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CBC
an hour ago
- CBC
This artist development company is the 1st built by and for Black Nova Scotian talent
The first artist development company built by and for Black talent in Nova Scotia is launching on Emancipation Day in Halifax. Maidie Music House is a new project from Katrina Lopes, founder and president of KL Management and longtime manager for Shawn Desman. It's a music company that both comes from and celebrates Nova Scotian Black heritage, and fills a gap that Lopes has seen in the music industry for years. It's something she started working on a few years ago: Lopes launched a mentorship program for African Nova Scotian and Black musicians and industry professionals in 2022, working with Music Nova Scotia (MNS) and other industry associations to deliver the workshops. It was the beginning of a larger vision, but at the time she told CBC Music that she hoped someone else in Nova Scotia could start a label, management and publishing company that is Black-owned and run. Three years later, she's stepping up to do it. "I thought it was funny because at the end [of the interview] I was like, 'Well, someone's going to do something, but it's not going to be me.' And then here I am," she recalled, laughing. In the end, the African Nova Scotian and Black talent that Lopes was supporting through the mentorship program — which included performance coaching and song camps — still weren't getting what they needed to launch their careers outside of Atlantic Canada. "I think the Nova Scotia music industry is primarily built around folk music, Celtic music," explained Lopes. "And the ecosystem that's built around those genres is just very different than what is required for an R&B/soul artist, even a pop artist." She lists off the need for stylists and a support team that is different for artists in genres including R&B, soul and hip-hop, which, compared to folk, also have more spread-out markets across the country for touring — making them harder and more expensive to reach. She added that those genres, and Black musicians, get less industry support generally, which was reflected in Music Nova Scotia's 2022 report " Black Music Matters": the biggest obstacle recorded by Black musicians was a lack of industry support, infrastructure and networks, followed closely by anti-Black racism. It's something MNS has been actively working to change, which has included the creation of an African Nova Scotian/Black music advisory committee. 'This needs to be bigger' Lopes's original mentorship program was meant to help address these systemic issues, but she kept hitting walls. She met resistance from some industry associations who wanted her to expand the program to all marginalized groups, or even to all emerging artists. But that's not who she wanted to help. "The artists I'm managing in Nova Scotia, they're all African Nova Scotian women, as I am myself," she said, listing Jody Upshaw, Reeny, Zamani and Haliey Smith as some of her local roster. Lopes was tired of explaining herself, her artists, and her value. "There's so many other things we need to be spending our time on, we can't be bogged down with the emotional labour of also racism and sexism," she said. WATCH | Reeny's set for CBC Music's Road to the Junos series: Her conclusion: "This needs to be bigger, like no one's taking this program seriously and we're just gonna do this ourselves," she said. "We're not gonna wait for people to get it right or to make it better." "I did it as much for me as I'm doing it for the artists," she admitted. "Because it's like, I also need a space to know that we have each other." And so Maidie Music House was born, a company named after her paternal grandmother, Maidie Upshaw, married name Lopes, who made sure everyone in the family had to learn at least one instrument (though Lopes's father argues that Maidie made everyone learn at least two). '[She] lets me thrive rather than survive all the time' For Jody Upshaw, Lopes's cousin, it literally is all about family. The R&B singer has been performing since she was 11, and mentoring with Lopes for years now. But to have an official House, where everyone's publicly represented, changes things. "Now actually putting a name on it and putting that out to the world manifests a lot more opportunities for ourselves," Lopes said. "And also it kind of has that layer of trust for us on the inside that we know this is a collective now…. It means something really special to shout that out to the world and be like, 'These are the people that I'm running with right now.'" In her time working with Lopes, Upshaw has been shaping her performance and music while also giving back to the community: she's currently serving her second term as board member with MNS, alongside Lopes, and Upshaw's first term marked the now 22-year-old as the youngest board member to be elected. While Maidie Music House has an artist focus, it's also a mentoring space for industry professionals. Shevy Price is a former rapper, founder of Prix Consulting, co-organizer of Coastal Culture Clash and current membership and admin coordinator at MNS, and she started mentoring with Lopes in 2023 to work on artist and event management. She was looking for somewhere to feel both safe and challenged. "Kat was the person that, for me personally, she allowed me to say who I am as somebody who is an African Nova Scotian woman," said Price. "I am now a mother of two, I'm neurodivergent, I learn differently … she has become a teacher of mine and a mentor of mine that lets me thrive rather than survive all the time. "Being able to see artists from my community have this space, have somebody advocate for them, being able to just be themselves around each other, too — I didn't realize how important it was 'cause I didn't know that it was possible." While the focus is local right now, Lopes said the future is open. "The one thing I can say for sure is that it will always be Black people," she promised. "We need a win from our community first, and if that takes off, then I probably wouldn't say no to someone who is super talented from somewhere else." Maidie Music House will launch at a private event on Aug. 1 as part of Crescendo Fest, the first Black music festival in Halifax, which is celebrating its third year and is run by Micah Smith, who is also mentoring with Lopes. Reeny, Zamani, Haliey Smith and Jody Upshaw will all perform. WATCH | Zamani's set for CBC Music's Road to the Junos series:
CTV News
2 hours ago
- CTV News
‘Moving to Saskatchewan': Chappell Roan lyrics boost online interest in Canadian province
WATCH: Jacob Carr has more on Chappell Roan's 'Saskatchewan' lyric for her new song, The Subway, which drops on Thursday. Chappell Roan's new single, 'The Subway,' is creating quite the buzz in Saskatchewan. In the single released Thursday night, the American pop star sings about moving to Saskatchewan if she can't get over a breakup. 'We are absolutely thrilled to get a shout-out from such a talented and well-known artist,' said Amy McInnis, vice-president of marketing and communications at Tourism Saskatchewan. The search terms 'moving to Saskatchewan' are showing up worldwide, according to McInnis. In the days leading up to the single's release, Tourism Saskatchewan had more than 230 new social media mentions and nearly 40,000 new social media interactions. 'That's a lot of people thinking about Saskatchewan,' McInnis said. 'We don't know if it's going to translate into more visitation, but anything that brings more profile and attention to the province is always a good thing.' The tourism sector is hoping to capitalize on Roan's music. The group launched a new marketing campaign that helps tourists explore Saskatchewan based on their favourite Chappell Roan songs. 'We've rounded up five iconic Saskatchewan spots that radiate Midwest Princess energy and paired each one with the perfect Chappell track to complement their unique vibe,' according to a post on Tourism Saskatchewan's Instagram page. Roan's fans in Saskatoon also think her new song could attract more visitors from around the world. 'I think it's very good for tourism here, since most people don't really think to visit Saskatchewan when they visit Canada,' said Saskatoon resident and Chappel Roan fan Radia Jannet. Jannet said the province has a lot to offer for people trying to escape the city. 'It has a lower cost of living than the rest of Canada. It's not too overcrowded and everyone here is really polite and kind,' she said. Roan first performed The Subway live last summer. But the Saskatchewan lyrics gained traction late last month when Roan hired Regina production company Captive Media to create a teaser video for the official release. The snippet shows a moving truck passing by canola fields and a 'Welcome to Saskatchewan' sign. 'We really wanted to show off Saskatchewan and make sure that we find and get footage that we feel like represents our province,' said Captive Media content creator Jill Dukart. Roan is an advocate for the LGBTQ2S+ community, and the queer singer has received a warm welcome from members of Saskatchewan's queer community. Nathaniel Teed is the province's first openly gay member of the legislative assembly. He penned a letter to Roan's team pitching a collaboration with the singer that 'offers an unapologetic middle finger to bigotry.' 'We want to see queer and trans youth affirmed and supported in schools. And I think Chapell's voice might be able to lend a little bit of weight behind that,' Teed told CTV News. There is hope that the singer might take up the offer to at least visit Saskatchewan in the future. In December, during an interview with celebrity journalist Nardwuar, Roan said she had been scoping out venues in the province. 'I owe it to them. I can't sing a song about Saskatchewan and not go there and play a show,' she said. There are no Canadian cities listed on Roan's current tour schedule.
CBC
3 hours ago
- CBC
What's on in Hamilton this August long weekend?
Social Sharing Somehow, it's August. It may feel like summer is slipping away but there are still plenty of activities in the city to help you make the most of the season. Here's some of what's on the go this August long weekend. Marking Emancipation Day At Fieldcote Memorial Park and Museum, the City of Hamilton will mark Emancipation Day — honouring the abolition of slavery across the British Empire. The event will take place by the Griffin House National Historic Site Friday afternoon. Festival of Friends The annual free live music festival Festival of Friends runs Friday through Sunday in Gage Park, rain or shine. Headliners include Sister Sledge, the group best known for dance anthem We Are Family, U.S. hip hop group Sugarhill Gang, known for their 1979 track, Rapper's Delight, Juno-winning singer-songwriter Dan Mangan, who recently released a new album Natural Light, and Brett Kissel, from Northern Alberta, who has won several Canadian Country Music Association Awards. It's free to go to the event and there will be food for sale. Night Market at Bayfront From Friday through Sunday, Bayfront Park will be host to the Lucky Lion Night Market. Admission is free. Organizers say the event will include hundreds of food items, merchants, nightly Chinese Lion Dance performances, a bar tent, music and claw machines. Symphony by the lake At noon on Saturday, the Brott Music Festival and National Academy Of Canada Orchestra are putting on a free one-hour concert at Pier 8. Organizers say to bring lawn chairs and picnic blankets. Swing Dancing at Pier 8 Also by the waterfront, Sunday swing dancing continues at Pier 8 through to the end of August. There will be a free lesson at 6:30 p.m. Sunday, with dancing starting at 7 p.m. The dance floor is concrete and organizers recommend wearing comfortable shoes, a hat and packing water. You don't have to bring a dance partner. Children's activities at Dundurn National Historic Site Hamilton Children's Museum will be holding a pop up at Dundurn National Historic Site on Saturday and Sunday. Organizers say there will be free nature-based activities in the Historic Kitchen Garden, allowing children to explore plants, animals and insects. Making milky memories Between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, a dairy themed event will take over the Westfield Heritage Village Conservation Area. Dairy Delicious will feature exhibits, games and hands-on activities about the history of dairy farming in Ontario from the mid-1800s to the early 1900s. Advance registration is required.
