by Imtiaz Popat
Bia Ferreira rallied the audience with songs of human rights at the 49th Vancouver Folk Muslc Festtival.
Singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, anti-racisim activist and fierce defender of the LGBTQ2S+ community worldwide, Bia Ferreira defines her music as MMP: Música de Mulher Preta (Black Woman Music). Born in a rural town in the Minas Gerais region of Brazil to a family of evangelical missionaries, she studied at the Brazilian Music Conservatory where she learned to play dozens of different instruments as well as piano. At the age of 12, she says, she wrote her first song – a plea to God to “cure” her thoughts that she was a lesbian. That didn’t happen.
By age 15, she had gotten involved in the Black women’s movement in Brazil, and in her 20s, she hitchhiked around the country, playing and selling her self-produced CD wherever she could. She then gained fame with the track “Cota Não é Esmola,” in which she sang about the importance of the quota system for Black people’s access to university. Her performance of the song on YouTube has had over 14 million views and the song’s lyrics became required reading for the University of Brasília’s entrance exam.
She was nominated for the 2018 Women in Music Awards, and on her 2019 album, Igreja Lesbiteriana: Um Chamado, (Lesbitarian Church: A Calling), the messages are harnessed to funky beats, reggae, and soul ballad grooves.
Leen Hamo and John Abou Chacra had the crow dancing to Syrian, Lebanese and Palestinian songs celebrating the resilience of occupation.
2026 JUNO Award-winning Kazdoura is an exciting and soulful Arabic fusion music project that brings together roots, resilience, and reinvention in a way that appeals to world-music lovers and adventurous listeners alike. The project unites a Syrian singer and songwriter, Leen Hamo, who was forced to leave her homeland due to war and a Lebanese multi-instrumentalist, John Abou Chacra. Their paths crossed at a Toronto fundraiser following the catastrophic 2020 Beirut port explosion — a meeting that sparked a powerful musical synergy. Kazdoura transforms Arabic musical heritage into something deeply contemporary and irresistible.
Leen’s rich, expressive vocals, rooted in classical Arabic traditions and shaped by her lived experience as an immigrant, blend seamlessly with John’s jazz-inflected guitar, saxophone, and eclectic modern production. Their sound weaves classic Arabic maqams and melodies with jazz, funk, electro-pop, disco, psychedelic rock, and trip-hop, creating a cross-cultural fusion that feels both timeless and intriguingly inviting.
Kazdoura captured attention with their 2022 debut EP Wain, attracting radio play across North America, and have since built an enthusiastic following online, with millions of views on TikTok, and live on stages from their base in Toronto to Europe, the UK, Egypt, and beyond. Their 2025 full-length album Ghoyoum delves into powerful themes of displacement, identity, and home, with evocative arrangements that make you feel the music as much as you hear it, garnering them the 2026 JUNO for Global Music Album of the year.
Jimmyl Tchegnon (Jimmy Belah) and Brigitte KITI (Amessiamey) of BIM (Benin International Musical) joined them in a powerful Jam session on Sunday afternoon, the last day of festival, which had the audiance dancing and clapping. The combination of the three groups coming together from Africa, Latin America and the Middle East was electrifying. Especially John from Kanzdoura on he Saxophone and backing up Jimmy from BIM on Vocals
BIM is a dynamic collective of young Beninese artists dedicated to reclaiming and reimagining their country’s profound musical heritage. Blending rock, rap, and traditional voodoo rhythms, BIM creates a powerful sonic experience that bridges past and present, ritual and modernity. Their performances are more than concerts—they are immersive ceremonies, charged with energy, spirit, and emotional intensity.
Rooted in the historic city of Ouidah, a key port on the 17th to 19th century trans-Atlantic slave route, BIM draws from a lineage that has influenced global music for generations. From gospel and blues to jazz, rock, and hip-hop, many modern genres trace echoes back to Benin’s cultural rhythms—an influence heard in bands like Arcade Fire, Talking Heads, and Gorillaz.
Formed in 2016 by Hervé Riesen and Jérôme Ettinger, BIM emerged after extensive artist searches across Benin. The seven-member group spent two years crafting their debut album,fusing traditional songs with electric textures, polyrhythmic percussion, and rich vocal harmonies. After fellow Benin native Angelique Kidjo brought BIM to New York for a sold-out concert at Carnegie Hall, Rolling Stone France named them one of 25 bands that count that year.
With international tours spanning Europe, Morocco, Benin, and New York, BIM continues to captivate audiences worldwide. Their music celebrates voodoo culture as a force of positivity,connection, and humanity—offering a bold, authentic voice that repositions Benin on the global musical map.
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