Twenty-year-old Dylan Sinclair is a singer/songwriter from Toronto who started honing his voice in church at age 4. He began writing and recording music by the time he was 15 after realizing that performance was just one of the many talents he was given by God. In 2018, Dylan released his first independent project, the Red Like Crimson EP, which caught the attention of enough people to fill a room of over 200 for his debut hometown concert. One of the many who took notice to the young R&B crooner, was Grammy-nominated Toronto producer Jordon Manswell (Daniel Caesar, Mariah Carey, Chris Brown), who Dylan has been working closely with since the summer of 2019. Since then, he has discontinued his university studies to pursue music wholeheartedly on his journey to become the next household name in R&B music. Dylan aims to maintain complete ownership of his songs and secure the creative freedom to pursue projects on his own calendar. His silky, weightless, gospel-tinted R&B has found a strong and growing following and his full-length debut album Proverb was a nominee for Traditional R&B/Soul Recording of the Year at the 2021 JUNO Awards.

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Originally from London, UK, LTtheMonk first fell in love with hip-hop at just eight years old, when the music captivated his young ears and ignited what would become a lifelong passion. Blended with constant exposure to reggae (via his Jamaican mother) and rock (via his Irish father), LT’s adventurous love of music and performing onstage would only grow stronger. That eclectic musical upbringing, coupled with discovering the music of Michael Jackson and becoming obsessed with the pop icon’s music and dancing in parallel with his foundational hip hop exposure, set LT off on a journey to becoming a musician himself. It’s also an intrinsic part of LT’s toolkit, with bantamweight Gene Kelly-meets-James Brown footwork and immaculate sport socks both indelible signatures of his persona as an entertainer. Since his relocation to Hamilton, Ontario in 2017, LT has carved a reputation as a vibrant and compelling talent, and a charismatic live performer, with tour dates finding him backed by his band, a trio of jazz players (keyboardist Santiago Rozo-Paz, bassist Cam Watson, drummer Lucas Hibbs). His standing is now destined to grow with the release of his new album, On The Wall, out now on Sonic Unyon Records; the next step in his artistic evolution, the full-length honours ancestors even as it points toward alternate futures, and is further evidence of the artist’s ambition to push hip-hop forward.

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Shawnee Kish discovered music as medicine at a very early age. Born dreaming about being ‌on ‌stage and starting her journey toward a career in music at the age of 12, music has quickly become a source of self-empowerment for the Two Spirit soulful singer. Fuelling her with purpose and reason, making music has allowed Shawnee’s to stand tall in her personal strength and power. Named the winner of CBC’s 2020 Searchlight talent competition, this fierce, powerhouse artist has been celebrated as one of North America’s Top Gender Bending Artists (MTV), named by Billboard as an Artist You Need To Know and continuously uses her music to empower. Listening to her chart-topping releases one can easily recognize that, as an artist, Shawnee has been influenced by the strong, confident voices of female performers such as Melissa‌ ‌Etheridge,‌ ‌Etta‌ ‌James,‌ ‌Nina‌ ‌Simone and Amy‌ ‌Winehouse.‌ Her deeply personal and always poignant lyrics are rooted in healing, allowing both herself and her listeners to find purpose‌ ‌and‌ ‌reason‌ ‌in the stories she tells. An outspoken advocate for her Indigenous and 2SLGBTQ+ communities, Shawnee is a proud Two-Spirit Mohawk who has shared the stage with some of the world’s biggest names — Lady Gaga, Madonna and Alicia Keys to name a few. 2020 saw her step into the world of virtual performances without hesitation, taking part in The Canada House/UK Commerce International Women’s Day Virtual Performance, performing at The Songwriter Series with Serena Ryder and participating in the RBC’s Emerging Artist program. In addition to virtual performances, Shawnee raised her voice on a Grammy Museum Discussion Panel (Being an Artist During COVID) and joined the National Arts Centre of Canada on a collaborative youth project (ongoing). 2021 will see the Edmonton-based artist release a new EP that addresses her personal struggles of the past twelve months — “The‌ ‌main‌ ‌theme‌ ‌will be ‌lighting‌ ‌up‌ ‌what‌ ‌use‌ ‌to‌ ‌be‌ ‌and‌ ‌getting‌ ‌on‌ ‌with‌ ‌what‌ ‌is‌ ‌now.‌ ‌The‌ ‌songs‌ ‌represent‌ ‌becoming‌ ‌yourself,‌ ‌finding‌ ‌out‌ ‌where‌ ‌you‌ ‌were‌ ‌was‌ ‌not‌ ‌where‌ ‌you‌ ‌wanted‌ ‌to‌ ‌be‌ ‌and‌ ‌full‌y ‌embracing‌ ‌that‌ ‌in order to let go. ‌Light‌ ‌the‌ ‌Place‌ ‌up‌, ‌even‌ if it’s ‌unintentional” — and hopefully return to touring. She will also continue her work with the We Matter Campaign and Kids Help Phone in hopes of empowering youth, providing strength and hope through music.

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With the intention to nourish, soothe and empower her listeners the della kit’s journey started at the age of 16, with healing & curiosity at the core of her artistic work. Born into a lineage of Italian & Jewish Jazz musicians from Boston and New York, then raised by hippies amongst the mountains of British Columbia, Canada, the della kit found her sense of belonging in music and nature. “When I sing I connect to myself, my ancestors, my spirit, and the natural world around me. I light a candle and let the music be the medicine that flows through me. I am simply the vessel”. Her career has taken her all over the world supporting R&B and Hip-Hop legends such as; Mos Def, Miguel, and ?uest Love while performing at festivals such as SXSW, Brazil's You Jam Fest, Lightning in a Bottle, and Vancouver Jazz Festival. Inspired by the likes of Ella Fitzgerald, Joni Mitchell and, India.Arie, the della kit’s music is dynamic and playful while laced with evocative stories of healing and self-love. It is her uplifting spirit, honest songwriting, and enchanting vocals that led to her 2021 signing with Toronto-based label Art Haus, alongside prolific artists: Serena Ryder and Adria Kain.

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COVID-19 MATTERS

While attending CBC MUSIC JUNOfest shows, you must abide by the policies of any of the venues hosting any portion of CBC MUSIC JUNOfest, including their policies related to COVID-19, as well as any of CARAS’ COVID-19 policies in place from time to time. Failure to abide by such policies may result in the venues and/or CARAS taking remedial action against you, including prohibiting you from attending the event and/or removing you from the premises. Refunds will not be issued should you be removed from the event or any premises (or prohibited from attending) for any reason, including for failing to abide by applicable COVID policies and protocols.

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General Admission 19+ event. Valid government issued photo ID is required in order to enter. Artists and event schedule subject to change. Event subject to change in support of evolving public health protocols.