EQLive 2024
Presented by SiriusXM Canada
EQLive is an exciting new showcase series dedicated to uplifting women and gender-diverse artists and crews as they develop toward the biggest stages.
This fall marks the inaugural season, with live performances in Calgary, Whitehorse, Ottawa, and Toronto. All events feature accessible ticket pricing.
EQLIVE 2025 COMING SOON!
CALGARY - Oct 19, 2024
The National Music Centre | Oct 19
Sacha & Hailey Benedict with Jade Turner & Ashley Ghostkeeper
Sacha was Sirius XM’s 2022 Top of the Country winner. Hailey Benedict was Sirius XM’s 2023 Top of the Country winner. Jade Turner was named Emerging Artist of the Year by Manitoba Country Music Awards and took home Best Country Album at the Indigenous Music Awards (2017). Ashley Ghostkeeper has reached top 5 on the Canadian Indigenous Music Countdown and was also one of the Top 10 selected to participate in the Anishinaabeg Gaa-Wiid-Anokiwiiwad Chi-Gidochigewad Indigenous Music Residency.
LINEUP
• Sacha
• Hailey Benedict
A dynamic performer, multi-award winner, and charitable advocate, Hailey Benedict continues to make her mark as a rising talent in country music. This guitar-wielding singer-songwriter has defied gravity, climbing the ranks from the emerging artist who waspulled in front of a sold-out crowd at a Keith Urban concert to perform an original song to national charting and touring artist in a few short years.2023 has been a monumental year for Hailey, topped off with being crowned the winner of the SiriusXMTop of the Country competition during the CCMA Awards weekend. Throughout the year, Haileycontinued to soar to remarkable new heights in her musical journey–including a coveted slot at CMAFest in Nashville, appearances at major events including Montreal’s Lasso Festival and JUNOfest, her third CCMA Award nomination, the release of her captivating and acclaimed singleDamn You July,national media appearances on CTV’s Etalk and YTV, tours supporting the likes of Aaron Goodvin andTim Hicks, and co-hosting the Country Music Alberta Awards, where she also took home three awards ofher own. In her young career, she’s already won 13 different awards, including a CCMA Award for InteractiveArtist of the Year, in recognition of her mastery and embrace of social media. Her quarter-million-strongfollowing on TikTok is one of the most of any Canadian country artist. Her songWanted You Towas thehighest-charting independent CANCON single by a female in 2021, reaching #25 on the country charts. A strong advocate for mental health and anti-bullying, Hailey supports several charitable foundations, and was honoured as one of the youngest-ever Global Woman of Vision award recipients
• Jade Turner
Canadian Americana artist Jade Turner is an exceptional storyteller and emotive vocalist, with an innate ability to make anyone who listens to her music feel as though they too have had the experiences she writes and sings about. A proud member of Misipawistik Cree Nation, Jade was raised in Northern Manitoba with an upbringing rooted in the nature of storytelling. Her lyrics tell personal tales that range from serious topics to satirical, and are delivered with her dynamic vocals that span from gritty and raw, to spirited and energetic. Jade’s exposure to Indigenous artists, Country, and Folk music paved the way for her to take home the Best Country Album at the 2017 Indigenous Music Awards, and the Emerging Artist of the Year award at the 2018 Manitoba Country Music Awards. From a career that seemed nearly impossible due to the absence of Indigenous female representation in mainstream music, Jade credits Blues artist Crystal Shawanda as one of her major inspirations. Through Crystal’s presence, Jade knew a career in music was possible for her too. In an incredible, full-circle musical moment, Jade and Crystal teamed up to write “Deadweight,” which was released in 2023 and received two awards for Song of the Year and Single of the Year at the Manitoba Country Music Awards in the same year. Most notably, Jade made it as a semi-finalist in the 2024 Top of The Country with Sirius XM competition. From this experience, she created the song “That Wind,” which was released in May. Jade is busy working on her next full-length album, which will be set to release next year in 2025.
• Ashley Ghostkeeper
Bio
WHITEHORSE - Oct 30, 2024
Yukon Arts Centre | Oct 30
Begonia with Bria Rose N' Thorns & Jasmine Netsena
Trailblazer and NPR “Artist to watch” Begonia touches down for her first-ever appearance in Whitehorse. Supported by Bria Rose N’ Thorns and Jasmine Netsena.
Presented in collaboration with Music Yukon.
LINEUP
• Begonia
• Bria Rose N' Thorn
On the wings of the north wind, Bria Rose shakes the room with soulful energy. Each song tells a story from the eyes of a young Tahltan/Cree woman finding her hope and way in the world around her. Her folk rock sound is complete with rasp and a deep alto flavour that bridges heart and grit. Bria Rose released her debut EP: Sprout, which boasts positivity, playfulness, and power through a rural lens, on May 31st 2024.
Links:
• Jasmine Netsena
Bio
OTTAWA - Nov 29, 2024
National Arts Centre | Nov 29
Savannah Ré with Witch Prophet & Silla
Three-time consecutive JUNO-Award-winning R&B artist Savannah Ré is joined by WIMC Honors Award winner Witch Prophet and acclaimed Inuit throat-singing duo Silla
Presented in collaboration with Axé WorldFest.
LINEUP
• Savannah Ré
Three-time consecutive JUNO Award winner for Traditional R&B/Soul Recording of the Year Savannah Ré has become the one to watch in Canadian R&B. By making music with the unyielding intention to craft songs that forfeit polished stories for authentic ones, the Toronto artist has become the go-to collaborator for R&B’s upper echelon having written with artists like Babyface, Jessie Reyez, Normani, Wondagurl and her mentor, Grammy Award-winning producer Boi-1da. Savannah Ré’s critically-lauded debut EP Opia earned her multiple award nominations. On her second body of work, No Weapons, Savannah holds firm in her commitment to expressing vulnerability through potent songwriting with a newfound understanding of herself. From the perspective of an ever-evolving woman brimming with confidence, clarity and drive, Savannah Ré continues to establish herself as an impactful voice in R&B.
• Witch Prophet
It’s been 3 years since the release of her Polaris Prize shortlisted album ‘DNAActivation’; an ode to her Ethiopian and Eritrean ancestral roots, fusing Jazz, Hip-Hop,Soul and RnB. Touring across North America performing along side and opening for actslike Lido Pimienta, Sudan Archives, Tash Sultana, Snotty Nose Rez Kids and more.Now, Witch Prophet returns to the spotlight with a new soul/adult contemporary LP‘Gateway Experience’ due out May 3rd, on Heart Lake Records.A soundscape of vocal layers, loops, raps and harmonies on a bed of hip-hop, jazz andsoul-inspired beats produced by her business partner and wife SUN SUN.*File next to Erykah Badu, Lauryn Hill, Greentea Peng and Portishead*
• Silla
Silla are an Inuit throat singing duo known for blending traditional songs across a wide range of contemporary genres. Performing together since 2005, Silla’s members Charlotte Qamaniq from Iglulik and Cynthia Pitsiulak from Kimmirut, Nunavut, have crafted a hypnotizing live performance that is not to be missed. The name Silla, is derived from the Inuktitut word ‘Sila’, its definition includes concepts of weather, land, spirit, cunning, and intelligence. The name acknowledges the powerful spirituality and traditions that have kept the practice alive despite historical threats posed by settler colonization in Canada. Silla has received two Juno nominations for their work as Silla and Rise and are winners of two Summer Solstice Indigenous Music Awards.
TORONTO - Dec 28, 2024
Stockyards, Toronto | Dec 28
Öona Dahl, Sydney Blu, Jenner w/ Shera B2B Videri
A day-to-night dance party with Öona Dahl, Sydney Blu, Jenner, and Shera B2B Videri. This all-female lineup is coming together for a massive collaboration between EQLive (a cross-country concert series showcasing women and gender-diverse talent) and the finale of Change the Beat‘s Canadian tour. Presented by SiriusXM, Women in Music Canada, Change the Beat, and Darkest Hour Records.