Please check back as we continue to confirm performers for this year's event.
Crystalena Paquette
Crystalena wears her heart on her sleeve. Her canvas contains the deep blues of heartbreak with splashes of vibrant reds when her mood shifts into something animalistic. Her fiery thought-provoking lyrics look to address a range of complex topics, from social issues to the struggles and successes of self-empowerment.
She lives for mixing attitudes and genres. While combining her roots in soul and folk music, Crystalena takes listeners by surprise by fusing experimental soul-rock with lush R&B grooves into Canadiana music, showcasing a special concoction of musical styles. “Crystalena’s voice is soaked in honey and grit. It will caress you sweetly but that touch won’t hold back the claws when the music needs to slice.” - [Andre Gagne, Ottawa Life Magazine]
Crystalena landed with a tenacious fire in the Ottawa music industry, eager to perform and share her music while completing her undergrad degree through Carleton University’s Music Program in the singer-songwriter stream. In December 2016, she gained the international attention of thousands after releasing her first live music video, “Impulse,” through the Ottawa-based music production start-up series, Shot in the Dark, which quickly became an audience favourite. “There is said to be a slow burning love lust in her lyricism of Impulse, while digging her teeth into words that were filled with passionate throes.” [Terry Steeves, Apt 613]
When fuelling her compositions into a larger project, she is backed by a band of diverse and indomitable musicians known as The Connection. In April 2018, Crystalena and The Connection completed their first round trip tour. Touring the rugged outback of Ontario while creating memories and new music, they also donated half their earnings to She's Listening and the Ovarian Cancer Canada Foundation.
Crystalena wears her heart on her sleeve. Her canvas contains the deep blues of heartbreak with splashes of vibrant reds when her mood shifts into something animalistic. Her fiery thought-provoking lyrics look to address a range of complex topics, from social issues to the struggles and successes of self-empowerment.
She lives for mixing attitudes and genres. While combining her roots in soul and folk music, Crystalena takes listeners by surprise by fusing experimental soul-rock with lush R&B grooves into Canadiana music, showcasing a special concoction of musical styles. “Crystalena’s voice is soaked in honey and grit. It will caress you sweetly but that touch won’t hold back the claws when the music needs to slice.” - [Andre Gagne, Ottawa Life Magazine]
Crystalena landed with a tenacious fire in the Ottawa music industry, eager to perform and share her music while completing her undergrad degree through Carleton University’s Music Program in the singer-songwriter stream. In December 2016, she gained the international attention of thousands after releasing her first live music video, “Impulse,” through the Ottawa-based music production start-up series, Shot in the Dark, which quickly became an audience favourite. “There is said to be a slow burning love lust in her lyricism of Impulse, while digging her teeth into words that were filled with passionate throes.” [Terry Steeves, Apt 613]
When fuelling her compositions into a larger project, she is backed by a band of diverse and indomitable musicians known as The Connection. In April 2018, Crystalena and The Connection completed their first round trip tour. Touring the rugged outback of Ontario while creating memories and new music, they also donated half their earnings to She's Listening and the Ovarian Cancer Canada Foundation.
Pawuni
Pawuni est une chanteuse et compositrice originaire de la République démocratique du Congo.
Pawuni a été élevé dans une famille pleine de vie et de musique à Kinshasa . Ainsi, à un très jeune âge, son frère et ses soeurs l'invitaient souvent à chanter pour eux les chansons de sa chanteuse préférée de tous les temps, Whitney Houston et de beaucoup d'autres qui l'ont inspirée vocalement et musicalement.
Pawuni, qui signifie précieux ou bijou en lingala, est une preuve et un témoignage de son attachement à la terre de ses ancêtres: l'Afrique.
C'est en 1995 que Pawuni arrive au Canada pour poursuivre ses études. Incapable de vivre sans chanter, Pawuni a travaillé avec de nombreux artistes connus comme Lynx, ZPN, Kool Matope, Popo Loboy, feu Alain Moloto et bien d'autres. Elle a également chanté avec succès et a dirigé sa chorale pendant plus de cinq ans. 2014 est l'année où Pawuni sentit fortement dans son âme que c'était le moment propice pour commencer sa carrière musicale professionnelle. Depuis lors, Pawuni a participé à divers festivals à Gracefield, Ottawa, Montréal et Toronto.
Pawuni est une chanteuse et compositrice originaire de la République démocratique du Congo.
Pawuni a été élevé dans une famille pleine de vie et de musique à Kinshasa . Ainsi, à un très jeune âge, son frère et ses soeurs l'invitaient souvent à chanter pour eux les chansons de sa chanteuse préférée de tous les temps, Whitney Houston et de beaucoup d'autres qui l'ont inspirée vocalement et musicalement.
Pawuni, qui signifie précieux ou bijou en lingala, est une preuve et un témoignage de son attachement à la terre de ses ancêtres: l'Afrique.
C'est en 1995 que Pawuni arrive au Canada pour poursuivre ses études. Incapable de vivre sans chanter, Pawuni a travaillé avec de nombreux artistes connus comme Lynx, ZPN, Kool Matope, Popo Loboy, feu Alain Moloto et bien d'autres. Elle a également chanté avec succès et a dirigé sa chorale pendant plus de cinq ans. 2014 est l'année où Pawuni sentit fortement dans son âme que c'était le moment propice pour commencer sa carrière musicale professionnelle. Depuis lors, Pawuni a participé à divers festivals à Gracefield, Ottawa, Montréal et Toronto.
Just Voices
Just Voices is a community-oriented activist choir in Ottawa, on unceded Algonquin territory. They use their voices to inspire social change and contribute to movements for social and environmental justice, racial and gender equality, and struggles against violence, war and poverty.
Just Voices is a community-oriented activist choir in Ottawa, on unceded Algonquin territory. They use their voices to inspire social change and contribute to movements for social and environmental justice, racial and gender equality, and struggles against violence, war and poverty.
Paula Ethans
Paula Ethans is an intersectional feminist who uses her legal training, access to privilege, and creativity to organize her communities and advocate for the rights of marginalized folx. Her advocacy focuses on gender equality, anti-SGBV (sexual and gender-based violence), and migration rights. Paula is a writer and spoken word poet, using both crafts to analyze law, culture, and politics through a critical anti-oppression lens. She writes on her award-winning blog Paula vs Patriarchy, and has won for her spoken word performances at the Urban Legends Womxn’s Slam. Currently, she is an articling student for a national human rights law firm. She has previously worked with the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) in Kuala Lumpur, and the Organization for Refuge, Asylum and Migration (ORAM) in Israel and Turkey. She is the Founder of the UOttawa Feminist Collective and is the previous co-chair of the UOttawa chapter of the Canadian Association of Refugee Lawyers (CARL).
Paula Ethans is an intersectional feminist who uses her legal training, access to privilege, and creativity to organize her communities and advocate for the rights of marginalized folx. Her advocacy focuses on gender equality, anti-SGBV (sexual and gender-based violence), and migration rights. Paula is a writer and spoken word poet, using both crafts to analyze law, culture, and politics through a critical anti-oppression lens. She writes on her award-winning blog Paula vs Patriarchy, and has won for her spoken word performances at the Urban Legends Womxn’s Slam. Currently, she is an articling student for a national human rights law firm. She has previously worked with the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) in Kuala Lumpur, and the Organization for Refuge, Asylum and Migration (ORAM) in Israel and Turkey. She is the Founder of the UOttawa Feminist Collective and is the previous co-chair of the UOttawa chapter of the Canadian Association of Refugee Lawyers (CARL).
