Manitoba Music
BPM X WAG-Qaumajuq X BreakOut West
BPM X WAG-Qaumajuq
Friday, September 26, 2025
Winnipeg Art Gallery, 300 Memorial Blvd
Featuring aRENYE, Dill the Giant, MELODNA
Free / Doors 8 PM / Music & Mixer 9 PM
BPM X WAG-Qaumajuq is joining forces with the BreakOut West Festival for a very special edition on Friday, September 26! A partnership between Manitoba Music and Winnipeg Art Gallery (WAG)-Qaumajuq, the event is part of a free quarterly series celebrating Black music makers in the iconic gallery through the BPM | Black Professionals in Music program at Manitoba Music.
BPM is made possible by the financial support of FACTOR, the Government of Canada and Canada’s private radio broadcasters, the Manitoba Government, and Manitoba Film & Music.
This edition will be presented in partnership with the African Nova Scotia Music Association and Music Nova Scotia, bringing together an exciting evening of music discovery featuring three emerging artists from Manitoba, Nova Scotia, and Saskatchewan.
The showcase will feature Nigerian-born, Halifax-based pop star aRENYE; Winnipeg's Dill the Giant, a first-generation Jamaican-Canadian MC; and MELODNA from Regina. Each artist has been building buzz across Canada and beyond through releases, media coverage, and collaborations.
There'll be a mixer throughout the night for Black music makers as well as BreakOut West delegates and local music companies, labels, venues, and festivals looking to make deeper connections with the Black music community. Meetups for artists and music entrepreneurs are core to BPM’s community-building focus, offering an opportunity to share ideas, professional needs, and barriers, and make vital career connections.
BreakOut West is an annual music event that includes an immersive, music development conference, and music festival hosted by the Western Canadian Music Alliance. The 2025 BreakOut West Festival will be hosted, September 24-28 in Winnipeg. Find out more about this year's festival
Winnipeg's Dill the Giant, a first-generation Jamaican-Canadian MC, delivers raw and honest hip-hop inspired by his island roots. A founding member of the WCMA-nominated trio 3PEAT, Dill has toured extensively, bringing his dynamic performances to stages across Canada and Europe. His latest project, "The Adventures of Ali Wan Kenobi and Mace Windill," sees him teaming up with producer Ali Wan Kenobi for a powerful blend of sharp lyricism and innovative beats
MELODNA’s career highlights include two consecutive performances at Sled Island (2022, 2023) and the Regina Folk Festival (2022, 2023). She has opened for Begonia in two locations, including sold-out shows, establishing herself as a dynamic live performer.
In 2024, she was nominated for the Saskatchewan Music Awards’ inaugural R&B Artist of the Year category, a recognition of her contributions to the genre and the local music scene. She was also featured in a *Play 92* interview, where her music and creative process were spotlighted, along with her insights into navigating the industry as a BIPOC artist.
Her advocacy extends to panels with SCIC and SK Arts, where she discusses racial equity and empowering BIPOC communities. Media coverage includes features in CBC, Tinnitist, Canadian Beats, and the Leader Post, highlighting her impact within the Saskatchewan music scene. Additionally, MELODNA hosts *Rhythm n Vibez*, one of the only Canadian radio shows that plays strictly R&B, Hip Hop, Amapiano, Afrobeats, and Dancehall. It is the only station in Saskatchewan to showcase these genres, creating space for emerging voices and promoting diversity and representation.
Nampande is an artist, community organizer and thot leader. Born and raised on Treaty 1 territory, she is an organizer with the Black Film Collective, and her artist work centres on storytelling as a form of liberation. As a DJ, she strives to highlight and archive the legacy of Black queer women in music - and yes, she is 100 that percent witch.
BreakOut West is an annual music event that includes an immersive, music development conference, and music festival hosted by the Western Canadian Music Alliance. The 2025 BreakOut West Festival will be hosted, September 24-28 in Winnipeg, MB.
The Winnipeg Art Gallery (WAG)-Qaumajuq is a cultural advocate using art as a catalyst for change. The Gallery features an impressive collection of over 27,000 artworks spanning centuries, cultures, and media, including the largest public collection of contemporary Inuit art in the world. Each piece has its own story to tell. Sharing these stories with the world is at the core of WAG-Qaumajuq. This is an engaging, accessible space where visitors can experience art and learning in new ways. Principles of equity, care, trust, and responsibility guide the institution towards meaningful impact and transformation.
BPM | Black Professionals in Music
BPM | Black Professionals in Music
Launched in February 2021 and facilitated by Tomiwa Omolayo, BPM | Black Professionals in Music is a program via Manitoba Music that supports Black music professionals in Manitoba. BPM presents quarterly mixers for participants to meet and build their community and networks, followed by live performances, as well as other programming throughout the year. Participants can bring ideas, share their professional needs and barriers, and influence the future direction of the program. To get involved, please email bpm@manitobamusic.com. Participants must be residents of Manitoba and identify as Black musicians or music industry professionals.
Tomiwa Omolayo
BPM Coordinator
TOMMYPHYLL is an AFRODIEM artist and producer from Lagos Nigeria and has called Winnipeg home for the past 9 years. After releasing his debut self-produced album “Art of DREAMS” in 2020 he’s had his foot on the pedal and hasn’t taken it off since. Having Graced multiple stages with big names in AFROBEATS and more, he continues to deliver electrifying performances with every appearance he makes. He strongly believes that you’ll be a fan once you’re three songs into his discography. When he isn’t working on music, TOMMYPHYLL is working in music and Fashion under the code name “TOMIWA” He has done work with the St Norbert Arts Center, Folk Music Ontario, IRAEDAY and on occasion provides artist consultation.