2018 Performers
T.
Tisania Smith, also known as T, is a seventeen-year-old emerging spoken word artist from Mississauga, Ontario. Through her art, she uses her poems in hopes to be heard and to show others they are just as worthy of being heard too.
Hannia
Hannia Cheng aka @chachengster is a fart trying to adult, she's THAT bitch making art because the system broke and it's not even her fault. Mostly known for being at the front of every show yelling, dancing furiously, or hosting shows. She's also an emerging singer/spoken word poet and co-hosts a radio show called SYLC (Support Your Local Collective) that streams live every Sunday from 10-12AM EST on radioregent.com. You can catch her riding her bike through Kensington Market and throwing events as well! Whatever aligns with her feminist values and passion to build community, she'll have a handsin it.
D. Hart
D. Hart is a Rapper, musician and producer from Mississauga that recently released his debut album called "alright, cool" on all streaming platforms.
Aaron Ridge
Aaron Ridge is an R&B artist hailing from Pickering Ontario. A multi-musician, a producer, and a singer-songwriter, Aaron is a musical Jack-of-all-trades. He's performed all across the city and will soon be adding Afrofest to his list of conquests. On May 1st of this year, Aaron released his first full-length album, titled "Love, in Moments" which is available on Spotify, iTunes, Apple Music, Tidal, and Google Play Music.
His hunger is evident, he's focused, he is what the city has been searching for and Toronto isn't ready for what is in store.
Omar
OMAR is a Nigerian Canadian Based Multi-Genre Producer/ Artist Known for Genres of music like AfroBeats, AfroRnB, hip-hop and DanceHall
Nathan Baya
Nathan Baya is a dancer, MC and Spoken word poet born and raised in Toronto in the area of Jane N Finch. He is passionate about his community and creating spaces and platforms where local artists can have freedom of expression because he understands the struggles that local artists go through to have a voice. All his music is available on every streaming platform and through his music, he has touched topics that do not get enough attention such as mental health, self-love and many more things that mainstream media should focus on a lot more. His goal is not to be famous, but to save souls through lyrics that speak life into the soul.
Kelson
Kelson, 19, Hip-Hop artist. Kelson's interest for hip hopwas introduced back in 2014 watching a Pro Era cypher on Hot 97 and through his closest friends. In 2017, Kelson was brought into a brass band with three other MC's freestyling over instrumentals in front of a range of small to large crowds that took his performance to another level. His music is inspired by 90's hip hopand jazz being inspired by Joey Bada$$, J. Cole, A tribe called quest and The Pharcyde. Kelson pulls from his lived experiences which he feels is his job as an artist, to speak his truth.
Anika Marie
Zxandria
After studying Opera & Classical music for some time, Zxandria decided to branch out to create songs of her own that would tell her stories the way she wanted them to be told. Don’t Hesitate brings listeners into that journey, and allows Zxandria to tell her stories in her own way with a unique and beautiful sound.
After spending two years finding herself as an artist, Toronto-based singer Zxandriais proud to release her debut EP, Don’t Hesitate. The EP features four original tracks, which Zxandria describes as representing the four stages of a relationship.
Gee
In the midst of the rising popularity of today’s new sound of Hip-Hop, Gee always strives to differ from the norm. In effortless fashion, the Toronto born native of Mississauga manages to create ambient musical soundscapes of different genres, from Hip Hop to R&B, to House, without compromising his style to conform to the generic mainstream sound. Gee exercises his creativity & self-expression as a Recording Artist, Music Producer, & DJ.
Audré
Audrey Manguma( Born July 10th, 1996 ). AUDRÉ is a Rapper, Singer & Songwriter from Toronto, Ontario. AUDRÉ is influenced by the sounds of hip-hop, R&B & Jazz and her writing style is of one of a Hopeless Romantic.