Events
Massey Hall and Toronto Blues Society Present: The Women’s Blues Revue 2022
Celebrating 35 Years of Women’s Blues Revue – Full Line-Up
(TORONTO – October 25, 2022) – The Women’s Blues Revue 2022 full line-up has been announced and returns to the newly revitalized Massey Hall to celebrate its 35th year on Friday November 25, 2022 at Massey Hall. Bringing blues lovers together for an evening honouring the contributions to the genre with some of Canada’s finest musicians. Tickets are available now at masseyhall.com/tickets or 416-872-4255.
This year’s exceptional line-up includes performances by Garnetta Cromwell, Miss Emily, Selena Evangeline, Suzie Vinnick, Ann Vriend and host Angelique Francis. All vocalists will be backed by the All-Star Women’s Blues Revue Band.
Garnetta Cromwell’s story begins in Montreal Canada, a bilingual, Afro-Metis (Mi’q Maw Community) Canadian girl, musical daughter of a sophisticated strong woman; and the youngest of 6 other talented girls. She fronts Garnetta & Dagroovmasters, a Classic Soul R&B band that is not only a high energy show band, but they are also a reflection of Canada’s multicultural society! They have been playing music together for approximately 1.5 years. Their style of upbeat music, brings pure joy to all listeners, and continues to spread their contagious & cheerful sounds throughout their live performances!
In February 2020, only days after Miss Emily celebrated the Maple Blues Awards triple-crown of Female Vocalist, New Artist and Sapphire Blues Video of the Year, the world shut down. She has an innovative spirit and creative force born out of necessity, and her incomparable vocals are surpassed only by her electrifying, roof-rattling performances. Soon the world will shine a bright, white spotlight on the soul-blues dynamo known as Miss Emily. It’s only a matter of time.
Selena Evangeline is, without question, a world-class singer. The sounds of Ella Fitzgerald, Chaka Khan, Prince, and Stevie Wonder helped shape the musician she is today. As a multi-instrumentalist and songwriter, her songs are musical snapshots of real-life and emotions, from a real woman. Those “snapshots” helped to win her an Ontario Independent Music Award for Best Urban, Barrie New Music Award as well as honourable mention in the John Lennon Song-Writing Competition.
This year’s host, Angelique Francis is a multi-talented, multi-instrumentalist, multi-genre singer-songwriter and composer has wowed audiences across the globe with her electrifying performances, instrumental abilities and powerful textured vocals. Angelique has performed alongside a large roster of well-known musicians such as Gary Clark Jr, Joe Bonamassa, Eric Gales, Keb’ Mo’, Jimmy Vivino, Beth Hart, Tom Cochran, Burton Cummings, Sugar Ray and more.
Suzie Vinnick is Saskatoon native transplanted to the Niagara Region of Ontario, Roots and Blues singer Suzie Vinnick is a 3x Juno Nominee, CFMA Award winner, and a 10-time winner of the Maple Blues Award for songwriting, female vocalist, acoustic act and more. Suzie has a voice you’ve heard a thousand times and one you’ll never forget. It soars, it growls, it whispers and it shouts from a deep, deep well of emotion. The pure joy she exudes when she picks up that guitar is so worth the show.
Suzie has toured nationally with Downchild, Stuart McLean’s The Vinyl Café, the John McDermott Band and she performed for Canadian Peacekeepers in Bosnia and the Persian Gulf. She was also the voice of Tim Horton’s for 5 years.
Suzie’s latest roots and blues album will be released on September 23, 2022; the album is entitled Fall Back Home.
Canadian, Ann Vriend, is a two-time Maple Blues Award songwriting winner, an Edmonton Music Award and Alberta Centennial Award recipient, and has sold nearly 30,000 albums off-the-stage in her under-the-radar, yet critically acclaimed, international career. Her sound is simultaneously reminiscent of the vintage, rootsy, soul style of Stax Records and Muscle Shoals recordings, while also contemporary and commercially viable, not to mention lyrically politically poignant.
All vocalists will be backed by the All-Star Women’s Blues Revue Band which includes:
Rebecca Hennessy (Trumpet & Bandleader)
Suzie Vinnick (Guitar)
Emily Burgess (Guitar)
Carrie Chesnutt (Sax)
Elena Kapeleris (Sax)
Colleen Allen (Sax)
Dale Anne Brendon (Drums)
Lily Sazz (Keys)
Carlie Howell (Bass)
Co-presented with the Toronto Blues Society
Source: The Corporation of Massey Hall and Roy Thomson Hall
Buika Returns to Canada: A Latin Grammy-Winning Voice Like No Other
Toronto, ON & Montreal, QC — AB Collective International proudly presents the return of internationally acclaimed Spanish vocalist Buika to Canada for two powerful concerts this October.
Named by NPR as one of the “50 greatest voices of all time,” Buika is a genre-defying artist whose music fuses flamenco, soul, jazz and Afro-Latin sounds with poetic intensity. She is a Latin Grammy winner, has been nominated for Grammy Awards in multiple categories, and has shared stages with legends such as Chucho Valdés, Anoushka Shankar, and Carlos Santana.
This fall, her unmistakable voice will resound once more in two of Canada’s most iconic venues:
October 18, 2025 – Queen Elizabeth Theatre, Toronto
October 19, 2025 – L’Olympia, Montreal
Buika’s performances are emotional journeys — raw, elegant, and deeply human. Her art transcends genres and borders, delivering truth through music.
Presented by AB Collective International, these concerts are more than shows: they are moments of soulful connection and cultural resonance, featuring one of the most expressive vocalists of our time.
(TORONTO – May 14, 2025) – One month today, Saturday, June 14, 2025, Massey Hall presents Oscar Peterson at 100: A Canadian Celebration featuring an all-star roster of musicians coming together to celebrate international Jazz legend, Oscar Peterson’s 100 birthday. New additions to line-up include two Canadian Jazz legends, Dave Younge and Oliver Jones.
Dave Young and Oliver Jones will join the previously announced acclaimed Canadian musicians on the legendary Allan Slaight Stage at Massey Hall: Amanda Tosoff, Andrew McAnsh, Caity Gyorgy, Chet Doxas, Chris Butcher, Colleen Allen, Jim Doxas, Jocelyn Gould, Jodi Proznick, Joe Sealy, Kevin Turcotte, Laila Biali, Lex French, Mark McLean, Matt Woroshyl, Mike Downes, Reg Schwager, Robi Botos, Sean Nimmons, Taurey Butler, and Thompson Egbo-Egbo.
TICKETS AVAILABLE AT:
WWW.MASSEYHALL.COM
OR 416-872-4255
Oscar Peterson at 100: A Canadian Celebration will feature music from throughout Peterson’s near seven-decade career, with a mix of both his original compositions and jazz standards, performed with love by an eclectic mix of artists, all of whom have drawn inspiration from Peterson’s immeasurable legacy.
The evening, co-produced by Céline Peterson and JUNO Award-winning drummer, composer, educator, and the evening’s Musical Director, Jim Doxas, was born from the pair’s desire to curate an evening that embodied the excellence that Peterson led throughout his life.
Tickets to Oscar Peterson at 100, A Canadian Celebration are available now by visiting www.masseyhall.com or calling the box office at 416-872-4255.
Dave Young Bio: Order of Canada recipient, Dr. Dave Young C.M., is one of Canada’s most celebrated and valued bassists, composers, arrangers, and educators. Originally from Winnipeg, Dave has made his name known on both the Canadian and international stages in both jazz and classical music for the last 5 decades, and along the way has worked with some of the world’s top artists in various fields. Known for his elegant tone, impeccable time, and immense knowledge of musical history, Dave has been a first-call bassist for the likes of Oscar Peterson, Lenny Breau, Oliver Jones, Cedar Walton, and countless others.
Oliver Jones Bio: With 25 albums under his belt, Dr. Jones has toured the world playing for audiences across the United States, Europe, New Zealand, Australia, Switzerland, Japan, China and Africa. Having performed at major jazz festivals and concerts alongside acclaimed orchestras, Dr. Jones has been recognized for his work across the globe. He is a member of the Order of Canada and the Order of Québec and has received the Governor General’s Performing Arts Award, the Martin Luther King Jr. Award, the Oscar Peterson Award, the SOCAN Special Lifetime Award, multiple Félix Awards and two JUNO Awards. He has six doctorates.
Dr. OSCAR EMMANUEL PETERSON, is one of the most prolific jazz pianists of all time, lending his name and talents to more than 500 recordings and earning 8 GRAMMY Awards (including Lifetime Achievement). Born in Montréal’s Little Burgundy, his immense talent, fierce determination and profound love for the artform caught the attention of jazz music’s greatest impresario and founder of Jazz at the Philharmonic (JATP), Norman Granz. After accepting an invitation to perform as a surprise guest at a JATP show at Carnegie Hall at just twenty-four years old, Peterson would continue to tour with the group, performing with the likes of Ella Fitzgerald, Ray Brown, Roy Eldridge, Herb Ellis, Clark Terry, Lester Young, and Lionel Hampton.
To learn more about Oscar Peterson and #OscarPeterson100, visit OscarPeterson.com.
On Sunday, June 15, 2025, the rhythms of Latin America take over Luminato at Harbourfront in this day-long celebration curated by Toronto’s beloved Lula Music & Arts Centre. From powerful salsa to groundbreaking fusions of traditional and contemporary sounds, this free event brings together revolutionary artists who are reshaping Latin music.
Get ready to dance with La Pambelé, as members of this cutting-edge Colombian orchestra are joined by top Canadian players to deliver this specially curated presentation of international salsa brava, bursting with the spirit of resistance and revolution. Move to the innovative sounds of Kombilesa Mi, who blend ancestral instruments with contemporary beats, rapping in both Spanish and Palenquero—the unique language of San Basilio de Palenque, the first free Black community in the Americas.
Between sets, Toronto’s own Sonic Sancocho keeps the energy high with vinyl-only DJ sets that span the spectrum of Latin music. Join dance workshops led by international instructors, explore market vendors, and discover why Latin music continues to move the world.
Whether you’re an experienced dancer or just love to move, this family-friendly celebration invites everyone to be part of the rhythm. More artists, workshops, and activities to be announced.
DIOGO RAMOS | 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM | CONCERT STAGE | FREE
Meet Diogo Ramos, singer-songwriter hailing from São Paulo, Brazil. Rooted in the rich tradition of Brazilian popular musicians, Diogo has honed his craft since the age of 13, specializing in guitar. With 25 years of professional experience, he has contributed to 20 albums as both composer and producer. In 2023, Diogo launched his latest album ‘Cabaça,’ a vibrant blend of electro-samba-funk designed to get you dancing! ‘Cabaça’ fuses samba funk and electronic hip-hop, featuring lyrics in Portuguese, French, and Haitian Creole, capturing the essence of beach vibes and modern urbanity. His EP ‘Raro Efeito’ serves as a musical statement and a tribute to Montreal’s multicultural artistic scene.
Crafted in collaboration with director Boogát, ‘Cabaça’ features brass arrangements recorded in Brazil by João Lenhari, Cuca Ferreira, and Douglas Antunes of Bixiga 70. Vocal arrangements by Bianca Rocha and Flavia Nascimento, mixed by Jean Massicotte in Canada and Andrés Oddone in Mexico. Special guests include Bïa and Imposs in ‘Samba do Boncy,’ and Boogát in ‘Sua Mão Direita.’ This music was composed and produced during the 2020/2021 pandemic, with the hope for a civilization filled with music and peace.
KOMBILESA MI | 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM | CONCERT STAGE | FREE
Nestled in the northern coastal region of Colombia, San Basilio de Palenque as it is colloquially known, was founded in the 17th century, by the first free slaves (Cimarrones) of the Americas. It has pioneered a distinct mix of Afro-Colombian culture. Locals speak their own Creole language called “Palenquero”, a blend of African Bantu, Portuguese dialects, French and English. Kombilesa Mi experiments with the instruments created by their ancestors (and introduced to them when they were young), layering them between new sounds. Over traditional percussion, handmade steel drums of his own design and marímbula, Kombilesa Mi rhymes and raps in Spanish and the traditional Palenquero. Kombilesa has performed at the Kennedy Center, NPR’s Tiny Desk, the Festival Petronio Alvarez and SXSW.
LA PAMBELÉ | 8:00 PM – 9:00 PM | CONCERT STAGE | FREE
La Pambelé is a Colombian orchestra that embodies the essence of heavy guaguanco, salsa brava that resonates with revolution and resistance of migrants to the big cities. Their influences include names such as Markolino Dimond, Eddie Palmieri, Edy Martínez, El Pantera, Ismael Miranda, Quintana, Rivera, and the Afro- Antillean rhythms that flow from the Colombian coasts to the capital, Bogotá, the epicenter of inspiration and conspiracy for this orchestra.
Source: Luminato at Harbourfront
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