Artists
Haviah Mighty didn’t need to change her birth name when she decided to dedicate her career to music. Mighty could not better describe Haviah’s craft of provocative challenges and uncompromising truths.
Based out of Toronto, Haviah has spent a lifetime developing her skills as a songwriter, vocalist, producer, and performer culminating in a style of profound introspection and incisive socio-political critique. Her dynamic combinations of rap, song, and instrumental, transition seamlessly from hip-hop to soul to afrobeats with a meticulous flow and cadence that transcends any traditional expectation of genre.
2019 saw Haviah earn break-out success with her album, 13th Floor, garnering overwhelming praise from publications such as Pitchfork and Billboard, and making her the first hip-hop artist and the first Black woman to win the Polaris Music Prize, celebrating the “best Canadian album of the year”.
In 2020, the recognition spread internationally. Haviah made an acclaimed appearance on Sway in the Morning, impressing with a performance of immaculate flow and fierce lyricism, “showing you something you NEED to be looking at.” Likewise, in the UK, BBC Radio 1’s Jack Saunders recognized Haviah as “one of the most exciting new rappers out there.”
2021 might have seen Haviah’s momentum stalled by a certain global pandemic… but for Haviah, attrition is met with defiance, and hardship with inspiration. She describes the enforced solitude of lockdown as not an obstacle, but “a window of immense opportunity” to develop the art that has always been a realization of deep contemplation and self-examination. Haviah pushes forward continuing to carve out spaces that boldly defy gendered expectations for women in hip-hop.
d’bi.young anitafrika is an African-Jamaican-Tkarontonian, London-based dub poet, theatre interventionist and decolonial scholar; committed to embodying art that ritualises acts of transformation from violence inflicted upon the people and the planet. The multi-award-winning Canadian Poet of Honour, author of twelve plays, seven albums and four collections of poetry, was recently recognised as a Global Leader in Theatre & Performance by Arts Council England. After receiving hxr Masters from University of London, d’bi.young was awarded a Dean's Scholarship by London South Bank University (LSBU) to conduct doctoral research in Black womxn’s theatre. In addition to being the Director of Curriculum Design & Pedagogy at the new Soulpepper Theatre Academy in Canada, d’bi.young works at the UN's Global Initiatives Fellowship as Theatre Interventionist & lectures at LSBU. Shx continues to share hxr liberatory framework—the Anitafrika Method—with practitioners worldwide through hxr ongoing online residencies. d’bi.young most recently worked as Director of Kaie Kellough’s Jah in the Ever-Expanding Song for Obsidian Theatre’s 21 Black Futures project & is currently completing Dubbin Theatre, an anthology of hxr plays written between 2000-2020. You can find hxr latest theatrical work in She Mama Wata — the audio version which she wrote, directed & performed — featured in Soulpepper Theatre’s Around the World in 80 Plays. d’bi.young young lives in a magical forest with hxr sons Moon & Phoenix.
Michie Mee is known within the music industry for her unique rap style of combining reggae and dancehall with hip hop. Many successful artists have followed in Michie’s footsteps using this gifted technique. With over three decades in the entertainment industry, the Juno, Gemini nominated rapper and actress is not only an inspiration for female musicians, but also all artists nationwide. Aside from her life as an entertainer, Michie is also a mother who makes it one of her duties to keep involved with today’s youth. Knowing first hand the twists and turns artists often face in entertainment. Michie continues to enhance her abilities to attract diverse roles on television and film. She was featured in the 2011 CBC hip hop documentary “Love, Props and the T. Dot,” this trailblazer’s saga still continues. Michie Mee’s reign as Queen is far from over. Michie is the 1st Canadian Hip Hop Recording Artist to sign an American Major Record deal and is the recipient of the 2012 DJ Stylus Hall of Fame Award, 2013 CUMC Lifetime Achievement Award, 2014 Black Canadian Award for Best Female Rap Act, and most recently made History winning the Toronto Arts Council 'Roy Thomson Hall Award' of $10K. The Roy Thomson Hall Award recognizes creative, performing, administrative, volunteer, or philanthropic contributions to Toronto's musical life by a person, ensemble or organization.
Silla and Rise blend Inuit throat-singing and futuristic dancefloor beats. Silla are Cynthia Pitsiulak (Kimmirut, NU) and Charlotte Qamaniq (Iglulik, NU) their name comes from the Inuktitut word "Sila" meaning weather. Sila is what surrounds us; it is what connects us to our land, to the moon, sun and stars, the ocean and the air we breathe. In respecting and honouring the need to preserve Inuit culture and paying homage to our land and the strong connection to its spirituality, they experience and perform the sounds of traditional and contemporary throat songs. Rise is Ottawa’s Rise Ashen, a Juno Award nominated global-grooves producer, DJ and dancer who has spent his life pursuing the intersection of traditional and futuristic music.
Silla and Rise were nominated for a Juno for Indigenous Music Album of the Year in 2017 for their self-titled Debut, they are currently working on a second album.
Randell Adjei is an Author, Inspirational Speaker, Arts Educator and Community Leader who uses the spoken word to empower and transform through Edutainment. He is the founder of one of Toronto's largest and longest running youth led initiatives; Reaching Intelligent Souls Everywhere (R.I.S.E Edutainment).
The beat of his art was found after years of being lost. He found himself by turning his struggles around to inspire others. His story is one of an Alchemist who truly transformed his life from rock to gold inspiring everyone he comes into contact to strive to unearth the pure potential within them.
Randell shares these messages on various stages as an emcee/host, performer and arts practitioner.
Randell is also a MaRS DD - Studio Y Cohort 2 Fellow, 1 of 5 coaches involved in the Toronto Public Library’s (Poetry Saved Our Lives) project and a regularly sought after speaker and presenter with the Toronto District School Board and Toronto Catholic School Board.
A featured performer on TEDxUTSC and has shared stages with the likes of Jessie Reyez, Terry Crews, Paul Mooney, Maestro Fresh Wes and d’bi.young.
Bukola is a 19-year-old musician who blends R&B and Jazz to create her own soulful sound. She’s influenced by artists such as India Arie and Daniel Caesar and has been pursuing her dreams of becoming a professional musician since she was 9 years old. Bukola worked with Grammy Award-winning producer, Chin Injeti, and Juno Award-winning producer Ben Kaplan on her debut EP set for release in 2021.
Peace Akintade is an African-Canadian poet, public speaker, thespian and Saskatchewan's Youth Poet Laureate for 2020-21, residing in Saskatoon. She is the coordinator of Write Out Loud, a Saskatoon-based youth poetry community and a board member of the Tonight It's Poetry community. She was Saskatoon’s Youth Slam Champion in 2017-19. Her poems touch on growing up in Kuwait, Nigeria and Canada, the impact of slavery in the village in which she lived in Africa, colourism, and relearning her culture in the face of colonization.
Aquakultre began as the solo project of Lance Sampson and has evolved into a full band with diverse musical backgrounds. Nick Dourado (Budi Band), Jeremy Costello (Special Costello), and Nathan Doucet joined Lance to build Aquakultre into a powerhouse of sound.
Lance was inspired to take music seriously following his release from federal prison at the age of 20. While incarcerated, he took advantage of a guitar rental service and with the help of fellow inmates, taught himself how to play, and used music as a means of reflection. His track Sure was written while in prison and marked a transition from his previous musical endeavour, Lex, a hardcore emcee. Sure is the song that brought home the 2018 CBC Searchlight win.
Now, Aquakulture self-describes his music as “aquavibe” – a sound that is as smooth as it is infectious. Duane Jones of Art Pays Me describes Aquakultre as having a “prenatural gift for individuation and inspiration” and describes his music as touching on “nu-blues, R&B, and spacious neo-soul.”
Abigail Whitney is the Artistic Director Intern at Volcano Theatre. She's an award-winning stage director, an emerging filmmaker, an actor, fashion model, artist-educator and youth mentor. Abigail was named a “one-of-a-kind Canadian model” and in 2020 was listed as “100 Black Artists to support this Juneteenth'' by New-York Gritty Vibes Magazine. Abigail has been published international magazines and campaigns including Cover Girl and Sephora. Abigail won Best Stage Director for her directorial debut and Audience Choice Award for her past directing work at The University of Toronto. She was featured on CBC’s q, ByBlacks, CBC’s OurToronto and UofTNews in “UofT students who crushed it.” In 2020 UofT’s The Varsity featured a personal essay about her acclaimed career.
Anyika recently completed Nightwood Theatre’s Write From the Hip emerging playwrights program and is in her 5th year at the University of Toronto- St. George, studying Political Science and Caribbean Studies. Being a creator has always been a large part of Anyika’s life from writing to acting and then behind-the-scene work. She primarily acts and works for student productions which then led to the desire to pursue the makings of her own show.
Is an emerging rapper, singer and songwriter from the city Toronto. Born into a music-oriented household, to a mother who is a DJ/Sound Designer, he was exposed to multitude of musical genres at a young age, which distinctly influenced his Hip Hop/R&B sound. Rvzon’s energy on-stage is much like his personality off-stage, he brings a warm, inclusive and youthful vibe to the audience.