Manitoba Music
Family and Community Focus at The Forks on July 1
People are invited to gather, dance, reflect, and play this July 1 at The Forks. The day will be packed with free family-friendly activities for everyone. All programming is free of charge.
New this year, The Forks has partnered with 2Spirit Manitoba and Tunngasugit Inuit Resource Centre to bring creative cultural performances and programming to the day. Basketball Manitoba is also hosting a three-day tournament at The Forks, which will culminate on July 1 with the tournament finals, a slam dunk competition, and special guest visits from the Winnipeg Sea Bears. This adds to the returning and well-loved dance battles with GeNie, skateboarding demos and workshops with Graffiti Gallery and Pitikwé, and fantastic musical performances by local artists curated in partnership with Manitoba Music.
This year’s festivities build upon the groundwork laid by The Forks over the last couple of years to mark Canada Day more intentionally through a lens of reconciliation.
“We strive to make sure our community is reflected in what we offer here at The Forks,” says Sara Stasiuk, Chief Executive Officer, The Forks North Portage. “This year’s July 1, Canada Day at The Forks does just that, it is an event truly built by community for community.”
The Forks team has been fortunate to once again work with Jade Harper, Creative Director for Canada Day at The Forks.
“As The Forks continues to reimagine how it marks this day, inviting new partnerships into its community, I think we’ve built a day of programming that really puts families in all their celebrated forms at the centre,” says Harper. “As Indigenous peoples, we celebrate people, kinship, culture, learnings, and our community, and together we continue to navigate celebrating a nation with a colonial history. Amplifying new voices at this historical gathering place is really exciting.”
Live Music Schedule
Programming has relocated indoors due to the weather
Market Bridge (Above Fools and Horses)
Programmed in partnership with Manitoba Music, 2Spirit Manitoba, and Tunngasugit Inuit Resource Centre
11:00 - 11:30AM Darryl Buck
12:00 - 12:30PM 2Spirit Manitoba – Performance
1:00 - 1:30PM Tunngasugit Inuit Resource Centre – Interactive Inuit Games
2:00 - 2:30PM Morgan Grace
3:00 - 3:30PM 2Spirit Manitoba – Performance
4:00 - 4:30PM Tunngasugit Inuit Resource Centre – Throat Singing Performance
Event Space (Second Floor of The Forks Market)
Programmed in partnership with Manitoba Music
5:00 - 5:30PM Zuki
5:50 - 6:30PM Jovelle Balani
6:40 - 7:15PM Ben Tamana
7:30 - 8:00PM Mattmac
8:20 - 9:00PM Kelly Bado
*Schedule and programming subject to change.
Content courtesy of The Forks
About the Performers
Darryl Buck
Market Bridge (Above Fools and Horses)
11:00 - 11:30AM
A Cree/Inninew prominent in Indigenous singing, songwriting and very attuned to indigenous culture. Born and raised in Opaskwayak Cree Nation, renowned for being a 2018 Best Hand Drum Album nominee for the album release of HOPE in 2017. Also, a 2021 album release named "Pray For Me" in which cross-genre collaborators took part in the making. Regularly travelling to communities across Turtle Island and taking part in round dances during the winter months is a proud way of life that is the biggest part in his music.
Morgan Grace
Market Bridge (Above Fools and Horses)
2:00 - 2:30PM
Morgan is a Red River Metis youth and has been playing the fiddle since the age of 4. She has played many of Manitobas major festivals including Festival du Voyager and Dauphins Country fest. She has a busy summer playing around Manitoba and Saskatchewan.
She is just back from playing at Juno Beach France where she played for the 80th anniversary of DDay and is a recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II platinum Jubilee medal. Morgan also has played at Primer Wab Kinews inaugural speech from the throne and had the pleasure of opening for Juno Award winning musician William Prince.
Morgan’s style is created from all of the fiddle players and fiddle teachers she has been fortunate to have learned from.
Zuki
Event Space (Second Floor of The Forks Market)
5:00 - 5:30PM
“It's simple, I’m here to make you feel something.”
That’s how Zuki describes his purpose as a DJ. With his eclectic musical taste inspired by his travels, you're guaranteed to go on a musical journey and ultimately be left wondering how you ended up on the dance floor. Growing up to his Mother’s 70’s funk essentials box set and his Dad’s Fela Kuti tapes playing in the household, his range of musical influence is wide.
Zuki can take the hypnotizing drums of South African house, saxophone samples from afrobeat hits and blend them effortlessly with your favourite rhythm, funk and hip-hop tunes.
From his humble beginnings almost a decade ago bringing the music to house parties, it didn't matter if it was a dance in Gwagwalada, or a backyard in Moscow, he’s been mixing genres and moving feet with just a couple of turntables. Since then he’s rocked numerous bars, stages and special events. A frequent collaborator with other artists in Winnipeg’s music scene and weekly residencies at Winnipeg’s go-to music venues, his playlists, mixes and remixes have racked up thousands of plays.
Please note: Zuki is jumping in for the Folkroots Bhangra Academy who have had to cancel their performance due to unforeseen circumstances.
Jovelle Balani
Event Space (Second Floor of The Forks Market)
5:50 - 6:30PM
Jovelle Balani (she/her) is a Filipino-Canadian artist noted for her sultry, contralto voice. Her music incorporates from pop and old jazz to soul—a sound that is uniquely hers.
She takes inspiration from Norah Jones, Laufey, and Nat King Cole, to name a few. On her debut single “Ode to a Lover,” Winnipeg-based artist fuses modern pop and jazz to create a relaxed, sitting-in-a-candlelit-bar soundscape.
Jovelle has captivated audiences by representing Canada at the World Championships of Performing Arts in Hollywood and opening for renowned Filipino artists.
She recently took part in Creative Manitoba's Professional Mentorship Program, where she explored jazz and music business with the help of her mentor, Nadia Douglas.
Check her out on Spotify, Apple Music, and other streaming platforms!
Ben Tamana
Event Space (Second Floor of The Forks Market)
6:40 - 7:15PM
Ben Tamana is a Canadian singer-songwriter influenced by Afro Beat, R&B, Soul, hip hop, dancehall, and Zouk. His R&B performances are electrifying, creating an unforgettable atmosphere for his audience. Ben's music is featured on national and international radio stations, and he has toured extensively across Canada.
He has performed at various community events, including the Salvation Army Charity fundraiser, Broadway Street Festival, and the International Reggae Festival. In 2015, his single "First Time Lover" won the Canadian Urban Television Music Award for Song of the Year. Ben self-funded his debut album, "First Time Lover," in 2018.
In October 2022, Ben backed up Michael Buble at the sold-out Canada Life Center. He continues to release new singles monthly, such as "Bounce," "Bella," "Maria," "Be My Wife," and "Come Home." Ben's passion and dedication make him a rising star in the music industry.
Mattmac
Event Space (Second Floor of The Forks Market)
7:30 - 8:00PM
Blind music producer and recording artist Mattmac has harnessed his melodic pop-trap beats and inspiring story, quickly establishing himself as ‘one to watch’ on the national scene with more than 30 million + streams across platforms, and critical acclaim across all major media outlets such as CBC, CTV, Virgin Radio, and more. With two award winning albums under his belt, he has amassed a long list of accolades early on in his career: CBC Searchlight 2023 Winner, International Indigenous Hip-Hop Awards 2023 Album Of the Year, Canada’s Walk Of Fame RBC’s Emerging Musician Award Winner 2022, Rap/Electronic Album Of The Year at the Summer Solstice Indigenous Music Awards 2022, Broadcast Dialogue Emerging Artist Radio Award 2021 + more. On top of these awards, Mattmac has hit #1 on the Indigenous Music Countdown for two singles “Paradise” & “Rez” and has hit top 50 on the mediabase charts in 2020. His music has been featured on a few Spotify Editorials such as “New Music Friday Canada”, “Fresh Finds”, “Indigenous”, “Northern Bars” & “All New Hip-Hop”. His third album, “All Eyes On Us” is available NOW!
Kelly Bado
Event Space (Second Floor of The Forks Market)
8:20 - 9:00PM
Weaving in influences from her African heritage, la chanson française, and American gospel, Kelly Bado is an award-winning artist whose music crosses cultural barriers to bring people together. Kelly boasts a rich portfolio of over 250 performances across Canada and abroad.
Throughout her career, Kelly has cultivated relationships with esteemed mentors. She has shared stages with renowned artists like Alessia Cara, Serena Ryder, and Angélique Kidjo.
Beyond her performances, Kelly's impact extends to her advocacy work, exemplified by her song "Hey Terre," which was embraced by French-speaking schools. Additionally, her collaboration with JUNO award winner Julian Taylor on the track "Good People," released by Indian City, has soared to the #1 spot on the Indigenous Music Countdown.
Looking forward, Kelly is collaborating with producers Brian West and Chin Injeti on her upcoming records, set for release in 2024-2025. West, known for his work with Maroon 5, K'naan and Sia, and Injeti, recognized for collaborations with Eminem, P!nk and Drake.