Two-time JUNO nominated and seven-time GMA award winning recording artist, Warren Dean Flandez describes his music simply as “songs with purpose”. His latest album, Speak, debuted at #1 on the iTunes Inspirational Charts, and #20 on the iTunes Overall Charts Top 100. Soulfully charged and urban infused, his first single ‘Born For Greatness’ features KJ Apa, star of hit television show, ‘Riverdale.’ Warren is also the founder of talent development company Studio Cloud 30 and Top Line Vocal Collective, which is dedicated to raising funds and awareness for various charities.
Categories: Tier 2
Star Captains
Hailing from Vancouver, Star Captains have taken the country by storm with their infectious grooves and powerful live performances. Since the release of their first album, New Freedoms, in 2013, keyboardist Max Zipursky, vocalist NaRai, guitar/bassist Gavin Youngash and guitarist Jim Black have blended synth pop, r&b and indie influences to create their own distinct sound. Their sophomore album, Lightwork, finds the band experimenting with electronic soundscapes and digital effects from the comfort of The Space, their hand-built recording studio in East Vancouver. The result? The tight pocket of an old school soul band, with the layered production of contemporary dance music. Lightwork was produced by the band along with producer/drummer Dan Klenner, and mixed by Ben Kaplan at Fader Mountain Sound. Following main stage performances at the Vancouver Jazz Festival and the Surrey Fusion Fest, Star Captains will continue their Lightwork in 2019 with more festival dates, videos, and a healthy dose of love + light for all the beautiful people.
Phé
Contemporary R&B artist Phé offers up a dose of soulful prowess, as her commanding vocals, combined with raw and honest lyrics, expose a realness that truly sets her apart from the crowd. Having toured, recorded, and performed on international stages as a background vocalist for artists such as Sarah McLachlan, Aloe Blacc, Ella Vos, and Marianas Trench, Phé is ready to step into her light, sharing her own stories in the hopes of opening up a space in which her listeners can explore vulnerability, healing, and self-growth.
Following the release of her impressive debut single “Feel You”, in spring of 2018 — gaining over 140K streams on Spotify — Phé dropped her debut EP, CRISIS, landing placements in Spotify editorial playlists Just Vibing and The Launch, and features in publications such as Nylon Magazine and Live Nations: Ones to Watch.
With this year moving forward in full steam — having participated on CTV’s The Launch as a contestant, performing for music mogul Scott Borchetta, and performing with Sarah McLachlan at The Junos — Phé is now busy at work back in the studio, creating music for her next project.
Sister Says
Sister Says is a soulful indie pop project based out of Vancouver fronted by mixed Haida-Tsimshian siblings Gillian and Robert Thomson. Dreamy, eclectic and lyrically rich, Sister Says’s roots stem from the soul, blues, and pop. Performing at festivals and an array of venues in BC, Ontario, Saskatchewan, Manitoba to Beijing, a highlight includes performing at the BC Pavilion in Beijing and Nathan Phillips Square in Toronto opening for Stars and Blackie and the Rodeo Kings.
Old Soul Rebel
B.C. based powerhouse duo, Old Soul Rebel is comprised of core members Chelsea Johnson (vocals/electric guitar) and Lola Whyte (vocals/electric banjo) who put a brand new shine on rock-n-roll. With a repertoire inspired by their respective First Nations and African American upbringings, Old Soul Rebel’s music vividly recites the honest experiences of human life. Formed in late 2015 by a like-minded need to sing stories of their past, Old Soul Rebel has graced many stages and festivals across Canada. Despite only having seven demos under their belt, the band was recognized as one of the 11 Best New Bands of 2016 by CBC Radio Music. Just recently, having made it to the final two in CTV’s reality music competition series, The Launch, Old Soul Rebel is excited to take their act on the road across Canada.
CTV – The Launch
Audition
End performance
Meet the Artist
Artist Profile
Desiree Dorion
Desiree Dorion is one of Manitoba’s most celebrated women in country music. She writes “darkly beautiful and introspective songs,” (Bruce Leperre, 730 CKDM). She has had multiple songs reach #1 on the National Indigenous Music Countdown and 3 Top 100 songs on the Canadian Country music charts. Desiree and Chris Burke-Gaffney won “Songwriter of the Year” at the Manitoba Country Music Awards for “Whiskey Knows.” Dorion also received a Songwriter of the Year nomination at the 2017 Canadian Folk Music Awards and an Honourable Mention at the International Songwriting Competition for “Whiskey Knows.” Her follow up single, “Like A Flower,” also charted on the Canadian Country Music Charts and made the top 5 in the Indigenous Music Countdown. Tough Street won Country Album of the Year at the 2018 Indigenous Music Awards and was nominated for Indigenous Album of the Year at the 2018 Western Canadian Music Award. Desiree has toured coast to coast, with performances from Prince George, British Columbia to St. John’s, Newfoundland. She has completed recording on her next album, “Break the Chain,” that is due out in January, 2020.
Dorion’s previous albums have garnered the following awards and nominations:
• 2018 Manitoba Country Music Award – Female Artist of the Year & Aboriginal Artist of the Year;
• 2018 WCMA Award nomination – Indigenous Artist of the Year;
• 2018 Indigenous Music Award – Country Album of the Year;
• 2017 International Songwriting Competition – honorable mention
• 2017 Songwriter of the Year – Manitoba country Music Awards;
• 2014 JUNO Awards;
• 2014 WCMA Awards’
• 2014 and 2013 Aboriginal Peoples Choice Music Awards;
• 2013 Indian Summer Music Awards;
• 2012 International Songwriting Competition;
• Best Country Album and Best Female Artist at the 2010 Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards;
• Best Country Artist at the 2010 Aboriginal Peoples Choice Music Awards;
• Best Country Album at the 2011 North American Indigenous Image Award;
• Best Country Album at the 2011 Indian Summer Music Awards; and
• Best Country Album and Best Female Artist at the 2011 Native American Music Awards.
Turunesh
Turunesh is a Neo Afro soul singer-songwriter of Tanzanian & Ethiopian origin.
Turunesh’s voice transcends expectations and sings in a manner that hopes to guide her listeners through her music & stories. Her blending of languages such as Kiswahili and English as well as her fusion of genres makes it easy to lose oneself and encourages you to feel the music in a way that is transportive.
Sarah MacDougall
Multiple Award winning singer songwriter Sarah MacDougall is known for her poetic songs and passionate performances. Sarah mixes folk, pop, and rock elements into her infectious, often epic music. Born in Sweden, Swedish magazine Nöjesguiden declared her: “one of Sweden’s best singer/songwriters’ and Rootstime Belgium described her as ‘One of the greatest talents of our era”.
Sarah has played festivals such as Iceland Airwaves, Edmonton Folk Festival, Reeperbahn, and has shared the stage with artists such as Bruce Cockburn, Tallest Man on Earth, Buffy St. Marie, Passenger, and more.
Ben Cottrill
“Storytelling isn’t about the truth, it’s about what the truth should have been” says Ben Cottrill, a true west-coast romantic. A decade of performing on streets and stages across Canada has given Cottrill a bittersweet narrative that matches the grit of his Acoustic-Rock style.
Raised among five skilled musicians, Cottrill’s grit was instilled early on, as was his love for classic Folk, Rock and Soul music. At 17, his first EP scored him a win as a finalist in the Canada’s Walk of Fame Emerging Artists’ Program and career support from Universal Music.
Turbulent heartbreak arose shortly thereafter, and Cottrill traded in Canada for the Mediterranean coast and the United Kingdom. The year-long immersion into the rich music and culture of the Old World yielded his second EP Spice-Box, which gained over 120,000 streams the following year.
Upon finishing the Spice-Box Tour, Cottrill was chosen from 20,000 applicants across Canada to appear on CTV’s music series “The Launch” as one of few select artists working with both Bryan Adams and industry mogul Scott Borchetta on the program.
Ben Cottrill’s new folky single “Won’t Be With You” was released May 1st 2019, alongside a single-shot video filmed in the heart of Vancouver, BC, and supported by a summer tour through Western Canada.
Basilissa
Christina Raquel Gaspar – Portuguese Guitarra / Vocals
Christina, who is the musical heart of Basilissa, is a Portuguese-Canadian musician who has studied Fado singing and the 12-string Guitarra in Lisbon. Fado is closely tied to her background; her grandfather was a Fadista (Fado singer) who sang in rural villages along the west coast of Portugal. Christina began studying Fado to honour the traditions of her family and her people.
She has a Bachelors in Music and Theatre from UBC, and has performed jazz and world music for over a decade. She has studied and played with greats such as Celso Machado, Sal Ferreras, Bill Coon and Maestro Antonio Pereira. She currently is a Choral Director at the Sarah McLachlan School of Music.
