Latest news with #PunjabiArtist
CTV News
04-07-2025
- Entertainment
- CTV News
Northern Lights Festival Boréal kicks off in Sudbury
One of Canada's longest-running music festivals, Northern Lights Festival Boréal, launched its 2025 edition launched at Greater Sudbury's Bell Park on July 4, 2025. (Amanada Hicks/CTV News Northern Ontario) The Northern Lights Festival Boréal (NLFB) launched at Sudbury's Bell Park on Friday, marking the return of one of Canada's longest-running music festivals. Established in 1972, the event features more than 35 artists performing across seven stages until Sunday. 'We've got so many artists lined up,' said Kailin Kohls, NLFB's social media and communications representative. 'We've got a mix of Francophone, a mix of English artists as well as some Indigenous folks, which are just going to bring us together to have one of the best weekends here in Sudbury.' Kohls said tickets have been selling steadily, and the City of Greater Sudbury estimates the festival will draw 10,000 attendees over three days, generating an economic impact of $400,000. Northern Lights Festival Boréal - signs A collage of Northern Lights Festival Boréal adverts posted in and around Greater Sudbury, Ont., posted to social media on July 3, 2025. (Northern Lights Festival Boréal/Facebook) This year's lineup includes the festival's first Punjabi artist and a trilingual performer singing in English, French and Ojibway. Kohls said organizers aimed to showcase diverse talent and foster community connections. 'We wanted to give people a chance to kind of see some of how the artists work and like their flow,' she said. 'We wanted to make a place for people to find their sense of community in the music that we're showing here.' Sudbury-born singer Kate Maki will perform new music for the first time in over nine years. 'I'm really excited,' she said. 'It's just really fun to play with my band. My band is really fun. There's seven of us, lots of great musicians and I know that there's going to be a lot of family and friends in the crowd.' Maki, a veteran of six or seven NLFB performances, praised the festival's unique atmosphere. 'It's got the best community feel – it's always full of all of Sudbury's artists and musicians, and a lot of family and friends come out,' she said. 'I always discover new musicians and new artists whenever I go. There's always something for everybody.' Headliners include Lights, Jamie Fine and Destroyer. The NLFB Family Area offers free admission after 5 p.m. and free entry for children under 14.
CBC
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- CBC
The first-ever course on Punjabi music is coming to Canada
The TMU course will be mostly devoted to the Indian singer and actor Diljit Dosanjh Students at Toronto Metropolitan University will have the chance to learn more about the growth of Punjabi music next fall. A new course will mainly focus on Diljit Dosanjh, an Indian singer, actor and film producer who works in Punjabi and Hindi cinema. He has more than 14 studio albums and 50 songs under his belt, and was the first Punjabi artist to play at Coachella in 2023. Last year, he broke a world record by giving the biggest concert by a Punjabi artist outside India, which was held in Vancouver, with over 55,000 tickets sold. This year, he became the first Punjabi artist to attend the Met Gala. Charlie Wall-Andrews, assistant professor in creative industries at TMU, says Dosanjh is a perfect case study for understanding the rise of Punjabi music worldwide. "He elevated the genre and the culture on a global scale. He's truly such a trailblazer for helping Punjabi music rise," said Wall-Andrews. In the course, students will explore the branding, marketing and touring strategies that led to Dosanjh's success. The course will also delve into the origins of Punjabi music. "Looking at things like oral traditions, post-colonial legacies, early icons. We'll also look at how music is a form of protest, resistance and how censorship has occurred," said Wall-Andrews. Embracing a different route to success Apart from studying Dosanjh's career, the course also aims to highlight the exponential growth of Punjabi music worldwide. "It's not unusual that universities offer elective courses pertaining to certain superstars. We've seen many schools in the U.S. offer courses on Taylor Swift or Beyoncé," said Wall-Andrews. "Given Canada's diversity, this seemed like a different take on a superstar that isn't from the Western world, per se." [Dosanjh] hasn't adapted to the industry, the industry has adapted to him. - Mo Ghoneim, Billboard Canada president Mo Ghoneim, president of Billboard Canada, thinks that by studying Dosanjh, students can learn more about alternative routes to success. "Diljit has really shifted the centre of gravity without diluting who he is. He built a global fan base rooted in his culture first, and then the West came to him. So, he hasn't adapted to the industry, the industry has adapted to him," said Ghoneim. Wall-Andrews hopes that students who take the class will learn to embrace their authenticity. "It should encourage people to tap into their own identity and their own community, because people want to be able to see themselves in the culture," said Wall-Andrews. "It can turn into sustainable business opportunities that have enormous cultural and economic impact." An accomplishment for the community Manveer Singh, a fourth-year professional music student at TMU and Punjabi music producer, feels inspired by the announcement of the new course. "It just feels like a big achievement. Our people are making it," said Singh, who plans to take the course next year if he has the opportunity. He also agrees with his school's choice to profile Dosanjh. "Every person that grew up in a Punjabi household knows him. When you think of a Punjabi artist, you think of Diljit Dosanjh. He is one of the greatest artists of all time," said Singh.
