soul Archives - Toronto Guardian

Five Minutes With: Toronto R&B Band Sunshine Makers

Joel Levy — Fri, 21 Feb 2025 08:33:17 +0000

Formed in Toronto in 2017 and now based in London, Ontario, Sunshine Makers have garnered critical acclaim and radio airplay across Canada and Europe. Their debut EP A SIDE (2023) and self-titled album, Sunshine Makers (2024) earned them spots on CBC Radio, France’s FIP Radio, and various editorial playlists. Sunshine Makers have shared the stage with a remarkable collection of musical acts including Shad, Dwayne Gretzky, Odario Williams (Grand Analog), and SHEBAD across various festival stages such as NXNE, Sunfest, and Supercrawl.

Photo by: Farrell Tremblay

Name:

Sunshine Makers

Genre:

Soul, R&B, jazz, pop

Founded:

2017

# of Albums:

1 (we are recording #2 right now)

Latest Album:

s/t

Latest Single:

There’s a Light

Latest Video:

Favourite musician growing up:

John Lennon

Favourite musician now:

John Lennon

Guilty pleasure song:

Spice Girls – “Say You’ll Be There” it’s a banger!

Live show ritual:

We huddle to connect and feel love before we radiate it.

Favourite local musician:

Shad

EP or LP?

Early bird or night owl?

Night Owl

Road or studio?

Road

Where can we follow you?

Website

***

Rapid Fire Local Questions:

What is your favourite local restaurant?

Holy Diver

What is your favourite street in your city and why?

Wortley. It’s a nice walk and has great shops /restaurants

What is your favourite park in your city and why?

Victoria Park. It hosts Sun Fest!

What is your favourite music venue in your city?

Palasad social bowl

What is your favourite music store in your city?

Grooves Records

The post Five Minutes With: Toronto R&B Band Sunshine Makers appeared first on Toronto Guardian.

Five Minutes With: Indie Soul Band SHEBAD

Emilea Semancik — Fri, 20 Dec 2024 08:33:22 +0000

SHEBAD brings together the talents of visual artist and vocalist Claire Voy and multi-instrumentalist Ciccio Spagnolo to create an Indie Soul experience rooted in exploration. Based in Guelph, this music project is defined by jazz-inspired melodies, infectious basslines, and Claire’s ethereal vocals. Drawing from influences like Stevie Wonder, Hiatus Kaiyote, Joni Mitchell, Amy Winehouse, Daft Punk, and Erykah Badu, the sound of SHEBAD is both captivating and genre-defying. CBC’s Laila Biali describes it as “music that exists in a sonic world of its own.” Performing live as a five-piece ensemble with Bridget Walsh (violin/trumpet), Emil White (keys/sax), and Emmitt Leacock (drums), SHEBAD started 2024 strong, opening for Kamasi Washington, Thievery Corporation, and Anomalie. After a busy summer festival run at events like Hillside, Toronto Jazzfest, Mariposa Folkfest, and Sunfest, the band is now gearing up for the release of their debut album, *Music is the Answer*, out November 1, 2024. The album’s 10 tracks explore music’s transformative power as a life-affirming force, showcasing SHEBAD’s commitment to their craft.

Name:

SHEBAD

Genre:

Indie Soul, Neo-Jazz, Alternative RnB

Founded:

2019

# of Albums:

Latest Album:

Music is the Answer

Latest Single:

Time Takes Time

Latest Video:

Favourite musician growing up:

Daft Punk for both of us (Claire Voy and Ciccio Spagnolo). We love the world they create, their creativity, freedom and ability to make people DANCE.

Favourite musician now:

Stevie Wonder. Ciccio grew up loving him, has most of his discography on vinyl but Claire didn’t dive into seeing how much of a force Stevie was until recently. He manages to say so much lyrically, musically and from the heart in ways no one else has. An unbelievable talent and inspiration in how much range and exploration he has fit into his incredible career. A true hero of ours.

Guilty pleasure song:

Chase & Status, Bou – Baddadan ft. IRAH, Flowdan, Trigga, Takura

We often use this song to wake up on big show days, it gets us all up and moving FAST

Live show ritual:

Huddle, gratitude and hands in jazz on the count of 5, 6, or 7. We also have to laugh before a show, there’s jokes being thrown constantly and it’s what keeps us all smiling and excited. What’s music making without laughing with friends?

Favourite local musician:

PRRR, they’re cut from the same cloth and so talented and awesome. Also a university band like us!

EP or LP?

LP, albums are what share the stories and last the longest. EPs are great for getting ideas out and trying things though, but LPs are all the projects from our heroes that stick with us the longest

Early bird or night owl?

Night Owl 10000% we do most of our writing, working and connecting at night

Road or studio? Yin and Yang, balance in all things. We start to get sad without playing shows cause it’s truly what it’s all about but then there’s so much rest excitement and collaboration that happens in the studio so you truly need both

Any shows or albums coming up?

Debut Album ‘Music is the Answer’

Where can we follow you?

Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | Spotify | Bandcamp

***

Rapid Fire Local Questions:

What is your favourite local restaurant?

Crazy Carrot, classic and best place to get fast and healthy food, locally owned and operated.

What is your favourite street in your city and why?

Wyndham, it’s right downtown and has so many great local businesses including Wyndham Art Supply, the best art store in Guelph

What is your favourite park in your city and why?

Exhibition Park, we used to live near here and would come all the time to climb trees and picnic. Had some magic moments doing yoga, laughing, and listening to music under the giant maples there.

What is your favourite music venue in your city?

Tabu after the artist-led renovation which Claire Voy created a mural for and founding drummer Toby Binder reupholstered ALL the seating! A venue imbued with DIY artist love that we’ve had the help with creating and cleaning and playing at.

What is your favourite music store in your city?

Royal Cat Records, the best truly, locally owned by a powerhouse woman. We’re going to be having a display there once we get our hands on our vinyl! We love collaborating with them and they are the backbone of the recorded scene in Guelph.

The post Five Minutes With: Indie Soul Band SHEBAD appeared first on Toronto Guardian.

Five Minutes With: Toronto Soul Artist Sandra Bouza

Tosin Ajogbeje — Fri, 05 Jan 2024 08:33:47 +0000

Sandra Bouza is an award-winning Independent Roots Soul artist with decades of live performance experience and a powerful voice not easily forgotten. She cut her teeth performing in Toronto and Vancouver clubs and then spent three years honing her craft overseas in Europe and North and West Africa. Her wealth of life experience is evident in her well-crafted and poignant lyrics.

Upon returning to Canada, Bouza invested in her songwriting career and immediately received recognition winning the 2019 Toronto Blues Society Talent Search and representing Toronto at the 2020 International Blues Challenge in Memphis. Her EP “Three Years” received significant radio play in Canada, and her following FACTOR-funded album “Falling Away From Me” received Canadian radio play and rave reviews in Europe. Bouza has recently been nominated for Maple Blues “Best New Artist” award.

Name:

Sandra Bouza

Genre:

Roots Soul

Founded:

1983

# of Albums:

Latest Album:

A Sound in the Dark

Latest Single:

A Sound in the Dark

Latest Video:

Favourite musician growing up:

Too many to choose!

Favourite musician now:

Too many to choose!

Guilty pleasure song:

Toxic by Britney Spears

Live show ritual:

Square breathing and meditation

Favourite local musician:

Charlotte Day Wilson

EP or LP?

Early bird or night owl?

A night owl trying to be an early bird

Road or studio?

Road

Where can we follow you?

Facebook | Instagram | Spotify

***

Rapid Fire Local Questions:

What is your favourite local restaurant?

Mahas

What is your favourite street in your city and why?

Broadview, because of the view of the city

What is your favourite park in your city and why?

High Park. It feels like an entirely different world

What is your favourite music venue in your city?

The Danforth Music Hall

What is your favourite music store in your city?

Twelfth Fret

The post Five Minutes With: Toronto Soul Artist Sandra Bouza appeared first on Toronto Guardian.

Five Minutes With: Toronto-based Soul Artist Aphrose

Sabrina Greggain-Lord — Fri, 08 Dec 2023 08:33:38 +0000

Toronto-based soul music artist Joanna Mohammed (aka Aphrose) is no stranger to the Canadian music scene. With a reputation for powerful R&B vocal stylings, she has worked with international heavyweights Daniel Caesar, Lee Fields & The Expressions, Jessie Reyez, Nikki Yanofsky and Charlotte Day Wilson, to name a few. After ten years as a working professional vocalist and hungry to express and pursue her own creative ideas, Joanna Mohammed debuted under her artist name Aphrose (chosen from her mother’s birth name). After a string of successful single releases in 2018 and 2019, Aphrose shared her debut LP Element. The nine-track album earned her national acclamation and opportunities – including a live performance feature on CBC Music First Play, tour support for Moon Vs Sun (Chantal Kreviazuk & Raine Maida), song placement on CBC drama series Diggstown, and a spot lending her vocals to a Sportsnet 2019 NBA Finals commercial. She followed up the album with singles “If We Ever Change” and “Bobby Daba” in 2021, quickly becoming fan favourites that fans still reference today.

Raised in the culturally diverse neighbourhoods of Scarborough, Aphrose’s musical tastes and influences are wide and run deep, shaped by the music present in her Trinidadian household. With an apparent musical reverence for soul legends Aretha Franklin and Stevie Wonder to modern icons like Amy Winehouse and Frank Ocean, Aphrose’s songs both lyrically and musically embody self-realized power, euphoric love, and ancestral strength. Aphrose’s sophomore album, Roses, is slated to be released in the Fall of 2023. Aphrose shares, “It combines all the sounds I love and is a love letter to my family and where I come from. Throughout the record, there is audio of my (late) grandmother Rose speaking/praying that was isolated from old hi8 home video tapes, and the title single that will be released Roses, is a tribute to her. I’m excited about this body of work because it feels really honest and is exactly the music I want to make right now.”

Name:

Aphrose

Genre:

Neo-Soul/R&B

Founded:

2017

# of Albums:

Latest Album:

Roses

Latest Single:

Soft Nuclear

Latest Video:

Favourite musician growing up:

A few! Aretha, Mariah Carey, Celine Dion

Favourite musician now:

Impossible to pick just one! Here are a few artists I’m obsessed with currently: SiR, Frank Ocean, SZA, Miguel, Mariah

Guilty pleasure song:

Just Another Day- Jon Secada

Live show ritual:

Religiously eat Fisherman’s Friend lozenges (the extra strong kind) and try not to talk too much (which is super hard to do because I’m so chatty). I also like to find a few minutes where I can just breathe in really deeply and exhale slowly to help centre and focus myself.

Favourite local musician:

I am a fan girl of the following folks: Claire Davis, Tanika Charles, Gary Beals, Kyla Charter, Lydia Persaud, Maya Killtron, Tafari Anthony, Wildblack, Chynna Lewis, Ben Kunder

EP or LP?

Both but I love LPs because they tend to (or should!) tell a story

Early bird or night owl?

Night owl, although lately, I’ve been more of an early bird because I’m a mom to a very cute and active 3-year-old

Road or studio?

Road!

Any shows or albums coming up?

I just released my sophomore album titled “Roses” on October 12th

Where can we follow you?

***

Rapid Fire Local Questions:

What is your favourite local restaurant?

Pho Metro in Scarborough (get the H10- curry brisket pho!), Mona’s Roti in Scarborough (I know this may be biased but Scarborough has the best food)

What is your favourite street in your city and why?

Not a street per se, but a neighbourhood: Kensington Market because it is full of so much life, culture, art and amazing food.

What is your favourite park in your city and why?

High Park because it is enormous and is so gorgeous all year around- plus they have a petting zoo!

What is your favourite music venue in your city?

Massey Hall

What is your favourite music store in your city?

Sonic Boom

The post Five Minutes With: Toronto-based Soul Artist Aphrose appeared first on Toronto Guardian.

Five Minutes With: Toronto Soul and R&B Band The Recipee

Demian Vernieri — Fri, 25 Aug 2023 07:33:10 +0000

Jason Larmond, Juwayon Clarke (pronounced “Zhu-way-on”), Otis Williams, Johnathan Kerr, and Omar Lunan make up The Recipee, bringing with them more than 20 years of combined experience in performing, arranging, producing, and mixing music. Known for their high-energy performances and extensive repertoire, The Recipee Band is a crowd favourite for both local and international Canadian acts. Their impressive list of clients and venues includes Harbourfront Centre Toronto, Rogers Centre, Air Canada Centre, Hummingbird, and artists such as Justin Bieber, Brandy, Deborah Cox, Mýa, Tank, Usher, Kardinal Offishall, Glenn Lewis, and JRDN, among others. The Recipee Band’s commitment to ongoing learning and staying up-to-date with various genres, including gospel, rock, soul, funk, country, jazz, reggae, and blues, ensure they can find the right mix to please any audience.

Name:

The Recipee

Genre:

Soul, R&B, Gospel, Reggae, Hip Hop

Founded:

2012

# of Albums:

1 on the way!

Latest Single:

“Edges Laid (Tonight)”

Latest Video:

Favourite musicians growing up:

The Clarke Sisters, Brandy, Jon P Kee, Stevie Wonder, Michael McDonald

Favourite musician now:

Luke James, Tank, Chris Brown, PJ Morton, Tiana Major9

Guilty pleasure song:

Fine China – Chris Brown

Live show ritual:

Finding parking that won’t ding you 2 different rates before and after 6 pm

Favourite local musician:

Shi Wisdom

EP or LP?

Depends on the artist. LP for classics

Early bird or night owl?

All Night owls (the grind doesn’t stop!)

Road or studio?

Both!

Where can we follow you?

Website | Instagram | Facebook

***

Rapid Fire Local Questions:

What is your favourite local restaurant?

Lot 25 or Grumpys

What is your favourite street in your city and why?

King Street. That’s where our 7 years live music night began

What is your favourite park in your city and why?

Chinguacousey Park. Lots of family BBQs!

What is your favourite music venue in your city?

History or ACC

What is your favourite music store in your city?

Long and McQuade

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