Manitoba Film & Music and Manitoba Music Launch MB Live Sessions

Posted on April 9, 2020

Amber Epp (Solo, Trio Bembe, Papa Mambo)

Concert Series Spotlights Local Artists Impacted by COVID-19, To Stream on Thursdays Starting April 16 via Facebook

Manitoba Film & Music and Manitoba Music are working together to launch a weekly concert series streaming on Manitoba Music's Facebook. Featuring 12 online performances, MB Live Sessions spotlights stellar local talent and supports artists impacted by COVID-19. Each virtual concert will be set in the artists homes, offering a unique glimpse into their creative lives in this era of physical distancing.

The series kicks off April 16 at 7PM with award-winning electro-soul artist Rayannah. Rayannah bends noise into music by running voice, breath, synth and percussion through loop pedals. Underscored by intricate beat-making, her evocative lyrics in French and English rise above dense soundscapes, pulling listeners into a world both dark and sweet. Rayannah has turned heads with her first full-length album Nos repaires (Our Haunts), including two Western Canadian Music Awards and international critical acclaim.

On April 23, Americana singer/songwriter Noah Derksen will hit the online stage, sharing tunes from his third full-length album, America, Dreaming. Produced by JUNO Award-winning producer Murray Pulver, the album represents an observation of the United States and Derksen's identity as an American citizen based in Winnipeg, an observation of how things change with time and on his own shift in perspective.

Latin Jazz singer/songwriter Amber Epp will bring her signature style to the series on April 30. A connoisseur of musical genres, Epp leaves listeners with a heart pumping out the rhythms of the world. Known for her award-winning work with Trio Bembe as well as Papa Mambo, she's garnered acclaim for her solo work, including her "Canadiana" project that features new arrangements of songs from the Great Canadian Songbook.

Groundbreaking rapper and First Nations community role model Hellnback will join the MB Live Sessions on May 7. A veteran of the Canadian music scene, Hellnback first gained international recognition as a founding member of rap crews War Party and Team Rezofficial. Recently featured on A Tribe Called Red’s Suplex EP, Hellnback released his first solo project, #FOE (Family Over Everything) and #Fourteen91, earning nods from the Western Canadian Music Awards and Indigenous Music Awards.

Ashley Au and Anthony Sannie will alternate hosting duties for the series, introducing each artist. Au is a Winnipeg-based bassist, composer, arranger, and educator, and an active member of Winnipeg’s music scene. Sannie, aka Anthony OKS, is a celebrated hip hop artist and DJ known for his solo work and his work with local hip hop heroes, The Lytics.

"Manitoba Film & Music is thrilled to work with Manitoba Music for this series to shine a spotlight on stellar local talent and support artists that are facing challenging times due to COVID-19," says Stephen Carroll, Manitoba Film & Music's director of music programs.

The series will be produced by Manitoba Music with support from the production team The Village Idiots.

More artists will be announced soon at manitobamusic.com/mblivesessions.

Music fans can also find an up-to-date listing over upcoming live stream and virtual events by artists from Manitoba at manitobamusic.com/livestream.