5 Black artists you have to hear

It's always a great time to add some new music to your roster. Check out these five Black artists who are not only being noticed on the awards scene, but more importantly, carving out their own sound and following.

Zamani

Zamani is an 18-year-old triple threat in the form ofsinger, songwriter and producer from Halifax. Hailing from a musical family,she had her first professional performance at the age of 14.Since then, she has had numerous accolades, such aswinning the 2019 International Film Festival for Atlantic Original Score.

She has also been nominated for two awards at the 2022 East Coast Music Awards. For her song Selfish, Zamani blends soothing vocals and harmonies with a catchy chorus in a song whose lyrics drive home that being egocentric and looking after yourself is a good thing.

Links: http://www.zamanimusic.ca

Track to try:Outside

Owen (O'Sound) Lee

Owen (O'Sound)Lee of Torontogot his start in singing in church. After studying jazz vocal performance at York University, the vocal arranger, songwriter and producer relocated to Nova Scotia in 2014, according to his bio.

Lee is the program co-ordinator of the African Nova Scotian Music Association. In addition to that, his own talent has garnered him recognition. He was nominated for Music Nova Scotia's 2019 Industry Professional of the Year award, and he wonthe 2017 African Nova Scotia Music Association's Rising Star Award.

In February 2020, Owen released a single entitled Listen for African Heritage Month. The song is aboutracial discrimination, highlightingthat Black people still triumphandcalls for people to step up and be catalysts for change. This song showcases Lee'samazing vocals and his strong religious background.

Link:https://linktr.ee/callmeosound

Track to try: Listen

MioKal

Founded in 2015, MioKal is a afro-pop, R&B and Zouk band.Mdiane Mpunge, Jonathan Mpunge, Passy Grgor Nel, Samy Mpunge, Jean-Michel Dake and Gary Mpungemake up the band and it's a global makeup of sorts, with band members hailing from the Ivory Coast,Haiti, the DemocraticRepublic of Congoand Canada.

According to the band's bio, the group's name, MioKal, comes from the union of the name of two villages in the Democratic Republic of Congo Miole and Kalungu that were destroyed during the current war.

Last year was a particularly good one for the band, with nominations for thePRIX MNB Awards Breakthrough Artist of the year 2021 and the ECMA's 2021 African Canadian Artist of the year.

Their song Dancing with the Angelsis an emotional one that explores all the feelingsthat comewith losing a loved one anguish, gratefulness and relief in the hope that your loved one is in a better place.

Links: https://www.facebook.com/miokalband

Track to try: Dancing with the Angels

Reeny Smith

Since releasing her debut EP in 2015, I Am Reeny, the 25-year-oldsinger, songwriter and producer from Nova Scotia continues to be one of theEast Coast's hottest upcoming artists. She signed with Cymba Music Publishing in 2016 and hasn't looked back since.

She went on to win Music Nova Scotia's African Canadian Artist of the Year award three consecutive yearsfrom 2016, 2017, and 2018,as well as Best R&B Artist award in The Coast's Best of Halifax awards in back-to-back years in 2017 and2018. Her breakout single, Good Girl Swag, is an upbeat song that encourages positivity in an increasingly harsh world through its catchy chorus that'll have you singing throughout the day.

Links: https://www.iamreeny.com/about

Tune to try:Good Girl Swag

BruceM8

BruceM8 is anartist and producerbased in Newfoundland and Labrador. Born inHarare, Zimbabwe, he calls himself and his mix of abstract R&B and brash hip hop an "an all-encompassing experience."

Throughout 2019 and 2020, BruceM8 established himself as an in-demand artist, releasing his EPs Stay Awakeand Pain Packtomuch fanfare. His biggest single so far, Letting Go,a self-produced song that combined his hazy melodies and brash R&B style. That song would later lead to production credits on Canadian rapper Tory Lanez's song A Womanonhis 2020 album Daystar.

But if he has to play favourites, BruceM8 would likely give that honour to his single Numb, released in 2021, which according to himis"the greatest song to ever exist, for now."

Links: https://linktr.ee/brucem8

Trackto try: Letting Go

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Being Black in Canada

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