From his home base of St. John’s, NL, Baraka is a soulful singer/songwriter whose sound and spirit are sure to tug on the heartstrings of everyone who hears him sing. Originally hailing from the coastal city of Dar-es-salaam, Tanzania, Baraka has been performing and writing music since he was 14 years old. Drawing influences from artists such as Ed Sheeran, John Mayer, and Tracy Chapman, he has a natural talent for writing clever lyrics and infectious melodies.
Having already made several notable appearances on media networks at provincial and national level such as the EastLink Community TV, Rogers Out of The Fog, CBC NL, and CBC Radio One; together with opening for some of the province’s premier musicians in Janet Cull and Kellie Loder, Baraka’s magnetic presence and energy has seen him gain popularity and recognition in the community as a world class act. Baraka is currently putting the final touches on his debut 5-Track EP with producer Matt Dines. Funded by MusicNL, the EP is set to release this summer and is the first step in setting up Baraka as one of Newfoundland and Labrador’s most promising emerging talents.
Stay in the loop by following Baraka at @BRKWAV on Facebook, Instagram, and Tik Tok, or catch him performing at one of his residency stages in St. John’s at venues such as Sláinte, The Black Sheep, The Salt House, Greensleeves, TJ’s Patio, and The Rec Room.”
Balaklava Blues are folk-noir trench-fighters on the cultural front of Ukraine’s battle for democracy and freedom. Balaklava Blues experiments with Ukrainian polyphony and other folk traditions.They mix thousand year-old polyphonic traditions with personal stories and sounds of revolution and war and stunning visuals that blend folk motifs with contemporary expressions of power, vulnerability and trauma.
Timely and emotional, their multimedia live show builds empathy and understanding when we need it most and speaks to universal themes of identity crisis, displacement and oppression through deeply personal and specific Ukrainian experiences and music.
Bageshree Vaze is an Indo-Canadian dance artist, musician and writer. She is Artistic Director of Pratibha Arts, an organization that enhances the cultural fabric of Ontario through dance and music productions that often have influences from South Asian cultures. Bageshree is an award-winning Kathak dance artist (winner of the 2010 K.M. Hunter Award in Dance) and as a vocalist she has 5 CDs/albums to her credit. In 2004 she was named an MTV India ‘Ubbarta sitara’ (rising star) and her work has been presented in major festivals around the world including the Canada Dance Festival. In 2022 Bageshree was the inaugural Dance Collection Danse Artist Researcher-in-Residence and received the Dora Mavor Moore Award for Outstanding Sound Composition (Dance Division).
Diatonic and Chromatic Accordionist, singer-songwriter and professional goofball Aramaria Yetman is a musician of many colours. From fiercely fronting her all trans-femme trad punk band known as “Sheila’s Bush’ to writing indie folk music about queer love to playing the traditional dance tunes that keep NL’s musical heritage alive, she lives for the music. Having begun her career only recently performing as a solo act or with her band at venues such as The Rock House, The Battery Cafe, and events such as Queering the Arts and Quartz Fest.
The Anuri Drum Dancers are a group of young artists based in Iqaluit, Nunavut.They specialize in contemporary forms of qilautiit drum dancing, and Inuit throat singing. The Anuri Drum Dancers fuse traditional and contemporary elements of Inuit music. These youth have a great deal of performance experience as members of the Inuksuk Drum Dancers directed by Dr. Mary Piercey-Lewis. They have traveled and performed in many places and capacities across Turtle Island. Their most recent collaboration has been with Gina Burgess and her band. The Anuri Drum Dancers have created contemporary qilautiit choreography to each piece on Gina’s “ISNOW” album. The show they have created combines contemporary drum dancing, jazz, folk, celtic, traditional, and contemporary Inuit throat singing. They have performed this show in Iqaluit and Igloolik. They will be touring this production across Newfoundland in July 2024.
The Anna Templeton Centre is a non profit organization dedicated to craft, art, and design. Our Mission: To deliver craft, art, and entrepreneurial based learning to foster and develop the creative crafts industry in Newfoundland and Labrador through creation, education, exposure, and experiences. Our Vision: Shape the future of Newfoundland and Labrador’s rich creative culture and heritage through the creation and delivery of innovative programming.
Sandy Morris and Anita Best are two of Newfoundland’s most beloved musical icons. A founding member of the Wonderful Grand Band, Sandy has been a driving force in local music for over 60 years, composing for film, TV, and CBC’s Land & Sea. Anita’s warm, powerful voice and deep connection to traditional Newfoundland songs have made her a treasured performer and folklorist. Together, they bring a rich tapestry of song, story, and musical mastery to the stage.
Anita Best is a traditional singer and storyteller from Merasheen, Placentia Bay. She has made her living as a teacher, folkloristt, broadcaster and performer since 1970. An original member of the legendary trad-rock band Figgy Duff, her more recent collaborations are with Pamela Morgan and Sandy Morris (3 albums).
Anita has contributed to folklore publications, film and television projects and audiobooks, as a writer, singer and narrator since 1974. In addition to her own projects and featured appearances, she continues to perform with several other musicians on their recordings and live performances
Country music mixed with occasional fuzz, fuzz mixed with occasional folk. Andrew, and the company of friends that join him on stage, set out to create sounds that are equal parts reminiscent of his favorite alternative country records and the songs he heard during his upbringing in outport Newfoundland. With songwriting that has a strong lyrical focus on storytelling and personal narratives, musically, Andrew’s songs include drum fills and twangy guitar licks that fall over themselves just as frequently as the acoustic instruments that provide the core. The group is putting the finishing touches on a sophomore EP to follow up Andrew’s 2022 release – the Away Game EP. Though they have less than a year of performing together under their belt, the buzz they’ve created and the sound they’ve curated seems to get better defined after every show they play – something this crew of musicians is getting increasingly more excited about, and they hope it’ll excite you too.
