Rising Ottawa hip-hop producer Deflare Beats team up with some of the west end’s finest for West Side Freestyle. If you follow the Ottawa hip-hop scene you’ve heard of Deflare Beats, one of the city’s promising up and coming hip-hop producers. For the past few years, he’s been working out of the Real House of Ensemble recording studio in Ottawa’s Byward Market, working with Ottawa’s up and coming artists. Under the mentorship of City Fidelia, Jeff Sanon and Abe Abedi, he’s been growing in his craft and perfecting his sound, even helping to work on a recent Lays commercial featuring…
Author: SHIFTER Staff
Canadian dancers and choreographers are making names for themselves at home and abroad. Here are 11 Canadian women of colour moving the needle in dance. Canada has produced a number of dancers and choreographers who are making contributions to arts and entertainment, whether in the limelight or in the background, including Luther Brown, Tre Armstrong, Sean Cheesman, Hollywood Jade, and many more. In the latest installment of SHIFTER and the National Arts Centre’s Innovators & Icons series, where we celebrate Canadian women of colour in live performance, we take look at Canadian women of colour leading the charge in dance,…
The Manifesto showcase billed as Off Campus: The Prelude is back with rising Canadian rappers, singers, songwriters and musicians from Toronto, Ottawa, and Nova Scotia. This weekend marks the 17th edition of Manifesto. This year’s event is being called Manifest Presents: The Block Party, in partnership with CBC Music. As a warm up to the big day, last night Manifesto hosted their ‘Off Campus: The Prelude’ showcase at The Drake Underground in Toronto as part of Manifesto’s Summer Festival Week. The show was headlined by 2022 Juno Award Nominee Emanuel and hosted by Manifesto’s own Summer Knocks and Shans Ashley. Including…
SHIFTER founder and editor-in-chief, Kevin Bourne, was named one of 310 international voters for the 81st Golden Globe Awards. Here’s the full story. Last month, The Golden Globes® announced an expanded voting body for the 81st Annual Golden Globe Awards set to take place January 7, 2024 in Beverley Hills. The Hollywood Foreign Press Association added 215 international voters, who alongside the current 95 members, make up a body of 310 voters from all over the world. The voting body is made up of 25% Latinx, 14% Asian, 10% Black, 9% Middle Eastern and 42% White, with at least 17%…
Youth and industry leaders gathered at the Pinball Clemons Foundation You(th) Lead Conference for a time of networking and mentorship. This past Saturday, April 22nd, 2023, industry leaders from diverse fields joined 100 marginalized and racialized youths at Hotel X Toronto for a day of networking, inspiration, and connection at the Pinball Clemons Foundation You(th) Lead Conference. The youth, who are enrolled in various post-secondary and certificate programs funded by the foundation, have been provided with full bursaries, books, tech, and mentorship to ensure they avoid accumulating student debt. In return, they agree to attend bi-weekly and one-on-one mentorship sessions…
From Halifax and Toronto to Blood Reserve in Southern Alberta, here are five women making a name for themselves in Indigenous theatre. The National Arts Centre and SHIFTER continue to spotlight Canadian women of colour in live performance with the April edition of Innovators & Icons. As a part of this groundbreaking article series, every month the NAC and SHIFTER will be honouring Canadian women of colour who align with the NAC’s various disciplines―Popular Music & Variety, Dance, Indigenous Theatre, English Theatre, French Theatre, and NACO (the NAC Orchestra). These women are not only stellar live performers, representing the geographical…
Omega Mighty has returned dropping some upbeat motivation for her fans with the release of her new single Badgirl Workout. Omega Mighty’s new single “Badgirl Workout” is a perfect fusion of R&B, reggae, and dancehall, showcasing her unique lower-register vocals which are powerful and sultry, complementing the music perfectly. Clocking in at just under three minutes, “Badgirl Workout” is a catchy and upbeat track that will stick in your head for hours. The song features a pulsating beat, energetic instrumentation, driving bassline, upbeat synths, and a groovy rhythm that is perfect for working out or dancing (something Omega Mighty is…
In our latest SHIFTER Boss feature we talk to Montreal-based entertainment publicist and former Miss Universe Canada contestant Kalika Hastings. SHIFTER: Before we get into industry talk, you were a finalist for Miss Universe Canada 2020? What led you to get into beauty pageants and is it something you would do again? Kalika: In 2019, the year before I auditioned for Miss Universe Canada, Toni-Ann Singh of Jamaica was crowned Miss World, marking the first time in history that Black women had simultaneously held the titles of five of the world’s top beauty pageants, including Miss Teen USA, Miss America,…
Ahead of the March 24th release of his new album Since I Have A Lover, 6lack drops his new single Talkback. After a four-year hiatus, the Baltimore born, Atlanta raised artist known as 6lack is back with some new music and fans appear to be excited. Earlier today, he released the track list for his upcoming project Since I Have A Lover, set for release on March 24 he announced earlier today. Then tonight, he released the debut single off the project titled “Talkback”. On the track, we learn that talkback is about a conversation with God. [Chorus] And I…
From music and theatre to home renovations and the public service—SHIFTER is proud to present its first annual Outstanding Black Women in Canada list. Meet the Outstanding Black Women in Canada for 2023. Back in 2020, following the murders of George Floyd and Toronto rapper Houdini, we decided to launch our inaugural Outstanding Black Men in Canada list to celebrate Black men having a positive impact at work, at home, in the community and in culture, all while promoting brotherhood among Black men and dispelling negative stereotypes. When we released the list, we heard from Black Canadian women wondering when…
From Montreal to Ottawa and Toronto, here are three Canadian women of colour innovating in French theatre. The National Arts Centre is partnering with SHIFTER to spotlight Canadian women of colour in live performance with its first ever Innovators & Icons lists. As a part of this groundbreaking article series, every month the NAC and SHIFTER will be honouring Canadian women of colour who align with the NAC’s various disciplines―Popular Music & Variety, Dance, Indigenous Theatre, English Theatre, French Theatre, and NACO (the NAC Orchestra). These women are not only stellar creators and live performers, representing the geographical and ethnic…
Outstanding Black Women in Canada 2023 nominations are now open! Make sure to nominate a Black woman having impact at work, at home, in the community, and in culture. Inspired by our annual Outstanding Black Men in Canada lists, we’re celebrating International Women’s Day with the launch of our first ever Outstanding Black Women in Canada list celebrating mothers, daughters, leaders, and entrepreneurs who are having an impact at home, at work, in business, in the community and in culture. The guidelines are as follows: Nominators are invited to nominate deserving Black women from across Canada Nominators can be based anywhere…
