Two Black Canadian brothers of Caribbean parentage, Rashaan Rori Allwood and Yanick Allwood present a powerful concert that explores how Black artists tell our stories and celebrate community through music. They include performance artist and ‘fine mover’ Shayna Jones to round out a program that is powerfully inspiring.
Black History Month Music was created by Joy Bullen, Culturepreneur, to introduce Canadians to young, Black, Canadian, musicians who shatter stereotypes and are themselves in the process of making history. Since 2015, they present performances featuring musicians who excel in areas where Black voices and presence have often been silenced or ignored. Each year they partner with cultural and not-for-profit organizations across Canada to entertain and educate diverse audiences. This year’s regional partners are Saskatchewan African Canadian Heritage Museum, The Canadian Museum of Immigration in Halifax, The Vancouver Public Library BC and the Black Business Association of BC.
Celebrations and Revelations 2022 headlines two brothers, Rashaan Rori Allwood and Yanick Allwood. Rashaan Allwood is a pianist, organist and composer currently pursuing a PhD in composition. As a soloist, he has toured across Europe, and performed at St. Paul's Cathedral in London, UK, St. Nikolai-Kirche in Leipzig, Germany and St. Pierre's Cathedral in Geneva, Switzerland. Yanick Allwood is a singer, multi-keyboardist, composer, and sound designer. Yanick released 4 albums with his highly acclaimed group After Funk and his music is often played on CBC radio. The brothers welcome a guest performer, Shayna Jones an award-winning performance artist who specializes in the traditional oral storytelling of African and Afro-Diasporic folklore. The brothers are backed by a band that comprises some of Canada’s finest – on bass there is Andrew Stewart who is heralded as an integral part of Canada’s emerging new school jazz and world music scenes; on guitar, Jeremy Sean Hector who is a guitarist and songwriter with a unique approach to writing and performing that blends soul and contemporary jazz; and on drums, Adrian Edwards whose skill and passion was equal to the task of tackling the drumming section of Larnell Lewis’ Change Your Mind.
In Celebrations and Revelations 2022 the brothers perform songs of some of our past and modern Black icons in blues, jazz, gospel and soul, whose words speak equally to our pain and our triumphs. The searing notes and words of Strange Fruit, the protest song made famous by Billie Holiday, the rousing gospel song ‘How I Got Over’ sung by Mahalia Jackson to soothe the crowds during the march on Washington, are balanced by the hopeful and powerful messages from Yanick’s and Rashaan’s original compositions and Shayna’s poignant message to the Black youth of this Land. “Black youth of this land, stand up and command your rightful place in the history books…”
Joy Bullen, Culturepreneur, is dedicated to sharing the achievement of Black youth in order to educate, entertain and incentivize, while helping youth to achieve the resources necessary for success.
Celebrations and Revelations 2022
February 1 to February 28, 2022
To view this FREE concert visit
www.joybullen.ca/events