Kicking Off Black Music Month! Videos by LMT Connection, Colina Phillips, LTtheMonk

Update of 2021 Post

To start up Black Music Month, we'd like to showcase our local afro-Canadian music community!

Links: LMT Connection, More LMT Connection Stories, Video above courtesy of Canal Bank Shuffle

Links: More Colina Phillips Stories, Video above courtesy of McMasterMuseum

Links: LTtheMonk, More LTtheMonk Stories, Video above courtesy of LTtheMonk

More Black Music Month Videos

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Winners of the 30th Reverend John C. Holland Awards

The Reverend John C Holland Awards have always celebrated excellence in Hamilton’s Black community. This year was no different at the ceremony on February 15, 2026 at LiUNA Station.

Below is the complete list of winners:

• Jackie Washington Arts and Culture Award: Colina Phillips
  
  
  
  Links: More Colina Phillips Stories, Video above courtesy of McMasterMuseum
  
  
• Ainara Alleyne ‘Rising Star’ Award for elementary school students ($500): Nasteho Mohammed -Finalists: Antonio Damptey Bonilla and Rachard Anthony Fenelon
• Award of Merit: Marlene Dei-Amoah
• Community Service Award: STAC Hamilton
• Emerging Young Leader Award: Chengetai Nyamnde
• Lifetime Achievement Award: Dr. Gary Warner
• Vince Morgan Ally Award: Terry Cooke

Sankofa Pearl Bursary ($500)

• Secondary student recipients: Alyvea Riley, Aya Adam, Barakat Adedeji, Chizaram Emekalam, Dante James Hillen, D’Avonté Ralph, Elijah Sterling King, Ella Poku, Georgia Walker, Grace Mumo Mwalyo, Ibiye Naomi Davids, Ife Alake, Israela Ngatched Ngania, Jayden Millar Edwards, Lennex Maley, Naiyah Reece, Najma Hassan, Nasra Bain, Nina Borcea-Richardson, Oluwalani Adedeji, Omonigho Okpere, Sydney Oyewumi, Tinuade Omoregie and Zachariah Adjodia Persaud
• Post-secondary student recipients: David Feboke, Emnet Goitom, Isis Seaton, Jonathan Roswell, Kaylinda Mupesse, KJ Gilling, Monae McKenzie and Oluwanifemi Ogundare
• Mature student recipients: Idongesit Ita Ekanem

Sankofa Pearl Scholarship ($3,000)

• Secondary student recipients: Aya Adam, Barakat Adedeji, Dante James Hillen and Israela Ngatched Ngania
• Post-secondary student recipient: Emnet Goitom

Below is the Hamilton Spectator article about the event. Click the picture to increase the size.

Video above courtesy of CHCH News

Links: Reverend John C Holland Awards, More John C Holland Award Stories

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Star-Studded Solo Debut from Dundas' Lily Sazz

Artist: Lily Sazz (Dundas)

Recording: What Just Happened

Mini-Review: 

Dundas' Lily Sazz is finally taking centre stage after years of playing with incredible arists such as the Trailblazers, Groove Corporation, Cootes Paradise, Women's Blues Revue, Rita Chiarelli, and many others. 

This is a fabulous way to kickstart a solo career! This star-studded project has everything from the deeply personal to the downright quirky. Every song is infused with own feel and will have you contemplating or shaking your moneymaker.

Available on: Bandcamp, Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, Physical media coming soon

Personnel:

Main Band: Lily Sazz (vocals, piano, organ, Tibetan tingsha cymbal), Robin Pirson (drums), Carrie Clark (bass)

Guests

• Colin Linden (slide guitar on Goodnight Sweetheart)
• "Trombone" Charlotte McAfee-Brunner (trombone on In A Hurry)
• Jack Pedler (cowbell on In A Hurry)
• Harry Manx (slide guitar, vocals on Train is Rollin')
• Scotty Bakalar (shaker on In A Hurry, güiro on Knack for That)
• Boreal - Katherine Wheatley, Tannis Slimmon, Angie Nussey (background vocals on Knack for That)
• Darcy Hepner (tenor saxophone on Future Me)
• Suzie Vinnick (background vocal, acoustic & electric guitar on Isn't That So, guitar on Gaslight)
• Steve Marriner (harmonica on Gaslight)
• Colina Phillips and Jill Zadeh (background vocals on Better Stop)
• Scott Apted (drums, shaker on Better Stop/drums, tambourine, background vocal on I Can't Jam)
• Wayne DeAdder (bass on Better Stop, I Can't Jam)
• Mike Branton (guitar on Better Stop, I Can't Jam)

Stream the album below

Links: Album above courtesy of Bandcamp

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News Roundup (Polaris Heritage Prize, Dave Rave, NAMMYS, more)

Bizarro

More Musical Toons

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News

Local

• FYI Music News feature on Arkells
• Peter McFarland passes

Spectator Stories

• Local Maple Blues Award nominees
• Marianne Faithful review
• Jimmy Page feature
• The restorative power of music

Polaris Heritage Prize Winners

1960-1975

• Public: Neil Young: Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere
• Jury: Jean-Pierre Ferland: Jaune 

1976-1985

• Public: Rush: 2112 (ft Hamilton-born Neil Peart on drums)
  
  
  
  Links: Rush, More Rush Stories, Video above courtesy of Rush
  
  
• Jury: Bruce Cockburn: Stealing Fire (ft Hamilton's Colina Phillips on background vocals)
  
  
  
  Links: Bruce Cockburn, More Bruce Cockburn Stories, Video above courtesy of John Paul Barbour
  

1986-1995

• Public: Alanis Morissette: Jagged Little Pill
• Jury: Dream Warriors: And Now the Legacy Begins

1996-2005

• Public: Broken Social Scene: You Forgot It In People
• Jury: Kid Koala: Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Canada

• Roger Ashby retiring from CHUM

Native American Music Award winners
Canadian winners below. Click title above for complete list.

• Female Artist: Kelly Derrickson
• Group: Twin Flames
• Folk Recording: Twin Flames - Signal Fire
• Americana Recording: Sandra Sutter - Cluster Stars
• Historical Linguistic Recording: Jeremy Dutcher - Wolastoqiyik Lintuwakonawa
• Music Video Performance: Indian City - Through the Flood
  
  
  
  Links: Indian City, More Indian City Stories, Video above courtesy of Indian City Music
  

Passings

• Jimmy Farrar (Molly Hatchet)

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Adventure of Trebleclef, the Music-Loving Monkey

Trebleclef rocked out to the Coachmen and their special guest Dave Rave at the Coach and Lantern in Ancaster. The Coachmen have a Saturday matinee there at 2:30pm with a different guest each week.

Click here for more pics from the event

MORE NEWS ROUNDUPS

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CONGRATS! The Band Win 2017 Polaris Heritage Prize

The jury of the 2017 Slaight Family Polaris Heritage Prize honoured the classic status of The Band's self titled album by choosing it as their winner in the 1960-1975 category. The Band featured a few local members (Rick Danko was from Norfolk and Robbie Robertson came from Six Nations). 

Links: The Band, More Stories of The Band, Video above courtesy of Nalencer

There were a few other local nominees as well:

• The Band (Norfolk/Six Nations): Music From the Big Pink
• Daniel Lanois (Hamilton): Acadie
• Constantines (Guelph): Shine A Light. 
• John Oswald (Kitchener): Plunderphonics
• Bruce Cockburn: Stealing Fire (ft Hamilton's Colina Phillips on background vocals)
• Sarah McLachlan: Fumbling Towards Ecstasy (ft Hamilton's Bill Dillon on guitar

Click here for a full list of nominees.

Click here for the full story from FYIMusicNews

CONGRATS!

Here is the full list of winners.

1960-1975

• Public: Gordon Lightfoot - Lightfoot!
  
  
  
  Links: Gordon Lightfoot, More Gordon Lightfoot Stories, Video above courtesy of diunnerfs
  
  
• Jury: The Band - The Band

1976 – 1985

• Public: Harmonium - L’Heptade
• Jury: Glenn Gould - Bach: The Goldberg Variations

1986-1995

• Public: The Tragically Hip: Fully Completely
  
  
  
  Links: Tragically Hip, More Tragically Hip Stories, Video above courtesy of GordonYYZ
  
  
• Jury: Eric’s Trip: Love Tara

1996-2005

• Public: Feist - Let It Die
• Jury: k-os - Joyful Rebellion

Blast from the Past: Last Year's Winners

Links: Polaris Music Prize, More Polaris Stories

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GOOD LUCK! Vote for Local Musicians in the Polaris Heritage Prize Short List (Deadline is Oct 17)

While the Polaris Music Prize honours current Canadian music, the Slaight Family Polaris Heritage Prize celebrates the past.  The latter has released its Short List and a number of local artists are in the mix.

The legendary group, the Band had a number of area members (Rick Danko was from Norfolk and Robbie Robertson came from Six Nations).  Two of their classics, Music From the Big Pink and their self titled album are up for the 1960-1975 award.

Links: The Band, More Stories of The Band, Video above courtesy of Queenignma

Hamilton's Kim Deschamps was involved with Blue Rodeo when they released Five Days in July, which is nominated for the 1986-1986 award.  Another Hamilton boy, Daniel Lanois is in the same category for his debut Acadie.

Links: Blue Rodeo, More Blue Rodeo Stories, Video above courtesy of Diablo4643

Links: Daniel Lanois, More Daniel Lanois Stories, Video above courtesy of yeahshee1933

Guelph indie rockers, Constantines, also have a recording in the running (for 1996-2005): Shine A Light. Kitchener saxophonist John Oswald's Plunderphonics is up for 1986-1995.

Many other albums on the list feature backup work by local artists.  Hamilton's Colina Phillips did background vocals on Bruce Cockburn: Stealing Fire. Hammertown's own Bill Dillon plays guitar on Sarah McLachlan's Fumbling Towards Ecstasy.

You can help them out by voting for your faves here.  Deadline is October 17, 2016.  Results will be released on October 24, 2016.

GOOD LUCK EVERYONE!

Here is the full Short List

1960-1975

• The Band: Music From the Big Pink
• The Band: The Band
• Robert Charlebois and Louise Forestier: Lindberg
• Leonard Cohen: Songs of Leonard Cohen
• Gordon Lightfoot: Lightfoot!
• Joni Mitchell: Court and Spark
• The Oscar Peterson Trio: Night Train
• Jackie Shane: Live
• Neil Young: Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere
• Neil Young: After The Gold Rush

1976-85

• Bruce Cockburn: Stealing Fire (featuring work by Colina Phillips)
• D.O.A.: Hardcore ’81
• Fifth Column: To Sir with Hate
• Glenn Gould: Bach: The Goldberg Variations
• Martha and the Muffins: This is the Ice Age
• Kate and Anna McGarrigle: Kate and Anna McGarrigle
• Jackie Mittoo: Show Case Volume 3
• Rough Trade: Avoid Freud
• Rush: Moving Pictures
• Leroy Sibbles: On Top

1986-95

• Blue Rodeo (featuring Hamilton's Kim Deschamps): Five Days in July
• Daniel Lanois: Acadie
• John Oswald: Plunderphonics
• Sarah McLachlan: Fumbling Towards Ecstasy (featuring work by Bill Dillon)
• Dream Warriors: And Now the Legacy Begins
• Maestro Fresh Wes: Symphony in Effect
• Main Source: Breaking Atoms
• Alanis Morissette: Jagged Little Pill
• Mary Margaret O’Hara: Miss America
• The Tragically Hip: Fully Completely

1996-2005

• Constantines: Shine A Light
• Arcade Fire: Funeral
• Bran Van 3000: Glee
• Broken Social Scene: You Forgot It In People
• The Dears: No Cities Left
• Destroyer: Streethawk
• Esthero: Breath From Another
• Feist: Let It Die
• k-os: Joyful Rebellion
• Lhasa de Sela: La Llorona

Blast from the Past: This Year's Polaris Short

Links: Polaris Music Prize, More Polaris Stories

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Braithwaite and Whiteley with Colina Phillips Videos

More Sonny Boy Williamson II Covers/Stories



More Muddy Waters Covers/Stories



More Slim Harpo Covers/Stories



Links: Diana Braithwaite and Chris Whiteley, More Braithwaite and Whiteley Stories, Videos above courtesy of The Hamilton Blues Lovers

Blast from the Past: Braithwaite and Whiteley Videos and More

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