Music News Digest: Celeigh Cardinal, Sebastian Gaskin & Julian Taylor Named Massey Hall's First Artists In Residence

Awards News

Acclaimed Indigenous singer-songwriters, Celeigh Cardinal, Sebastian Gaskin and Julian Taylor have just been named to the first-ever artist-in-residence program of The Corporation of Massey Hall and Roy Thomson Hall. The year-long residency will offer comprehensive support at the Allied Music Centre, including mentorship, studio time, live performance opportunities, creative collaborations and professional development.

In a release, Jesse Kumagai, president and CEO of the Corporation of Massey Hall and Roy Thomson Hall, noted that "We built Allied Music Centre to be a creative home for artists, one where they can realize their full potential, from creation, to recording, to performance, all under one roof. This inaugural Artist Residency is the beginning of our next chapter."

Canada Gives has committed to supporting and creating opportunities for Indigenous artists at Massey Hall. The program is also being developed in consultation with the members of the Indigenous Music Office, sākihwe festival, Tkaronto Music Festival and the International Indigenous Music Summit.

"I'm truly honoured to be part of this inaugural group of musicians and to have the support of Massey Hall at this stage in my career," says Cardinal. "To be welcomed into the legacy of Massey Hall is both humbling and exhilarating." She will help kick off the program with an April 25 performance at the Allied Music Centre.

– The Juno Awards in Vancouver are approaching rapidly, accompanied by recent announcements. Most notable is the news that East Coast pop superstar Anne Murray will receive just the second-ever Lifetime Achievement Award at this year's event. Considered the Juno's top honour, it was first awarded to Canadian content champion Pierre Juneau in 1989,the year it was created. Murray holds the most Juno Awards of any performer with 25 career wins, followed by The Weeknd with 21.

In other Juno news, Joel and Benji Madden of American pop-punk band Good Charlotte will induct Sum 41 into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame, while five-time Juno winner Jessie Reyez will present Toronto producer Boi-1da with the International Achievement Award.

To be hosted by hometown hero Michael Bublé for the third time, the Junos are set to air March 30 on CBC from Vancouver’s Rogers Arena. Added to the performance lineup are Punjabi-Canadian pioneer Jazzy B, who joins Gminxr and British Columbia rapper bbno$, hip-hop pioneer Maestro Fresh Wes, Inuk singer Elisapie and Québécois singer Roxane Bruneau who will join Bublé for a duet. They join previously announced performers including rap duo Snotty Nose Rez Kids, Palestinian-Canadian singer Nemahsis and country musician Josh Ross, who is also tied with pop star Tate McRae as the top nominee.

– March 18 marked the launch of the fourth annual Henry Armstrong Award (HAA), a bursary and mentorship program dedicated to developing, elevating, and supporting the diverse talents within the Canadian Indigenous music community. Open to Indigenous artists nationwide (excluding QC) and across all musical genres, the HAA will award a $10K bursary and a mentorship program to the winner, to be announced on National Indigenous Peoples Day, June 21. Applications are now open here and will close on April 18. Past recipients of the Henry Armstrong Award are Kyle McKearney, Kaeley Jade and City Natives.

Festivals News

The Let’s Hear It Live Juno Block Party is a free festival running as part of the Juno Awards in Vancouver, from March 27 to 29. Set for the Vancouver Art Gallery's North and South Plaza, the event boasts an impressive lineup that includes Snotty Nose Rez Kids, Swollen Members, Wild Rivers, Priyanka, Loony, Tia Wood, AR Paisley and more.

– Now in its 18th year, The Beaumont Music Festival claims to be "the longest-running 100% all-Canadian music festival." The recently unveiled lineup features Blackie and the Rodeo Kings and rock veterans 54-40 as its Friday and Saturday night headliners for the event, running at Beaumont’s Four Seasons Park. Other acts featured are Five Alarm Funk, Jeremy Fisher, Shaguar, The Grapes of Wrath, ODDS and RadioActive. More info and passes — $139 for the whole weekend — here.

– Presented by the folks who bring the large annual street fest Supercrawl to Hamilton every September, the Because Beer fest in that city has announced its music lineup. July 11 will feature the reunited Down with Webster as headliners, with The Dirty Nil, The OBGMs and Born In The Eighties also on the bill. July 12 sees The Sheepdogs headline, supported by local roots-rocker Terra Lightfoot, Matthew Good, Loviet and more. Buy weekend tickets here.

Industry News

This past weekend, a report from a family member stating that Toronto soul star George Olliver (Mandala, Gangbuster)had passed away was posted on social media, quickly gaining notice and drawing many tributes from Olliver's musician and industry friends. The news was retracted on March 16, though Olliver is seriously ill. Toronto music journalist and historian Nicholas Jennings informed Billboard Canada that "apparently, George had a stroke and a brain bleed. He's conscious but has lost speech. Long road to recovery, no doubt." At press time, Olliver's current health status is unknown.

– Produced by Canadian Black Music Business Collective ADVANCE, AMPLIFY is a Canadian podcast dedicated to uplifting Black voices within the music business. Details of a third season have now been revealed. This season features 10 new guests, including renowned music video director Director X, local media figure Brandon Gonez, and award-winning stage director Weyni Mengesha, among others. New episodes of AMPLIFY have been released this month.

– On April 18, Toronto's Phoenix Concert Theatre is presentingHeroes, a benefit in support ofWounded Warriors Canada. It will feature a performance by the Bowie Revisited tribute group, raising funds for Toronto's first responders. Pay-what-you-can tickets are available.

– The Hnatyshyn Foundation is offering 28 grants for emerging Canadian performing and visual artists, ranging from $3,000 to $12,500 each for a total surpassing $200,000. Classical music and vocals, opera and jazz performance are amongst the eligible categories. Candidates must be nominated by an eligible institution by March 31, or, for some grants, April 28. More info here.

– Harkness is an enigmatic and elusive Toronto musician whose fascinating career is now explored in a feature documentary, HARKNESS. It premieres with a free screening at Toronto's Royal Cinema on April 13, followed by a live performance by Harkness himself, at the nearby Monarch Tavern. CBC Gem begins streaming the doc on April 14. The film is directed, written, produced, and edited by Maria Markina, and produced by Storyline Entertainment.

Artists News

Platinum-selling Canadian jazz-pop singer Holly Cole remains big in Japan. Earlier this month, she sold out 8 shows over 4 nights at the prestigious Blue Note venue in Tokyo. A double Juno Award winner, Cole released her latest album, Dark Moon, in January, and is promoting it with an international tour including dates in the U.S., Germany and at the Mariposa Folk Festival in the summer.

– Two superb roots-oriented singer-songwriters, Suzanne Nuttall and Mack MacKenzie, recently shared the bill on a series of Ontario club shows. Each delivered superb sets at The Gaba Gaba Gool Club in Hamilton last Friday to an appreciative and attentive audience that included many notable local artists. Nuttall made a mark in Montreal folk duo Bare Bones and then soulful sextet Sue De Nym, and she brought new life into material from those outfits while accompanied only by her guitar and a beatbox. Montrealer MacKenzie was a key player in Canada's late '80s/'90s cowpunk scene leading Three O'Clock Train, a band that remains active. Aided by the fluent acoustic and electric guitar work of Rod Shearer, MacKenzie dazzled with both his lyrical finesse and his deep and authoritative vocals. With a cool basement bar vibe and excellent sound, Gaba Gool Club is a welcome addition to The Hammer's scene.

– Renowned Toronto jazz entertainer Lesley Mitchell-Clarke and her ace group the Fabulous Melo-Tonins play the KS ‘LIVE’ Jazz Salon Series in historic Kensington Market in Toronto on March 21. Tickets here.