“MuchMusic Presents: Charlotte Day Wilson Live at Red Bull Symphonic” was recently released on Crave and YouTube. Here’s what to expect.
Toronto continues to boast one of the hottest music scenes in the world, churning out world class talent after world class talent. Despite the global recognition of big names like Drake and The Weeknd, one of the names that isn’t mentioned enough when we talk about ambassadors of Toronto’s music scene is R&B powerhouse, Charlotte Day Wilson. Over the past 10 years, the Juno-nominated vocalist, producer, and multi-instrumentalist has gained a following with her musicality, immersive songwriting, and smooth and soulful vocals.
Wilson recently bookended the past 10 years of her musical career with a Redbull Symphonic performance at Roy Thompson Hall in her native Toronto, in front of a capacity crowd. The show is the latest installment in Redbull’s series of genre bending musical experiences which they describe as “a collision of two musical worlds”. The show provided the backdrop for a new documentary which combines the performance, backed by a full symphony orchestra, with rehearsal footage and intimate interviews in order to provide a unique glimpse into the mind, heart, and creative process of the usually introverted artist.
MuchMusic Presents: Charlotte Day Wilson Live at Red Bull Symphonic was recently premiered at the Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema in Toronto as fans, family, friends, and industry insiders gathered to get an early look. It evokes feelings of celebration, nostalgia, and slight sadness as Wilson closes this chapter.
“It feels like I’m closing a chapter of a certain part of my career”, she explains in the opening scene. “But it also feels like an arrival. And I want to celebrate and honour those two things existing at the same time.”
“I’m always in dialogue with my past and I think in some ways that’s why I want to do this performance and really honour that past”, she adds. “Because I want to move on from that. I actually don’t always want to be in dialogue with that past. I want to close the chapter on this obsession with reflection. And I think that it’s a great thing that I’ve done, that I’ve connected who I am now to who I was before.”
The film is a bit of an ode to Toronto, although she mentions the complicated, love-hate relationship that creatives sometimes have with the city. But it’s through the performance that she finds her sense of place in the local music scene.
It was all hands on deck as a who’s who of Toronto came together to make this a reality. It’s presented by Much Music, a longtime staple in the Canadian music scene. It was also produced by Denim Productions and directed by Norman Wong, with Grammy-nominated Toronto violinist and producer, Aaron Parris, who has worked with everyone from Drake and PARTYNEXTDOOR, to Summer Walker, serving as musical director.
The film is dedicated to the people who have inspired Wilson, from her parents, aunt, grandmother, peers, and musicians she grew up listening to. Wilson adds a personal touch by performing covers of songs she heard at home and among family, including Jimmy Ruffin’s “What Becomes Of The Broken Hearted” and Carol King’s “So Far Away”. It also features some of her favourite artists in British singer-songwriter, Sampha, and fellow Canadian artist, Saya Grey.
“I decided let me play the music that I love the most, and not only my music”, she shares. “Let me play music that I’ve been influenced by over the years and the music that I’ve always wanted to, in some way—because I felt this deep sense of gratitude towards that music, to pay homage to that music.”
As expected, Wilson performs popular songs from her catalogue, including “Mountains”, “I Can Only Whisper”, and “Work”, backed by a full symphonic orchestra. Alongside the visuals, the orchestra, with whom she only practiced on the day of the performance, created a sense of cinema and grandeur that we don’t typically associate with Toronto music.
For Wong, who has been friends with Wilson for the past decade, it was an opportunity to celebrate her many accomplishments.
“Anyone who knows me well knows that in my work as a director and as a photographer, I am extremely selective about who I choose to work with when it comes to musical projects”, he explains. “I have to genuinely connect with the artist and their work. Coming on board to direct this documentary for Charlotte was an easy choice — she’s an incredible artist who’s made a big impact musically, especially within our creative community here in Toronto. To have an opportunity to create a piece of work that immortalizes the spirit she created is an absolute honour.”
Overall, Charlotte Day Wilson Live at Red Bull Symphonic is more than just a concert film; it’s a story about a little girl from Toronto who went from playing the piano in her parents home to fulfilling her dream at the highest level. It’s also a reminder to other dreamers and creatives that with the right dedication, hard work, and support, your dreams can also come true.
More than anything, the film is about gratitude as an emotional Wilson, who admits that the performance is the best moment of her life yet, looks back at her career and the life that music has afforded her.
MuchMusic Presents: Charlotte Day Wilson Live at Red Bull Symphonic is available on YouTube and Crave.
Kevin Bourne is SHIFTER’s Toronto-based editor and Senior Entertainment Reporter focusing on Black music and film & TV. He was named one of 340 international voters for the 81st and 8nd Golden Globe Awards and a Tomatometer-Approved Critic by Rotten Tomatoes.
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