Toronto Jazz Fest and Shakura S’Aida are proud to present On Their Shoulders - a once-in-a-lifetime concert celebrating the African Canadian artists who have made invaluable contributions to the Toronto music community.
This historic concert will celebrate jazz legends like Frank Wright, Archie Alleyne, Jodie Drake, Jackie Shane and Dianne Brooks while highlighting landmarks that provided safe spaces for the African Canadian music community and their audiences.
This unforgettable evening will feature live performances from a stacked lineup of award-winning artists including: one of the greatest jazz voices of our time, 98-year-old icon, Ada Lee; Queen of Jazz, Blues and Gospel, Jackie Richardson; legendary pianist and composer, Joe Sealy; one of Canada’s greatest voices, Molly Johnson; Toronto reggae great, Jay Douglas; GRAMMY-nominated steel pannist, Joy Lapps; revolutionary blues and R&B artist, Bobby Dean Blackburn; and JUNO-nominated singer-songwriters SATE and tUkU.
Backed by an all-star house band led by award-winning and JUNO-nominated musical director Eddie Bullen, featuring acclaimed artists like JUNO-nominated singer-songwriter Brooke Blackburn and GRAMMY Award-winning drum phenom, Larnell Lewis, this special evening of music celebrates the foundation of Toronto’s jazz scene.