Skip to content

Tanika Charles, Missy D celebrating Black History Month with Garden City Grooves in Victoria

Funk, hip-hop, afrobeat, RB and more all part of the Feb. 16 event with some of Canada’s top Black talent
web1_240117-mma-gardencityblackhistory-tanika_1
Tanika Charles is a Juno Award and Polaris Prize-nominated Toronto R&B/soul singer. (Kelli Rothwell)

Garden City Grooves is welcoming some of Canada’s finest black soul, hip-hop, afrobeat and funk performers to celebrate Black History Month.

Headlining the Feb. 16 event is Tanika Charles, a Juno Award and Polaris Prize-nominated Toronto R&B/soul singer. Charles’ album Soul Run was long-listed for the Polaris Music Prize in 2016 and nominated for a Juno Award.

Also joining the bill is Missy D from Vancouver, who sings and raps in both English and French. Her influences include India.Arie, Missy Elliott and Erykah Badu.

And kicking off the night is the genre-defying Alpha Centauri from Nanaimo blending funk, hip-hop, afrobeat, ’90s R&B and a splash of ’80s retro pop. Alpha Centauri is Zimbabwe-born.

The resident DJ for the night is DJ Rossco, a born-and-raised Nigerian, who discovered his passion for music after moving to Vancouver during his late teens. Rossco is known for his open-minded approach to all genres of music, including Afrobeats, Hip-hop, trap, dancehall and more.

Garden City Grooves Festival 10th Anniversary/Black History Month Celebration takes place at White Eagle Polish Hall. Tickets are $27.

READ MORE: B.C.-filmed documentary decolonizes Canadian opera with Indigenous voice



Sam Duerksen

About the Author: Sam Duerksen

Since moving to Victoria from Winnipeg in 2020, I’ve worked in communications for non-profits and arts organizations.
Read more