It has been more than a year since the COVID-19 first hit Ontario. Since then, COVID has infected nearly one million people in Canada. COVID-19 regulations, such as social distancing and wearing masks in public, are still very firmly in place. Star Power-R has found a solution for music lovers who can no longer attend live performances: the ‘Buy Local’ Online Concert Series. New concerts in the series premiere every month, and February’s concerts featured a lineup of Ballad, Hip-Hop, and R&B shows.
On February 13, a special ballad show was held to commemorate Valentine’s Day. Audiences were able to enjoy Valentine’s nights with everyone they love, including Valentines, friends, and family. The artist line up included Paige, Tayler, and Mauve.
Paige has performed at various festivals and collaborated with the Country Music Association of Ontario. Paige released her debut single, “Someday,” later that year and has now gone on to release two self-written EPs, “Hey Girl” and “From the Heart,” respectively in 2016 and 2018. Her latest project includes a brand new single, “Without Me,” which was released in January 2020. Paige has been working hard and is eager to release new music in 2021 with her new sound.
Tayler is a Canadian Country and Pop singer-songwriter. She constantly looks to push the boundaries of her music and venture off into the unknown regions of pop music. Cassidy’s music is defined by her sensual voice and immersive storytelling. She has released many amazing original songs, including a recently-released track called “Santa Monica.”
Mauve is an Electro-Pop singer and songwriter, whose songs have gained 700,000 streams on Spotify and 1.4 million plays on Youtube. She recently released her singles “Right”. Beyond this significant accomplishment, she has performed on various mass media such as CBC Music, and at prestigious events like the 2020 Toronto Music Expo.
In addition, on February 18, Star Pow-R held a Hip Hop and R & B show that all ages could enjoy together, titled Rhythm & Rhyme. Featured artists included Zaxai, AO Gorman, Desarae Dee, and Mark Brathwaite.
Zaxai (ZA-K-EYE) is one of Brooklyn NY’s eclectic artists. His voice and performance won him a spot in the Top 24 on season 15 of NBC’s “The Voice.” His roots are in Haiti. This passionate performer sings in 4 languages: English, French, Creole, and Spanish. Zaxai has been touring records off his latest EP “Too Far Gone” available everywhere, as well as prepares to release his third studio project, “Son Of The Xrown Warrior.”
AO Gorman is a Toronto based Hip-Hop/rap artist. He gets inspired by the likings of Kendrick Lamar and his home-based rapper Drake. He has created his own style through that inspiration, taking pride in being able to immerse himself within different genres. His popularity is sky-rocking, with 37.3k streams and 21.7K listeners on Spotify. He recently released an album called “In My Thoughts.” He plans to soon participate in the Annual Black History concert.
Desarae Dee is Toronto’s Fusion Pianist. She is widely known for her unconventional and spontaneous playing style. She has the unique ability to fuse many musical styles together while creating unique, unusual chord structures and powerful melodic lines. She consistently uploads her performances through Cover Tuesdays DUO. Recently, she collaborated with Unknxn Artist.
Mark Brathwaite was the headliner of Canadian Music Week and TD Jazz Fest. He is the founder of record label MCB Music, on top of being a Toronto-based artist, musician, and producer. He has extensive experience co-producing with celebrities such as Montana, France, and Wizkidd.
Star Power-R’s ‘Buy Local’ Concert Series was created to help small business owners affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. These virtual concerts feature local artists, and local businesses are also promoted. Register for an event in the concert series and get a chance to win $1,000 in prize money and other special prizes through a lottery! More information can be found at Star Pow-R.
