With each new era, Taylor continues to surprise and delight fans, solidifying her status as a global superstar and an inspiration to aspiring artists worldwide. Here we go, Canada!
Long Island Hip-Hop Artist Freddy D Inspires Listeners to Be Themselves with ‘Life Of The Party’
When you’re worried too much about what others think of you, it can be hard to be yourself. Sometimes, the right song can give you the encouragement you need to let go of other’s perceptions of you. Long Island, NY based Hip-Hop artist Freddy D aims to encourage listeners to be themselves in his new single, “Life Of The Party.”
The song kicks off with the chorus right from the start as Freddy D asserts that they will keep being who they are even when no one is paying attention or when people hate them. He raps against a trippy backbeat that is just as catchy as the lyrics.
“We gone keep it going
When nobody is watching
We gone keep on moving
when them haters are blocking
Party yea
Be the life of the party
Yea, yea, yea
I don’t really need know one
If I can’t really be myself”
Of course, the verses are just as confident as the chorus. Freddy D raps with an easygoing flow as he discusses his personal journey and how he remains confident in himself despite the odds being against him.
In fact, the song was inspired by the artist’s personal observations about being online. “It speaks from an introverted aspect, especially for every human that’s currently on social media. It depicts what it’s like creating your own party and enjoying it regardless of who sees it or not.”
Freddy’s D journey to music began with his family. Freddy’s mother sang gospel, his father wrote poetry, and his brother made beats, so stepping up to the mic was inevitable for him. He released his first album “Hunger” in 2013 and followed it with a slew of other EPs and albums over the next ten years.
His newest project is the upcoming album EGO, which is short for “Energy Goes On”. Produced and written by Freddy D himself, the album will be released in September 2023. Its first single is “Life Of The Party”, which has an accompanying music video featuring Freddy D happily having a one-man party.
54•40 Release New Single ‘West Coast Band’ From Forthcoming Album
54•40 has been telling Canada where they came from and where they’re going for the last 40 years. Now, it’s time for lead vocalist and guitarist Neil Osborne, bassist Brad Merritt, guitarist, keyboardist and vocalist Dave Genn, and drummer Matt Johnson (with the help of keyboardist David “Oz” Osborne) to reveal their band culture in a collection of songs called ‘West Coast Band.’ Through self-referential and often very literal stories, the songs explore bizarre shenanigans, odd dynamics, and personalities of its members.
‘West Coast Band’ is the first single offering from the forthcoming album of the same name, out October 6, 2023. The track is an autobiographical origin story of 54•40. The sound and production pay homage to the local Vancouver music scene that inspired Neil and Brad to form 54•40 and commit to a creative life.
“At the time, seeing local west coast bands like DOA, The Subhumans, Pointed Sticks and Young Canadians playing live, making records and doing it their way was a huge signal that we could do this too!” says Brad Merritt.
Recorded remotely during the lock down, 54•40 occupied their time like many of their contemporaries; writing and recording trading files until the songs took shape. The track was produced by Neil Osborne and Dave Genn and mixed by west coast producer Adam Kasper (Nirvana, Soundgarden, Pearl Jam) with a superb video directed by Millan Curry-Sharples.
54•40’s ‘West Coast Band’ is really about being in a rock n roll band, writing some songs, recording them, and getting in the van and taking the show on the road. Something that 54•40 has been doing for 40+years.
54•40 Tour Dates In 2023:
August 5, 2023 The Drill Hall @ Base 31 Prince Edward County , ON
August 10, 2023 Lakehead Exhibition Thunder Bay, ON
August 12, 2023 Peach Festival Penticton, BC
August 17, 2023 PROMO TOUR Toronto, ON
August 18, 2023 El Mocambo Toronto, ON
August 19, 2023 Grand Fondo Event Saugeen Shores (Port Elgin), ON
September 7, 2023 Balls Falls Conservatory Lincoln ON
September 8, 2023 Bear Den, Seneca Niagara Resort Niagara Falls, NY
September 9, 2023 Bear Den, Seneca Niagara Resort Niagara Falls, NY
September 16, 2023 Barnside Harvest Festival Ladner, BC
October 6, 2023 Commodore Ballroom Vancouver, BC
October 7, 2023 Commodore Ballroom Vancouver, BC
October 19, 2023 Lester Centre for The Performing Arts Prince Rupert, BC
October 20, 2023 Lester Centre for The Performing Arts Prince Rupert, BC
Jazz Singer Heather Christine’s Captivating ‘Walking With You’ Takes You On A Nostalgic Journey Of Timeless Romance
An ode to the golden age of crooners, Mississauga-based Jazz musician/vocalist Heather Christine dazzles with her latest uplifting song about the timeless romance of being with your partner on the new original single “Walking With You.”
Inspired by vocal legends like Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett and Judy Garland, “Walking With You” is a wonderous musical number that draws on the careers of giants and was recorded and produced by renowned Canadian Producer and pianist Bill King.
Part of the “Mentor Magic” project funded by the Mississauga Arts Council, “Walking With You” came together during the pandemic as Heather would take walks with her husband, and accomplished musician, Matt Zaddy. “It’s what got me through that rough time,” says Christine. “Just that time out of the house with him was enough to spark my creativity and let me know we would be ok.”
Exquisite melodies and relentless energy elevate “Walking With You” into a swinging spectacle for the senses. The precision of the rhythm section is performed by Mark Kelso on drums and Pat Collins on acoustic bass, allowing the listener to be swept away to a time of dance halls, Broadway songs and big bands.
Recorded at Inception Sound in Toronto, “Walking With You” was as much of a riveting experience, as it was a growing period for Heather as an artist. “When we were recording together, Bill helped me to create a new ending for the song right on the spot,” says Heather.. Bill works ‘in the moment’ as they say. There were musical developments that happened spontaneously. The whole session was so fast as Mark Kelso and Pat Collins nailed their parts in the first two takes. I left the session floating on a cloud.”
Dynamic rhythms and cozy pianos set the backdrop for Heather Christine’s jaw-dropping vocal performance which acts as a demonstration of her raw musical talent and ability to capture the magic in her lyrics.
“Maybe good news, or some real blues
But what stays true, I’m loving you
Life is wonderful when I’m walking with you”
The music video for “Walking With You” was shot by LA Based Filmmaker Eric Soto, and was funded by the Mississauga Arts Council with their MAC MicroGrant funding. As Heather says, “The music video was a salute to old Hollywood.”
“The video features my former dance partner Rob Halley from Canada’s Wonderland, and it also enabled me to brush up on my dance steps and get me dancing again!”
Heather is an award-winning vocalist, composer, entertainer and budding producer from Mississauga. Her dynamic stage presence and soulful voice have led her to stages all over Canada singing live for audiences as large as 25,000. She has performed at numerous festivals gracing stages including Mississauga’s Celebration Square, Toronto’s Mel Lastman Square, London’s Aeolian Hall and more.
As a recording artist, Heather’s original sound is a fusion of Jazz with elements of R&B and Pop, Heather’s 2019 debut release, Love in Colour garnered international attention and within the first month of its release, Love in Colour rose to #1 on the Spanish Radio show Smooth Jazz Sitges (Radio 99.2FM Barcelona). Featuring her original compositions, songs from Love in Colour received airplay in Canada on Toronto’s JazzFM91, CIUT 89.5FM, Coco Jazz in Montreal and Wave 94.7.
Heather Christine is the proud recipient of the Best New Artist Award presented by Mississauga Music in 2018. She is grateful to share her passion for music and the arts with Matt Zaddy, her husband and their two kitties. Heather is currently writing and recording her second album, Soul Call. She is dedicated to using her gifts to uplift humanity while encouraging women to use their voices.
CBC Celebrates 50 Years Of Hip-Hop With Special Programming This August
CBC is offering a lineup of special programming this August on CBC Music and CBC Radio to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Hip Hop music. The milestone anniversary will be anchored by a special event in collaboration with Manifesto at Toronto’s RBC Echo Beach, Manifesto presents: The Block Party is a celebration of art, culture and 50 years of hip hop music on August 11. With performances by Aminé, Saukrates, Kuruza, Keysha Freshh, Phoenix Pagliacci and more, tickets are available for Manifesto presents: The Block Party and live highlights from The Block Stage will be broadcast from coast-to-coast-to-coast, live on CBC Music.
CBC’s 50th Anniversary of Hip Hop programming includes:
- MANIFESTO PRESENTS: THE BLOCK PARTY – Broadcasts Friday, August 11 at 6:15 p.m. local time (7:15 AT, 7:45 NT) on CBC Music and CBC Listen
A collaboration between Manifesto and CBC Music’s THE BLOCK, MANIFESTO PRESENTS: THE BLOCK PARTY is a celebration of 50 years of hip hop and the genres that it inspired. With musical performances broadcasting live from The Block Stage at Toronto’s RBC Echo Beach, tune in to the celebration of art, culture and 50 years of hip hop music from coast-to-coast-to-coast.
- DRIVE WITH RICH TERFRY – Special programming broadcasts Friday, August 11 at 5 p.m. local time (5:30 NT) on CBC Music
In the last hour of DRIVE leading into the MANIFESTO PRESENTS: THE BLOCK PARTY broadcast, host Rich Terfry presents a 70 minute DJ mix of classic and new tracks spanning 50 years of Hip Hop.
- MARVIN’S ROOM WITH A. HARMONY – Broadcasts Friday, Aug. 4 at 6:00 p.m. on CBC Music and on Saturday, Aug. 5 at 7 p.m. on CBC Radio One
Ahead of Hip Hop’s 50th anniversary, host A. Harmony takes listeners on a journey back to the very beginnings of Hip Hop at a party at 1520 Sedgwick Ave. in the Bronx, to the creation of an entire new subgenre where Hip Hop and R&B collide. Hear music from Mary J. Blige, Fugees, Ro Dolla, Erykah Badu, and more along the way.
- FREQUENCIES WITH ERROL NAZARETH – Special programming broadcasts Sunday, August 6 at 4 p.m. (4:30 NT) on CBC Music and Friday, August 4 at 11 p.m. (11:30 NT) on CBC Radio One
To mark the 50th anniversary of Hip Hop, FREQUENCIES kicks off with Public Enemy No. 1 Chuck D, shouting out his longtime friend Errol Nazareth, and then Errol takes it from there, highlighting Hip Hop from all over the world.
- HIP HOP 101 ON THE BLOCK – Broadcasts weekday evenings at 7 p.m. local time (7:30 NT) on CBC Music and CBC Listen
CBC Music’s home for music of Black origin, hosted by Angeline Tetteh-Wayoe, is celebrating 50 years of hip hop by airing 50 stories over 50 days – focused on an artist, event or significant moment in hip hop history. A new story airs nationwide each night on THE BLOCK on CBC Music until August 11.
- Q WITH TOM POWER – Broadcasts weekdays at 10 a.m. (10:30 NT) on CBC Radio One and CBC Listen, or listen anytime on demand everywhere podcasts are available.
To mark the 50th anniversary of the birth of Hip Hop, Tom Power sits down with some of the biggest artists in the game — from Rap royalty Wyclef Jean, to rising Canadian star Charmaine to viral rappers bbno$ and Yung Gravy. Starting August 21 and airing all week long, Q will talk to the artists who witnessed and shaped the genre’s rise — and those who will take it into its next 50 years.
- COMMOTION WITH ELAMIN ABDELMAHMOUD – 50 YEARS OF HIP HOP PANEL – Broadcasts Friday, August 11 at 11 a.m. (11:30 NT) on CBC Radio One and CBC Listen
With hip-hop celebrating its 50th birthday on Friday August 11th, Commotion’s group chat looks back on some of the pivotal moments that defined the culture – from the first commercial rap single, the media coverage of the tensions between Biggie and 2Pac and the rise to pop dominance of Canadian rap star Drake – and also imagines what the future of hip-hop might look like 50 years from now.
Ahead of the August 11 anniversary date, CBCMusic.ca also has feature stories about the 8 Women Shaping Hip Hop in Canada and How Black and Indigenous Communities Have Connected Through Rap.
Manifesto has curated a week-long lineup of programming around the Greater Toronto Area from August 7-13. Manifesto’s 50th Anniversary of Hip Hop edition features events that span African diaspora superstars and some of Canada’s finest homegrown world class talents. For more information on Manifesto’s art and culture events, visit www.mnfsto.ca.
Paul Reubens Reveals The Birth of Pee-wee Herman: An Exclusive 1981 Interview On CNN
In a 1981 interview on CNN, actor and comedian Paul Reubens explained how he came up with his alter ego Pee-wee Herman.
Photo Gallery: Boy George and Culture Club with Howard Jones and Berlin at Toronto’s Budweiser Stage
Photos taken by Mini’s Memories. You can contact her through Instagram or Twitter
Kenny “Blues Boss” Wayne To Be Honored By Jus’ Blues Foundation with Lifetime Achievement Award
Kenny “Blues Boss” Wayne has received many accolades over the course of his six-decade musical career, and this year brings a particularly honourable distinction. In recognition of Wayne’s outstanding contributions to the blues genre, the Jus’ Blues Foundation has selected him for the Jus’ Blues Bobby “Blue” Bland Lifetime Achievement Award.
For more than 25 years, the Atlanta-based Jus’ Blues Foundation has worked tirelessly to nurture the cultural heritage of the Blues through arts education programs, philanthropic efforts, and special events designed to protect the legacy and originators of the Blues.
Wayne will be presented with the award, named for the legendary American blues singer Bobby “Blue” Bland, at both a VIP Honoree Reception on August 2nd and at the Jus’ Blues Music Awards “Night of the Living Legends” on August 3rd held at the Bluesville Music Hall in Tunica, Mississippi.
“Life is a mystery and full of surprises and this Lifetime Achievement Award is surely a surprise,” said Wayne. “I am very honoured to be receiving it.”
A monster piano player, imaginative songwriter, and soulful singer in the style of Fats Domino, Johnnie Johnson and Ray Charles backed by a very tight band, Kenny “Blues Boss” Wayne is a member of the Boogie-Woogie Piano Hall of Fame and has received two consecutive Living Blues Magazine Awards and a JUNO Award and is a multiple Maple Blues Award winner – and the best dressed Bluesman in Canada.
Now 78, Wayne’s six-decade musical career began with him soaking up the sounds of gospel music from his father, a preacher. From there, his genre journey traversed through jazz, Latin, R&B, and soul, with explorations in swing, bebop, dance, and the standards for good measure. His Blues From Chicago to Paris: A Tribute to Memphis Slim and Willie Dixon remained on the Roots Music Report’s Canadian Chart for 37 consecutive weeks, hitting #1 on several occasions.
Kenny “Blues Boss” Wayne Tour Dates:
2023-08-02 – Just Blues Foundation, Tunica, Mississippi
2023-08-03 – Just Blues Foundation, Tunica, Mississippi
2023-08-13 – Nanaimo Blues Festival, Nanaimo, BC
2023-09-19 – Soulful Cafe w/James Anthony. Brantford, ON
2023-09-09 – Southside Shuffle, Port Credit 4:30 – 5:30pm
2024-01-24 – Mustique Island Blues Festival, St. Vincent
2024-01-25 – Mustique Island Blues Festival, St. Vincent
2024-01-26 – Mustique Island Blues Festival, St. Vincent
2024-01-27 – Mustique Island Blues Festival, St. Vincent
2024-01-28 – Mustique Island Blues Festival, St. Vincent
2024-01-29 – Mustique Island Blues Festival, St. Vincent
2024-01-30 – Mustique Island Blues Festival, St. Vincent
2024-01-31 – Mustique Island Blues Festival, St. Vincent
2024-02-01 – Mustique Island Blues Festival, St. Vincent
2024-02-02 – Mustique Island Blues Festival, St. Vincent
2024-02-03 – Mustique Island Blues Festival, St. Vincent
2024-02-04 – Mustique Island Blues Festival, St. Vincent
2024-02-05 – Mustique Island Blues Festival, St. Vincent
2024-02-06 – Mustique Island Blues Festival, St. Vincent
2024-02-07 – Mustique Island Blues Festival, St. Vincent
2024-02-08 – Mustique Island Blues Festival, St. Vincent
2024-02-26 – Infinity Bay West Event, Roatán, Caribbean
2024-02-27 – Infinity Bay West Event, Roatán, Caribbean
2024-02-28 – Infinity Bay West Event, Roatán, Caribbean
2024-02-29 – Infinity Bay West Event, Roatán, Caribbean
2024-03-01 – Infinity Bay West Event, Roatán, Caribbean
2024-03-02 – Infinity Bay West Event, Roatán, Caribbean
2024-03-03 – Infinity Bay West Event, Roatán, Caribbean
2024-03-04 – Infinity Bay West Event, Roatán, Caribbean
Meïa Santiago Releases “I Can’t Stay Away From You” Produced by Prince’s Former Music Director
Meïa Santiago’s new single “I Can’t Stay From You,” produced by Prince’s Music Director and keyboardist Morris Hayes, tells the full arc of a love story. Blending pop, jazz, and Latin with yearning lyrics, Santiago infuses each note with sensuality, infatuation, and heartbreak.
Meïa found inspiration from a relationship that bloomed and ended in the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic. As a Spaniard living in New York City, she was particularly vulnerable—being far away from home, friends, and even sense of self. Despite love lost, Meïa’s lyrics center hope: “Through the open window I hear / 3 little birds singing / To make a new start / Sweet love bring me your wings / So I can fly away.” And in the midst of darkness, she rekindled another love: her love of music.
Santiago and Morris Hayes, Prince’s musical collaborator for 15 years, began working together in 2022 and have since brought together a breadth of talent from Spain and the United States. Working almost entirely remotely, they found a rhythm sharing sketches and demos until they landed on the special composition for “I Can’t Stay Away From You.” Meïa co-wrote the lyrics with Hayes and Elsten Torres, a two-time Grammy-nominated BMI’s songwriter.
The band is made of international prestigious musicians as Shelby J (backing vocalist for Prince for almost 10 years, D’Angelo, NPG…), Chris Bailey (drummer for Chaka Khan, Britney Spears, NPG..) Malcolm Joseph (bass player for Grace Jones, Neneh Cherry, Massive Attack…) David Pastor (trumpet player for Celia Cruz, Santiago Auserón, Presuntos Implicados…) among others.
The resulting song combines their wide-ranging musical backgrounds to create a wholly unique production, fluctuating between passionate intensity and the sleek coolness.
Santiago notes, “My work has always explored femininity and sensuality, but “I Can’t Stay Away From You” goes deeper. Aphrodite is the muse—acting as a guide for my lyrics and musical approach. I am eager to write music about love and passion through the lens of the feminine, highlighting the unique power women have in their bodies and emotions.”
In conjunction with the release of her song, Santiago debuted a new video for “I Can’t Stay Away From You” directed by Blake Davis who’s also the photographer of the single’s images and single cover.
They were looking for a retro aesthetic, that could visually translate into images the nostalgia and the sensuality of the music.
They shot the video at Blake’s studio; DreamTone NYC, a studio that has been place of many fashion shootings, music videos for independent artists and other videos for successful hip hop bands.
Toronto Indie Rock Band The Alter Kakers Unleash the Torrid Tale of Love’s Highs and Lows in “Stopped Being In Love”
Love is a double-edged sword. At its highs, nothing beats it. At its lows, you’re fully defeated. Toronto indie rock band The Alter Kakers captured the torrid experience of a love affair gone wrong in its latest single, “Stopped Being In Love.”
Combining influences from both rock and country, vocalist and guitarist Steve Bronstein serenades the listener with a twangy sound that emanates the emotion and turbulence of a relationship falling apart. He starts from the beginning, explaining how he and the nameless woman met at a truck stop some time ago. The relationship unfolded from there, but it fell apart down the line, and now Bronstein confesses that he might have stopped being in love.
The track intertwines with the band’s motif – alter kaker is a Yiddish term for an old person, or as the band likes to call it, it means “an old fart.”
“Is this band a group of Alter Kakers?” the band asked, rhetorically. “Probably, but think of it this way: to become an Alter Kaker, you need to have the will to never give up or stop trying, and that’s what we have done.”
While “Stopped Being In Love” mostly touches on the sadness and loneliness that a love gone wrong can deliver, it maintains a balancing act, acknowledging that for as bad as things feel right now, there will be a tomorrow.
While writing the song, Bronstein said he wanted contrasting ideas in the chorus. It all came to him while sitting at a red light in his car on his way home from the dog park. All it took was about 15 seconds, he said.
“Then I think I need a counterpoint like Lennon and McCartney, as in ‘you say yes, I say no,’” he recounted. “So then I sing, ‘but it’s not,’ then another triplet, ‘the end of the world,’ and hold the word, ‘world.’”
He repeated it in his head until he got back, then figured out how to play it on the guitar. His bandmates, bassist and background vocalist Cary Corvair and drummer Dan Barsi, co-signed Bronstein’s creation, and they went from there. Fast forward about a week into the future, and The Alter Kakers have what they consider to be their best single yet.
In June, the band published a music video to go along with the song. It was an organic idea that came from Bronstein and Corvair meeting up at the Bloor Viaduct and seeing what happened. Shooting the video themselves, it turned into a story of a man and woman who can’t quite get on the same page. The man is always too many steps ahead of the woman, played by Bronstein’s dog walker, Julie Logie, who finds clues along the way to hint that she’s onto him but just a bit too late. The video implies that the man may have jumped off a bridge in the aftermath of their breakup, but it leaves that open to the viewer to decide.
“I took a chance filming on the first night by jumping up onto the concrete ledge of the bridge, standing close to the edge,” Bronstein said. “Even though there is suicide netting, it still made my stomach turn. I am afraid of heights.”
All three of the band’s members are seasoned professional musicians, individually and as a collective. The Alter Kakers have recorded three EPs and an array of singles, including a cover of Duran Duran’s “Hungry Like the Wolf” that earned Sports Illustrated’s video of the day recognition and helped put the band on the map.
The Alter Kakers especially pride themselves on their live shows. They’ll play original music and covers of the greatest hits – they’re entertainers and don’t mind playing to a crowd. Their work has received such notice that the band achieved its dream of playing at The Dakota Tavern in Toronto. In fact, The Alter Kakers have featured at the venue now a half-dozen times with great success, and there are more dates on the way.
With “Stopped Being in Love” available now and two more releases, along with accompanying videos, on the way, The Alter Kakers are extremely excited for the future. Check out “Stopped Being In Love” to follow along on the band’s musical journey.