Tribute to Terry McManus
Happy New Year, S.A.C. members. We hope everyone is keeping as well as can be hoped during a frozen January in a pandemic. We start 2022 on a sombre note,…
Life of a Songwriter
Farewell, Jo Jo Bennett.
Farewell, Jo Jo Bennett Jo Jo Bennett, one of the first people to record soul records in Toronto, who went on to make reggae an integral part of the city’s…
Some Six Nations Sounds – Part 3
Round Dances, Blues Dancing and Club Music – A few Six Nations selections. Pappy John’s Band – The Bar Road Band was where Don Powless and Murry Porter Mohawks from…
Some Six Nations Sounds – Part 2
Most early recordings of Indigenous people were done at the behest and with sponsorship from The Smithsonian Institute, followed by folkloric and archival endeavours. The Smithsonian Institute recorded George Buck…
Some Six Nations Sounds – Part 1
As June flies by, S.A.C. considers Indigenous Peoples Day, from a musical angle. Following the horrific discovery of 215 children’s graves at the Kamloops Residential School, it seems fitting to…
S.A.C. Women’s History Month Series – Ruby Waters
Still in her early 20’s, Ruby Waters is a successful songwriter, seasoned live performer, and certainly eager to resume her live concerts like everyone else on either side of the…
S.A.C. Black History Songwriters Series: Vancouver Soul History
Most early Canadian soul music came from Ontario. Canada’s Black population was concentrated in the country’s biggest cities, as well as parts of Nova Scotia. Of the few Canadian soul…
S.A.C. Black History Songwriters Series: Gary Beals
There are some curves in life, some longer or sharper than others. Over the last 17 years, Gary Beals has taken them and put aspects of life’s winding road into…
S.A.C. Black History Songwriters Series: Maestro Fresh Wes
When “Let Your Backbone Slide” was inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame in late 2019, the 30 year old song was the first hip hop jam to receive…
Featured Member: Isabelle Banos
Isabelle Banos is a Montreal-based producer, songwriter and a founding member of thealternative pop band Caveboy, in which she plays bass and synthesizers. She has performed across Canada, showcased throughout…