Preview - Manifesto Festival 2008
By: Polina Chinkarenko
As the first of its kind in Toronto, the second annual Manifesto Festival Of Music & Art is once again giving the spotlight to the thriving, local urban music and art scene - and bringing more pride to the community that has supported it all along.
Artists including Masia One, More Or Les, Isis (of Thunderheist), Fresh Kils and Grand Analog, among others, have already got the party started with the week-long One City Series, leading up to the central events of the festival. With pre-festival performances underway, there is no shortage of homegrown hip hop and urban art in town these days.
They've shared the track "Vagabond", and now Shad and Hey Ocean are also set to share the Mod Club Theatre stage this Wednesday. Shad is a rising star from London, Ontario, who has found critical success in both Canada and the US - having opened for the likes of Common and Lupe Fiasco, as well as being nominated for the Juno's Rap Recording of the Year and Polaris Music Prize - and who is not about to slow down. Vancouver natives Hey Ocean are a versatile pop act garnering quite a buzz and currently on a cross-country tour of the Great North. Bring your dancing shoes along with your intellectual hip hop caps for some deep - and at other times hilarious - lyrics and tight rhymes.
Among film screenings, art exhibits and B-boy battles in various locations, there will also be a special edition of Hip Hop Karaoke on Thursday night at Revival, with an all-female DJ roster downstairs in the Stone Lounge. On Saturday, it's Scarborough's time to shine with what should be a giant outdoor block party. With more than a dozen performers, a special T-shirt fashion show and a barber battle (straight up!), this neighbourhood has it made.
As one of this year's headlining acts for the The Main Event on Sunday, k-os better be ready to bring it. Not only is the lineup fierce, but despite promises of headlining the same event in 2007, he missed out on the massive performances that he'll need to try and live up to. Sunday's other ‘brrapp'-call worthy headliners include Van City's legendary groundbreakers Rascalz (with hit tracks like "Top of the World" and "Priceless"), prolific poet and rap artist K'naan, as well as Kamau, who describes himself as "a quiet madman, never far from tears."
Nathan Phillips Square will undoubtedly fill up with fans of other performers such as Hero, Ms. Chawlz, D-Sisive, Marvel, Famous and many more. Later on, DJ Premier returns for the official after-party at CiRCA to go head-to-head with Pete Rock, each considered as one of the greatest hip hop producers of all time in his own right. Unsurprisingly, Manifesto organizers predict this battle will "leave Toronto's necks snapped." Last year's Manifesto participants Footprints DJs (Jason Palma, General Eclectic), Bang The Party (Rod Skimmins, Andycapp), along with Barbi and Shit La Merde will also spin in the many rooms of the venue.
Of course SoundProof will be all over this again this year, so stay tunes for coverage but if you missed this one-of-a-kind display of Canadian talent last year, be sure to see some of the acts before the festival ends Sunday, Sept. 21.
Video: Manifesto Festival 2007
