“In order to be irreplaceable, once must be different.” -Coco Chanel
Author: Kevin Bourne
Kevin Bourne
Kevin Bourne is the co-founder and editor of SHIFTER magazine. Born and raised in Toronto, Kevin currently resides in Ottawa with his wife Koliah and their three children. He's a big fan of hip-hop, pop culture, and urbanism and spends most of his time keeping up with the Kardashians.
Admittedly, I’m not in Fetty Wap’s general demographic. This became evident when I reached the show and was surrounded by a sea of high school aged or younger kids. That being said, it was a fun show. I went in without having an expectation for the performance and was pleasantly surprised by a few things. Fetty Wap is an extremely charismatic stage presence. It didn’t hurt that he had a whole crew with him on stage that helped bring up the energy of the performance. Even when the crowd’s energy went down a bit, all he had to do was…
Cleo Ellis began her career working for the government, bringing in a great income, but soon realized it wasn’t fulfilling. Remembering a conversation she had with her father about pursuing marketing, she decided to take that step to pursue what she knew deep down she was meant to do. Cleo went for what she wanted and now runs Cleo Ellis Communications, a successful communications consulting agency that specializes in strategic brand partnerships. Cleo is also co-founder of LuxelifeSound with DJ Lissa Monet. Ep. 13 – Cleo Ellis of Cleo Ellis Communications Photos by Jodianne Beckford For more photos of Cleo Ellis visit…
In all honesty, I went into the P!nk concert with very low expectations. I didn’t really know if I was going to enjoy this one at all given the fact that it’s not really my favourite type of music. Nevertheless, I left my expectations at the door and, as any critic or reporter should do, I decided to go in with an open mind. And boy was it worth it. The first thing that hit me was the fact that P!nk is an amazing performer. Flawless even. The energy that she brought to the stage was so transferable. Halfway through…
Out of the whole Bluesfest lineup, this is the show I was looking forward to the most, which means it had the most potential to disappoint. After going to the Flight Distance show right before, it was apparent that a crowd can make or break a show, and the 50 Cent crowd was good; marijuana smoke and mosh pits aside. This crowd of suburban looking kids knew their hip-hop and it made for a cool atmosphere. 50, along with G-Unit’s Tony Yayo and Uncle Murda, came out of the gate with the bangers that made them famous, like What up…
If I had to describe Tegan and Sara’s Bluesfest performance in one word it would have to be “happy”. Not only because of their indie pop sound but also their pink and baby blue inflatable “T&S” stage decor. The whole thing screamed fun and happiness. They started their set with a cover of the Pointer Sisters classic I’m So Excited which was sprinkled with some slight Reggae influences. After upbeat hits like Back In Your Head, Goodbye, Goodbye and Alligator, the duo added a personal touch, telling stories about their journey as musicians, before going into a few stripped down…
One name I’ve been hearing and reading about in the music scene for years is none other than Pony Girl. Their name sounds unique and a lot of fun and they were both of those things. They happened to be the first act that I took in on Day 1 of RBC Bluesfest so they had the task of setting the tone for the festival for SHIFTER and they did indeed. Performing in front of a packed Barney Danson Theatre, Pony Girl opened with improv and Ivory before going into the soft, and radio ready, Candy, followed by the at…
In this final episode of season one, artist Ojo Agi and I talked about all her accomplishments since our first interview back in 2015. She got straight to the point in sharing the ups and downs throughout her career, and how art is not always as respected as it should be. Ep. 12 – Ojo Agi of Art by Ojo Photos by Jodianne Beckford For more photos of Obo Agi visit jodiannebeckford.com OJO AGI SOCIAL MEDIA Instagram: ArtbyOjo Website: ArtbyOjo Twitter: ArtbyOjo VIDEO FILMED & EDITED BY: O’SHANE HOWARD Vimeo: O’shaneHoward Instagram: O’shaneHoward Website: O’shaneHoward Facebook: O’shaneHoward PODCAST INTRO/OUTRO MUSIC PRODUCED BY: JOE IMPALA Soundcloud: JoeImpala PODCAST ENGINEERED BY: UNIQUEKA WILSON…
With Canada’s big 150th birthday bash now in the past, it’s understandable why some might believe that things are about to slow down in Canada’s capital. Well get ready to get excited all over again because RBC Bluesfest is about to kick off the second half 2017 festivities with a bang. As usual, this year’s installment of RBC Bluesfest delivers an eclectic mix musical fare, from early 2000’s hip-hop to trap, country and electronic music. And, of course, who can forget the All-Star Blues Review that puts the blues in Bluesfest? What sticks out is the depth of local talent.…
It’s not often that big fashion news comes out of Canada’s capital, but last week there was a major win for Ottawa and Canadian fashion. Long time designer, Stacey Bafi-Yeboa, founder of luxury sweatshirt company KANIA, was invited to show at New York Fashion Week. For Bafi-Yeboa this step was years in the making and she’s embracing the challenge. Stacey is no stranger to the limelight. Before fashion, her first love was dance. At 19 years old her talents took her to New York where she danced on Broadway. It was during this time in the Big Apple that her…
It’s a mystery. As human beings we somehow find a way to embody so many seemingly contradictory extremes all at once. Another mystery is why we’re so captivated by people who exemplify these extremes. Is the secret to their magnetism the fact that we see ourselves in them or that they personify who we aspire to be? To many of us Lesane Parish Crooks, aka Tupac Shakur, extreme and contradictory figure. He had so many different facets to his persona- the human, the star, the rapper, the poet, the actor, the homie, the inspiration and, in 2017, the role model and…
Dre Ngozi is a DJ, producer, and artist. Her motto to success and following your dreams is to “just do it”. She talks about being confident in your work and pushing yourself to get what you want. Ep. 11 – Interview with Dre. Ngozi Photos by Jodianne Beckford For more photos visit jodiannebeckford.com DRE NGOZI SOCIAL MEDIA Soundcloud: DRENGOZI Instagram: DRENGOZI VIDEO FILMED & EDITED BY: O’SHANE HOWARD Instagram: O’shaneHoward Website: O’shaneHoward Facebook: O’shaneHoward PODCAST INTRO/OUTRO MUSIC PRODUCED BY: JOE IMPALA Soundcloud: JoeImpala PODCAST ENGINEERED BY: UNIQUEKA WILSON Instagram: UniquekaW PODCAST RECORDED AT ST. ALBANS BOYS & GIRLS CLUB Instagram: StAlbansbgc Facebook: StAlbansbgc
