What foreign media are saying about Canada’s truckers’ blues
By David Farrell
What foreign media are saying about Canada’s truckers’ blues
The “freedom” protests from Vancouver Island to Nova Scotia are capturing media attention abroad and some want to stir the pot to add heat to a news story that is polarizing political opinion at home and paralyzing politicians and police forces in the nation’s capital.
The B.C. dance festival returns this summer after a sold-out edition last year. Mavis Staples and Alabama Shakes also share upcoming Canadian dates, and the Canada Black Music Archives announces Black History Month programming.
Tiësto, Zedd and Kaytranada will all be getting faded in the park this year.
The three dance music superstars are set to play Surrey, B.C.'s FVDED Music Festival, which returns for another edition on July 4 and 5. Last year, the festival refocused itself on dance music, leading to a sold-out edition. "We tried to make sure people were heard,” Blueprint's Alvaro Prol said of the decision at the time.
This year, FVDED is doubling down on the high energy, with U.K. duo Disclosure, Canadian producers Loud Luxury and hyper-pop princess Rebecca Black also joining the party. Ticket presale begins Monday, February 10.
Also announced this week, Toronto Jazz Fest is bringing the legendary Mavis Staples to Canada's biggest city. The civil rights activist, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductee, and sole surviving member of The Staples Singers will perform at The Elgin Theatre on June 23. Tickets are on sale now.
Southern rockers Alabama Shakes will head to Toronto a bit later this year, playing Budweiser Stage on September 6. That show is part of their first tour in eight years, which kicks off July 8 in Chicago.
The band last performed together for an Osheaga set in 2017 — lead singer, Brittany Howard, played that festival last year, too, touring her solo album What Now — and they're teasing new music to accompany the tour. "We didn’t want this to entirely be a look back. We wanted it to be as much about the future as the past," says Howard. Sounds like they're reading to shake things up. Tickets go on sale February 14.
Coming to Toronto sooner rather than later is a series of events celebrating Black History Month, programmed by the Canada Black Music Archives. Trailblazing Canadian hip-hop duo Dream Warriors and Toronto rap pioneer Mathematik will appear at the Black History Month Showcase, plus a surprise guest star still to be announced. The showcase takes place at the City of Toronto Archives on February 21. Tickets are available here.
All month long, visitors can also head to the City of Toronto Archives to check out the exhibit Canadian Cyphers: Elements of Toronto Hip-Hop, which looks at the people who built Canada's hip-hop scene, featuring album covers, interviews, photographs, turntables and more. For those who can't make it in person, the Canada Black Music Archives also offers a digital database that tells the stories of influential Black Canadian musicians.
