D’Arcy McGee High School to change the way students think of academics. Street art — namely, spray-painted graffiti on building walls, train cars, and traffic signs — has been a popular, often rebellious, DIY tradition in urban centers since the 1960s. The sticker scene, in particular, founded by Obey creator Sheperd Fairey, was mostly ignored by law enforcement and has been nourished by other local taggers, wheat-pasters and sticker bombers. That includes Proulx, known as Trp613, one of…
Welcome to our first ever Toronto Music Video Roundup! Every month we’ll be featuring some of the top music videos coming out of Toronto. This month’s list features legends like Maestro Fresh Wes, today’s top artists like NAV and Tory Lanez, and up and comers like Dboybennett and Keynes Woods. We’re asking you, the fans, to vote for Toronto’s Video of the Month. Check out the videos below in order of release date, then help us crown the top video in the city for March. If there are any videos we forgot make sure to comment below. Maestro Fresh Wes (feat.…
March’s Ottawa music video roundup was a lean with one video from City Fidelia, Eva Shaw and Db Bantino. As usual, if there are any videos we forgot make sure to comment below. City Fidelia and Eva Shaw (feat. DB Bantino) Snakes Release date: March 29, 2019 Directed by: Eva Shaw & Henry Lipatov Produced by: MVA studios, Mad Fatti & EVAlution Inc. Edited by: Bogdan Yansen Right out the gate, the shot of Eva Shaw, City Fidelia and DB Bantino gives you a Matrix vibe. It’s highly cinematic with very high production value. The lighting is absolutely on point and the…
In a world where there are so many different options for playing games (like your phone, PC, Xbox, PS4, and now Google is getting their own streaming service) there is certainly many (many) games that this article doesn’t touch upon. However, we’ve compiled a list of the most exciting games buzzing around. This list is in order of release date, but many have yet to announce an “official” release date other than being released in 2019. Here are 15 video game releases coming in 2019. Yoshi’s Crafted World March 29 | Good-Feel | Switch This upcoming Yoshi’s Crafted World game…
