Series Season: 2023

DJ Moussa spins a diverse selection of the latest African music hits and classics. 

Benkadi provides an authentic experience of West African traditions. Doundouns, djembes, balafons – percussion instruments take centre stage in this colourful show, commanding the acrobatic movements of the dancers, who give themselves over to the powerful rhythms. Be energized during this incredible display of acrobatics pitted against vibrant drum beats! 

Rumba: Soul of Congo features an all-star ensemble of musicians, singers and dancers who share a deep connection through the languages, stories and songs that define their Congolese heritage. Curated by Batuki Music Society, the repertoire will celebrate the artistry of some veterans and icons of Congolese music.  

Cheikh Ibra Fam is a multidimensional artist with a futuristic spirit, well anchored in his Senegalese roots. In 2022 he introduced his fourth album and first international project in preparation for his departure from Orchestra Baobab. Peace in Africa incorporates hip-hop and R&B beats, alongside Afrobeat horns with nods to his Senegalese heritage.  

Chimurenga Revival featuring Mary Anibal, curated by Batuki Music, comprises an all-star ensemble of Zimbabwean musicians who perform folk, traditional, and modern music from their respective heritages. The Shona term for liberation is chimurenga. The performance is a celebration of Stella ‘Ambuya’ Chiweshe, the Mbira Queen, who played a significant role in the liberation movement.

KIZABA, is a singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, pioneer of Afro-Congolese electro music, based in Montreal, Canada, who sings in French, English, Kikongo, and Lingala. KIZABA seeks to infuse afrobeats, electro, house and contemporary music with melodies and rhythms from Congolese traditions, creating a unique Afro-futurist universe.  

Harbourfront Centre is delighted to have the Iris Malcolm Library, the first ever Afro-Caribbean focused library in our Garage Bays during the Island Soul festival weekend! Brought to you by the NACCA (Newmarket African Caribbean Canadian Association), the library will be open to all for two days. Come connect with dedicated library staff and browse […]

Adama Daou is a master of the balafon and accomplished percussionist (djembe, doun-doun, calabash) from the city of Mopti, Mali. He learned to play by taking part in traditional ceremonies and attended the National Institute of Arts in Bamako. Some of Montreal’s top musicians join him for the performance.

The National Ballet of Canada returns to Harbourfront Centre in August with Sharing the Stage, free outdoor performances on the Concert Stage as well as free dance classes and interactive conversations.  New This Year:  Reserved general admission seating is now sold out. An in-person Rush line with a limited number of Rush seats will be open […]

The National Ballet of Canada returns to Harbourfront Centre in August with Sharing the Stage, free outdoor performances on the Concert Stage as well as free dance classes and interactive conversations.  New This Year:  Reserved general admission seating is now sold out. An in-person Rush line with a limited number of Rush seats will be open […]

The National Ballet of Canada returns to Harbourfront Centre in August with Sharing the Stage, free outdoor performances on the Concert Stage as well as free dance classes and interactive conversations.  New This Year:  Reserved general admission seating is now sold out. An in-person Rush line with a limited number of Rush seats will be open […]

Let’s get into the spirit of Caribbean Carnival with visual artist Karen Bell-Higgins, who takes you on a journey to create your carnival-themed clothespin character. Take a break from the heat and join Karen in the Main Loft as she shows you how to use both traditional and recyclable materials to make something unique to […]

Enjoy this cathartic watch in our boutique-style cinema. This shows two complementary and contrasting feature-length films examining cultural influences and social implications of multiple aspects of Caribbean life at home and abroad. The two films featured are Zarico, a 1984 film directed by Andre Gladu, and Ninth Floor, a 2015 film directed by Mina Shum. 

Living in Colour is a 40-minute documentary that discusses and analyzes the Black community’s past, present and potential future across Canada. It features conversations regarding Caribbean and African cultures in the GTA, the growth and source of Black pop culture and the presence of Black identity in North America. Olivia Hutchinson, Marcus Walkes, Atiya Williams […]

Calypso Stars is the premiere stage for original and innovative Canadian calypso and Soca. Don’t miss out on the annual celebration of this peculiar genre in a three-hour concert that also forms a community collaboration between Harbourfront Centre and the Organization of Calypso Performing Artistes (OCPA) and a staple for Island Soul. We will be […]

Join us on our Concert Stage as we listen to recent and multi-JUNO Award Winner Kirk Diamond, joined by his band, The Movement of Ahryel, as they serenade us with a fusion of roots, rock and reggae. A spectacular show of conscious, feel-good music for all walks of life, giving an ode to what is […]

Sit with us, take a breather. We are delighted to welcome you to a spot of quiet away from the bustle, screening an array of short independent films telling tales and highlighting noteworthy stories hailing from the Caribbean. The short independent films include Joe by Jill Haras, Mind Me Good Now! By Chris Cormier and […]

Celebrate Caribbean culture with VIBE artist Jasmine Vanstone! Join Jasmine for two unique art-making workshops open to participants of all ages and artistic abilities. On Saturday, August 5th and Monday August 7th it’s Island Soul Collage Day! Build your own lush Carribean island landscape using shells, sand, glitter and more! On Sunday, August 6th it’s […]

Fete! Bashment! Turn Up! Come party with us at Riddim Nights with a special appearance and performance by Freetown Collective. Followed by the duo Sound Curator and DJ Mendosa, giving us light afrobeats, Dancehall and Amapiano. Closing out the night is international sensation DJ Lambo, bringing her unique fusion of house music, techno, reggae fusion, […]

When Morning Comes is a 95-minute dramatic narrative film focused on 10-year-old Jamal Sutherland, who lives in rural Jamaica, and the domino effects of his actions after he overhears that he is being sent to live with his grandmother in Toronto. We follow Jamal as he grapples with growth and the idea of leaving behind […]

Presented by the Organization of Calypso Performing Artistes and Harbourfront Centre, Calypso 365 is a two-hour workshop on the rudiments of calypso composition. Participants will work individually and in groups in the workshop using percussion instruments. At the end, they will have the opportunity to perform their composition(s). All performances will be on a voluntary […]

The 6-piece genre-bending outfit from Trinidad will transform Habourfront Centre into a space to rekindle love and heal old wounds, and for all hearts to let down their walls and beat as freely as they were made to. Ready yourself for a spiritual experience, an expression of your truest, deepest emotions. 

Back on stage, percussionist, composer, arranger and archivist Daniel Bellegarde presents Pastourelle, the second album in his trilogy of Haitian roots with Celtic and Brazilian musical influences. This recording is a tribute to the quadrille, the contra dance and troubadour style. It is also a chapter of history linked to his own Haitian and Canadian […]

Step into the vibrant world of Lores by Yolanda at Island Soul! Award-winning author Yolanda T. Marshall invites you to a captivating story time. Join her for a reading of C is for Carnival, an educational and rhyming alphabet book that follows children in colourful costumes as they “play mas.” The celebration continues by reading […]