MUSIC BIZ COMES TO TOWN
Megaphono showcases local artists
The fourth-annual edition of Megaphono, Ottawa’s only showcase festival and music conference, runs just three days, but it’s jam-packed with activities. More than 70 artists are performing in almost two dozen venues, and at least 50 music-industry delegates from Canada and beyond are participating in panels and networking events.
The whole idea, according to cofounder Jon Bartlett, who’s also an artist manager with a knack for discovering new talent, is to forge the missing link between the Ottawa music scene and the rest of the world.
“We have a small music scene with lots of great artists, but some of them come and go,” he said. “When they go, they move to Toronto or Montreal or elsewhere to make it or build a career, or they just give up. There’s not a lot of industry support in town. We don’t have a lot of booking agents, managers, labels or publishers here. Without those connections, it just doesn’t happen. So the point of Megaphono is to bring those people here.”
There are signs the strategy is starting to work. After the buzz generated by the raucous mayhem of their Megaphono showcase two years ago, Ottawa rockers New Swears signed to Dine Alone Records, released a full-length album last year and have been on the road ever since. Another act, Un Blonde, featuring Calgary-born, Montrealbased pop prodigy Jean- Sebastien Audet, inked a deal with the U.S. label Anti- after an appearance at last year’s festival.
What’s more, Megaphono organizers have also managed to convince the city ’s movers and shakers that live music matters. Officials in tourism, economic development and municipal government now recognize the appeal of a vibrant music scene.
“They realize that without a strong music scene, people aren’t going to want to move here and live here and work here,” Bartlett said. “The value of music has increased a lot among those circles, which are circles that can put a lot of resources behind building and supporting things.”
As for his own management career, Bartlett had a great year in 2017, with two of his artist clients, Lido Pimentia and Andy Shauf, shortlisted for the Polaris Prize. In fact, Pimentia went on to win the prestigious $50,000 prize for her mesmerizing album, La Papessa, which blends Afro-Colombian musical styles with contemporary electro-pop.
Last year’s Megaphono helped solidify Bartlett’s business relationship with Pimentia, who was also able to make inroads overseas after her showcase appearance. “The management stuff is our bread and butter, and we’ve been pretty focused,” he said. “We’re lucky to work with some of our favourite artists, and some nice things have happened along the way.”
This year’s Megaphono offers a similar mix of panels and showcases, with a few new features. Here are some highlights of the weekend:
HEAPS OF HIPHOP
Various times and locations, ■ Thursday to Saturday
Hiphop isn’t all about misogynistic lyrics and repetitive beats, you’ll be happy to discover. Megaphono presents some of the most progressive sounds around, from the electro-dub mash-up of Above Top Secret and the Indigenous experience of Cody Coyote, to the fearless rhymes of Tasha the Amazon and the poetic life lessons of King Kimbit, who will perform with a band, Black Wax, for her Thursday-night showcase.
NATIVE NORTH AMERICA GATHERING
7:30 p.m. Friday, Babs Asper Theatre, ■ National Arts Centre
The biggest concert of the festival brings together some of Canada’s most esteemed Indigenous artists, inspired by the Grammynominated 2014 Native North America (Vol. 1) compilation that was produced by Vancouver’s Kevin Howes. The concert also pays tribute to the late, legendary musician/filmmaker Willie Dunn with a lineup that features Duke Redbird, Willie Thrasher and Linda Saddleback, Willy Mitchell, Leland Bell, Eric Landry and other special guests, including 85-year-old Abenaki filmmaker/musician Alanis Obomsawin. There’s also a preconcert talk at 3:30 p.m. Friday at the NAC’s Thorsteinson Staircase. Tickets required for the concert; the talk is free.
LIDO PIMENTIA & FRIENDS
11 p.m. Saturday, Bourbon Room, ■ 400 Dalhousie
The Polaris grand prize winner caps off Megaphono with a late-night performance, sharing the bill with Silla & Rise, the Ottawa-based, Juno-nominated collaboration between Inuit throatsingers and a DJ/producer, and the woman known as Toronto’s supernatural rapper mom, Sydanie. Earlier in the day, Pimentia is giving a talk on the importance of women working for themselves when it comes to money. Get Your Coin, Girl takes place at General Assembly, 5 Fairmont Ave., at 10:30 a.m. Saturday. You need a pass for the concert; admission to the talk is free.
FAMILY TIME
2 p.m. Saturday, Elmdale Tavern, ■ 1084 Wellingston St. W.
For the first time, Megaphono includes a showcase of children’s performers, who happen to be accomplished musicians with side projects aimed at kids. Country hero Slo’ Tom Stewart has been playing with Sherwood Lumsden in Hey Buster for years, crafting what they call “rockabilly-boogerpee dancing tunes” for the whole family. On the other hand, it’s fairly new territory for singer-songwriter Jeremy Fisher, who recently became a parent and is opening the show with his Jeremy Junior material.
BUS-RIDING TUNES
4-6 p.m. Saturday, City Room, ■ National Arts Centre
The city ’s official music strategy isn’t quite ready, but Mayor Jim Watson and Coun. Jeff Leiper will give a preview of it on Saturday as they help launch Sonicity, a free, mobile app featuring music to make your bus ride bearable. Ottawa-area musicians, including Philippe Charbonneau, Adam Saikley, Boyhood, Nathanael Larochette and Ben Globerman, have created instrumental pieces for certain OC Transpo routes. After the launch, you can hop on a bus with Saikaley to experience his 30-minute Silent Disco Night Ride.