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Performers
MAMAKEISH is the only professional K-pop dance academy in Vancouver, specializing in training talented students. MAMAKEISH offers a range of courses, starting from beginner-level K-pop dance classes that anyone can take, to a trainee program that incorporates the training system of Korean entertainment companies, providing an experience that cannot be found elsewhere in Canada. MAMAKEISH also has a performance team dedicated to various events and shows. As the heart of K-Pop culture in Vancouver, MAMAKEISH provides new opportunities and experiences.
Nepal Cultural Society of BC
Local “Yetiz” band has been performing Nepali folk songs at Fusion Festival for many years. They also perform and sing in many community programs.
Pat Calihou
Pat calihou Métis artist is best known For carving Métis style paddles, canoes, Métis playgrounds, traditionally built red river carts and most recently a full size replica York boat and a full size red river cart located within the walls of fort Langley national historic site.
He is a multi instrumentalist specializing in slide guitar and Métis blues. Although he is known for his wood carving abilities today he will be telling us a story and carving on his guitar .
ROOTS
ROOTS is a Peruvian folk dance group founded in 2017 under the direction of Jessica Roca Muncaster. ROOTS seeks to present and preserve Peruvian cultural dances within the communities of British Colombia. The beauty, colour, and excitement of traditional Peruvian dances are displayed in the repertoire, including dances from the three regions of Peru: Coastal, Andes, and the Amazon.
You can find ROOTS performing in a variety of venues including festivals, community groups, schools, and private events. Audiences love the combination of music, costumes, and folklore presented during the performances. Don’t be surprised if you find yourself up on your feet for the final dance.
Roots is a group of volunteer dancers with various cultural backgrounds who share a passion for Peruvian Folk Dance. If you want a taste of Peru this is the group for you. The rich heritage of Peruvian folk artistry is an experience you don’t want to miss.
Sekarwati Surrey is defined as the charm of Surrey which will present the traditional Indonesian "Renggong Manis and Indonesia Menari" dances. As high school students, they actively study Indonesian traditional dances and aspire to continue preserving Indonesian dances in Canada, especially on the West coast of Canada.
Shally Rehal is an indian-canadian singer songwriter blending different sounds from Punjabi Hip Hop and R&B based in Surrey BC. Shally started making music at 17 and refined his sound until releasing his first single “Top Gear” in April of 2020.
Shortly after he met KULTARGOTBOUNCE who has been executive producing and curating his sound which came together on their first release “Nakhra”. Shally Rehal has made it clear that his smooth vocals and talented songwriting have made him a force in the Punjabi music scene that is here to stay. Following up on the early success of the MIDNIGHT EP and TikTok hit EUPHORIA, Shally and Bounce released, STEP, via Snakes & Ladders in February of 2023. Shally Rehal has carved his own unique path in the music industry, leaving an indelible mark on the world of Punjabi R&B that will resonate for generations to come.
Sunny Daydream is a nonbinary y2k pop star. They will staple their heart back together! In 2021, they released their bilingual debut album 'ilyimy' (pronounced "I love you, I miss you"), written in Mandarin and English, to critical acclaim. Influenced by 2000s pop, punk, and R&B, Sunny has shared the stage with Adewolf, Michelle Heyóka, KERUB, and other stars. A former "it girl", Sunny makes music to dance, cry, vibe, and heal to. You can sing along if you want to <3 (FKA Sad China)
Tess Anderson
Allowing vulnerability and authenticity to be at the forefront of everything she does, Vancouver-based Tess Anderson captivates audiences with her candid performances. Trying on many different genre hats over the years, nothing quite felt right - until now. After spending the last year in the studio refining her sound, 2023 marks the start of a brand new era for Tess Anderson. Combining the familiar gloss of pop with the heavy grit of alternative-rock, she is finally stepping into her power fronting an impressively dynamic 5-piece band. With an album's worth of new music on the way, she performed over 75 live shows last year, including opening for Mother Mother at The Commodore Ballroom.
The Rambling Gentlemen are a Vancouver based vocal duo with guitar accompaniment, who play traditional jazz standards in the style of the 1930s and 40s. Their arrangement of standards are inspired by groups and individual artists such as the Mills Brothers, Guy Lombardo & His Royal Canadians, Al Bowlly, and so on.
The band is led by Emmett Martin Hatlelid, a young and up-coming jazz vocalist with a love for the traditional jazz styles. On vocals and trombone is Brad Shigeta, a former member of the Duke Ellington Orchestra who’s travelled the world performing this music since his early twenties. On guitar accompaniment is Noah Gotfrit, a young musician who has toured extensively across Europe, Western Canada and the United States with a wide variety of musical acts.
The Spirit of the South Seas Polynesian Dancers - Hula Halau Na Keiki 'O Ohana Lokahi, are an award-winning local group, who invite you to join them in their song & dance. Their repertoire takes you throughout the south seas, from the aboriginal kahiko to the romantic & graceful hula ‘auana of Hawaii though to the Cook Islands, to the Maori of New Zealand, through to the excitement of pulsating drums of Tahiti.
Vagabond
Formed in 2018. Vagabond is an indigenous & Metis trio, combining classic rock with a Native point of view and taking inspiration from indigenous legends and lore.
Stars of the North Drum Group
Gilakasla nugwaum Tu Tuwasguituk
Hello we are Stars Of The North Drum Group representing our North West Coast people of the Tlowitsis Mumtigala Nation of Alert Bay and of the Kwakiutl people of Fort Rupert on Vancouver Island, and of the Stolo people of Seabird Island Chilliwack BC.
Stars of the North Drum Group was born in August of 2009 with the guidance of our elders sharing their wisdom, and their knowledge, and passing down to us their stories that our mother LaDonna Wiks Joseph Hindmarch puts into her own written songs in English implementing our Native Kwakwala Language.
Yoko Matsuno was born in Gifu prefecture, Japan and started taking dance lessons when she was 4 years old. She liked it so much that she decided to proceed with the intensive study to master the art form through the Nishikawa school of Japanese classical dance. In 1962, she received her “natori” (professional dance name), Nishikawa Kayo. Yoko not only dances but also plays the shamisen, a three-stringed instrument used for accompanying dance. In 1973 she became a certified shamisen player specializing in the “nagauta” style and received another stage name, Katsuyuya Kineya.
In 1976, she started teaching Japanese dance to members of the Japanese-Canadian community. The following year, she began teaching “matsuri-ondo” (festival dancing) for the Powell Street Festival and the Japanese-Canadian Centennial celebration. (She has lead the cultural impact of this art and introduced it to virtually people all over Canada.
Through dance and kimono dressing, Yoko has been introducing Japanese culture to the Canadian community for many years, and has contributed to the enrichment of the greater community. As recognition for her 40 years of activity, Yoko was the recipient of the 2016 Nikkei Place Community award and 2018 Kiyukai Distinguished Services Award.
From the largest theatres to the tiniest zoom screens, since 2008 Travis's shows have been winning awards and critical acclaim across Canada. Known for his joyous wit and deft sleight-of-hand, he also creates magic for other magicians (some of which has appeared on America’s Got Talent), and was a magic producer on YTV's Tricked.
