Canadian Black musicians, songwriters, composers, and producers are being invited to submit their work for consideration in the 2026 Black Canadian Music Awards, one of the country’s leading platforms dedicated to recognizing Black musical excellence. Presented through a partnership between the SOCAN Foundation and SiriusXM Canada, the awards celebrate the artistic achievements of Black Canadian […]
Keith Merith’s ‘A Darker Shade of Blue’ moves to the big screen By Stephen Weir It doesn’t usually happen this way. A retired Black York Regional Police supervisor wakes up at four o’clock in the morning, unable to sleep. Instead of turning on the television or making a cup of coffee, he heads upstairs to […]
Bob Marley Museum Celebrates Reggae Legend’s Enduring Legacy By Anthony Joseph There are few places in the world where music, history, politics and spirituality merge as powerfully as they do at the Bob Marley Museum. Located at Marley’s former home on Hope Road in Kingston, the museum offers far more than a tour of rooms […]
Theatre, Film And Photography Festivals Shine Across Ontario By Neil Armstrong As the weather gets warmer in Ontario, there are more festivals worth seeing including the Shaw Festival, Stratford Festival, CONTACT Photography Festival, Inside Out Annual 2SLGBTQ+ Film Festival, and several that are upcoming. On May 23, the musical, “Funny Girl,” opened at the Festival […]
Mento Music Revealed as Resistance Communication At a gathering dedicated to the legacy of Marcus Garvey in Limón, Costa Rica, Jamaican folk traditions were placed under a cultural and historical spotlight, with music used as both performance and archival memory. The Tallawah Mento Band drew strong attention for a presentation that explored how mento and […]
AHI, Wyclef Jean Unite For FIFA Anthem For Canadian folk singer AHI, seeing his music connected to the FIFA World Cup is the fulfillment of a lifelong dream. That dream is now becoming reality through a collaboration with Haitian-born music icon Wyclef Jean. The Brampton-born singer-songwriter recently teamed up with Jean on his new single, […]
Island Eats Festival Returns to North York with Caribbean Food, Soca and Culture By Stephen Weir For two days in June, Mel Lastman Square will be transformed into a Caribbean village filled with the sounds of steelpan, the aroma of jerk chicken and the energy of Carnival as the 3rd Annual Island Eats Food & […]
CE4C Mandela Gala Celebrates Durham Black Excellence Cultural Expressions for Change (CE4C) celebrated nearly two decades of community leadership and cultural advocacy with the hosting of its inaugural Madiba Award Gala and Fundraiser on May 23 at the Ajax Convention Centre. The Black-owned and Black-led nonprofit organization, under the leadership of President and Board Chair […]
Reggae Classic “One Dance Won’t Do” Reimagined More than 40 years after first climbing international music charts, Audrey Hall is seeing one of her signature songs introduced to a new generation through artificial intelligence filmmaking. Her 1985 reggae hit “One Dance Won’t Do” has been adapted into an AI generated music video that was recently […]
Rihanna Honoured By TIME For Global Philanthropy Rihanna’s global reputation has long been shaped by chart success, fashion leadership and business achievements, yet her latest international recognition turns attention toward a different aspect of her influence. The Barbadian entertainer has been included in TIME magazine’s first TIME100 Philanthropy list, joining other global figures such as […]
