Haitian-Canadian artist Wesli is set to take the stage at the Shenkman Arts Centre in Ottawa. Here’s what you can expect. If you’ve never heard of Wesli, born Wesley Louissaint in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, you’ll be thankful that you have now. The Montreal-based songwriter, guitarist and producer has fusing traditional Haitian music with with roots, Afrobeat, and hip-hop, winning a number of awards along the way. Back in 2009-2010, he was crowned the Revelation Radio-Canada. Since then he has gone on to win the Babel Med Music Prize (2010), SOCAN’s Hagood Hardy Award (2016), an award from the Académie Charles CROS (2019), a JUNO Award for World…
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Since its opening in 1988, the Meridian Theatres @ Centrepointe have played host to some of the biggest names in music and comedy, including Russell Peters, Boyz II Men, Harlem Gospel Choir, Howie Mandel, Craig Ferguson, Jim Belushi, The Trailer Park Boys, and hometown boys Norm MacDonald and Tom Green. This February and March, the Meridian Theatres @ Centrepointe will play host to a series of rhythm-infused, action-packed shows that are guaranteed to get you out of your seat. Here are four must-see shows coming soon to Ottawa’s Meridian Theatres @ Centrepointe. FREEDOM! THE SPIRIT AND LEGACY OF BLACK MUSIC…
Canadian comedians have always punched above their weight. Names that come to mind include John Candy, Andrea Martin, Eugene Levy, Don Aykroyd, Catherine O’Hara, Martin Short, McDonald, Mike Meyers, Russell Peters, Caroline Rhea, and Jim Carrey. More recently, Seth Rogan and Dan Levy are the latest Canadian comedians to experience mainstream success. On the music side, Celine Dion, Drake, The Weeknd, Alanis Morisette, Avril Lavigne, and Nelly Furtado have been ambassadors for Canadian music around the world. Now there’s a new crop of Canadian comedians and recording artists you should keep your eye on. In the latest installment of SHIFTER…
Toronto teacher and anti-Black racism advocate, Korina Thomas-Reynolds, has co-founded Roots To Routes Academy, a Durham Region-based independent school for Black students. For Scarborough native, Korina Thomas-Reynolds, the decision to become a teacher was an easy one to make. “It was always something I wanted to do since I was younger”, she explains. “It’s a little cliché, like Whitney Houston—I believed that children were the future and it was an area where I wanted to impact change.” After high school, she had a decision to make about her own future—either stay in Toronto, study outside of the city, or do…
From the Obsidian Theatre and Stratford, to Broadway, here are a list of women you should know who are raising the bar in Canadian English 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…
Whether through law or humanitarian work, Glendon student Cyrielle Ngeleka is a young woman on the rise with growing ambitions to help others. Third year International Studies and Business Administration student, Cyrielle Ngeleka, is one of those young women you meet and instantly know she’s going to do big things with her life. She’s focused, driven and is a leader who clearly enjoys serving others, but her path wasn’t always so clear. Choosing her path Like many high school students, she had no idea what she wanted to do with her life. But that all changed back in the 11th…
Pique is back with its second season of pioneering, artist-driven, quarterly music and multimedia arts programming, with a season-opener hybrid spring edition on March 19, 2022 in-person at the Arts Court and Ottawa Art Gallery, and available online at thisispique.com. Produced by Ottawa’s leading independent and underground presenter Debaser, the event will open new horizons with astounding and eye-opening live music performances, visual art, in-person and on-demand online screenings, and interactive web based digital art. The long list of special screenings, music and art acts for the spring edition includes a performances from KAR33M, an Nigeri-born, Afro-Soul artist from Ottawa…
If you haven’t heard the name Borelson, it’s definitely one you’ll want to remember. The Toronto-based rapper, afro-futurist and afro-fusion artist first got our attention back in September with his single and music video “Fearless”, with its African and UK undertones and contagious beat. The song is gathering steam after being added to Spotify’s Northern Bars playlist and getting national air play on CBC’s The Block. The Ghana Remix featuring Ghana-based established rappers Worlassi and Ko-Jo Cue also gained over 33,000 streams on Audiomack in its first week. The single was a lead up to his new album Building Bridges…
Nova Scotian artist, Evans, is back with his latest single “My Fault”, an honest and introspective track where he takes responsibility for his part in a fight with the woman in his life. While the track is the now Toronto-based artist’s first release for 2021, it was worth the wait. Aside from Evans’ vocals, which also ooze honesty and authenticity, what also stands out is his storytelling as he paints a picture of a man who turns to drinking as he’s forced to deal what he’s done. I know this shit’s my fault And I don’t like to admit when…
Contemporary Creole-Canadian artist, Sika Valmé, is back with her latest offering “Vini Vini”, an Electro Afro-Caribbean track that encourages listeners to break free and find intimacy with themselves and others. The theme of freedom is a personal one for the illustrator and former tennis player turned songwriter—an openly gay woman who grew up in the forests and mountains of Haiti, and now divides her time throughout the Americas, from Montreal and New York to Central America. It was during her travels to Canada for a youth artist residency that Sika established herself as a musician and creative director. Her new single “Vini…
In our previous article, stylist Anita Hosanna looked at how technology and the COVID-19 pandemic are disrupting the fashion industry. Now that you’re ready to take the plunge into new technology, long-time fashion designer, Arfie Lalani offers six tips for starting an online clothing store today. As an artist today, you are expected to build and maintain your fanbase in addition to creating art and releasing it for the world to experience – all while trying to make a living. Sounds difficult. And it can be. Thinking outside the box can help you to buffer yourself financially on your way…
After finding herself on the coast of Hawaii, East-St. Louis born and Bay Area-raised hip-hop and neo-soul artist Jada Imani offers a salute to the next generation and an homage to the previous one. “Art comes from the soul.” – this is something that Jada Imani has come to understand after discovering the roots of her passion for music. Having been inspired by Jill Scott, Black Thought, The Roots, Anderson .Paak and the like, Jada Imani has known for about 10 years that music was the most important thing to her and a calling she could never run away from.…
