Beyond Sound Empijah

About

Our Mission: Youth who engage Youth to educate through drum and music.
Our Slogan: Old Roots, New Leaves

It’s always a pleasure to praise youth when they follow in the skillful footsteps of their elders. Beyond Sound Empijah, is a collective of young musicians who have had the wonderful fortune of growing up in some of the most vibrant, innovative, pioneering arts organizations throughout the Greater Toronto Area. Their youthful enthusiasm and endless talent has made them a drum and dance ensemble dedicated to merging traditional West African drum and dance with their contemporary genres including, Hip Hop, House, Rap, South African, Caribbean and any culture that they have the opportunity to be affiliated with.

This dynamic collective possess over 25 years of performance experience. They hail from Toronto based dance and drum organizations; Ballet Creole, COBA, and Ngoma Drum and Dance Ensemble. All of the members of Beyond Sound Empijah have performed with the three core organizations. The group is an extended family of artists keeping their musical traditions alive and foraging their expressions and identity in their performances.

Beyond Sound Empijah is comprised of youthful experienced drummers, dancers, and vocalists. They have been invited to perform at numerous diverse public and private events on the international stage and throughout Canada. Some of the events and organizations which Beyond Sound Empijah have shared their boundless talent with are:

The Muthadi International Drumming Festival, Afrofest, International Associations of Blacks in Dance, The Royal Ontario Museum, United Way – Peel Region Black Community Advisory Council, The Consular Ball, Truth & Reconciliation Commission of Canada, Imani Awards, Majanga Festival, Africentric School Gala, Rhythm Fest Barrie, Nia Centre for the Arts - Afro Diasporic Art: Recognition Justice Develop launch at Toronto City Hall, the TCTHC Youth Summit, the African Cultural & Development Association’s 2011 African Emancipation Festival in Georgetown, Guyana.

Each musician has been nurtured, trained and shaped under the tutelage of master drummers and dancers from the African diaspora, in the art of djembe and doundoun playing and contemporary and traditional dance.


Beyond Sound Empijah is an active and thriving collective that will bring you dancing to your feet, while gaining the support of multigenerational audiences through their innovative performances.


N’deré Headley-Lindsay

N’deré Nimon Headley-Lindsay was born in Toronto as the only child of two artists. He is said to have been drumming and dancing in the womb and has studied drumming with various Griots (keepers of African history) and drummers from Senegal, Guinea, the United States and Trinidad and Tobago. His talent as musician has shone through in many works presented by COBA, including having arranged and played the original score for the children’s production, Legend of the Pitch Lake.

Sean Clarke

Sean Clarke is a native of Toronto who has been studying and performing djembe drumming for over 10 years. His musical influence cannot be credited to one particular person but the mare music itself and the knowledge that one can make it sound however one wants, is what influences and inspires him. However, he does acknowledge his appreciation for the mastery of drum master M’bemba Bangoura, who has been instrumental in his development as a drummer.
Sean motivated to play music because of his love for the diverse rhythms and the meanings behind the music. The performances that stand out in his performance history are the shows where the crowd responds enthusiastically to the musicians’ energy.

Taejah Mark

Taejah Mark was introduced to the djembe at the age of four by his father who is also a musician. He started his performance career with Twisted Hair Spirit Drummers and Dancers who performed throughout Ontario. One of his musical influences is Quammie Williams, musical director of Baro Dunuba. He has also studied with Djembefola Amara Kante and Nation Chong along with numerous international drum masters. Taejah is also training and working with famed African Dancer/Dun Dunfola, Sani Abu Mohammed, the artistic director of IJO VUDU Dance Company. TaeJah is a performer who is always grateful for the opportunity to perfect his drumming skills and to shine as an artist.

Talib Marcus

Talib Marcus was intrigued with drumming at the age of two since the first day he saw Kemar Scarlett, one of the founding members of Ngoma Drum and Dance Ensemble play his djembe. At the age of four, he became a member of Ngoma. Through his training he has been exposed to the expertise of internationally renowned djembe master, M’bemba Bangoura and along with other renowned drum masters. He is inspired by the beats and lyrics which communicate the feelings of the young and old alike. His most memorable performances took place at the Me to We Day Celebration, Muthadi Drum Festival in Tobago and the Reveration Night- Emancipation Day celebration performance at Cape Coast Castle, Ghana.


Yohance Francis Parsons

Yohance started his musical career at the age of two at the Beaches Jazz Festival. As a veteran of Toronto’s West African Dance community and founding member of Ngoma Drum and Dance Ensemble, Yohance Francis states that his love for music comes from the fact that it is an important part of his life that has always been at the centre of his being. He lists Quincy Jones and Michael Jackson as his musical influences due to the whole picture approach they have maintained; from writing, arranging, producing and performing. His performed for the late Johnny Cochrane and values his experience at the Me to We Day Celebration, Muthadi Drum Festival in Tobago and the Reveration Night- Emancipation Day celebration performance at Cape Coast Castle, Ghana. Yohance is the member of a very artistic family who has nurtured him in a very generous arts community. He counts M’bemba Bangoura as his djembe master and has attended workshops taught by internationally renowned djembe masters.


Knikole Frans

Knikole is an aspiring artist from Toronto. She attended Rosedale Heights School of the Arts and has spent a year training and teaching at the Ashley Ingram School of Music (AISM).

Knikole was a member of the Toronto Children’s Concert Choir & Performing Arts Company (TC3) for 10 years and was an Alto Section Leader, soloist and a member of the African, Contemporary and Hip Hop dance teams. She has had the opportunity of performing with TC3 throughout Ontario, across Canada, United States and England and has performed in various local television programs and appeared in the Mike Myers movie –“The Love Guru”. She was also one of the fortunate recipients selected to participate in the Nathaniel Dett Chorale Training Choir workshop and was privileged to perform in the TDSB Martin Luther King Day concert at the Roy Thomas Hall in Torontoin 2010 and 2012.

She is a graduate of Barbizon Academy of Model, Acting and Personal Development. Her goal is to pursue a career in music. Currently, Knikole is in the process of writing and recording original songs.

Knikole is Beyond Sound Empijah's vibrant vocalist who enables the group to cross over and link the music from the rhythms of the drum to Beyond Sound Empijah's original compositions.

Links

Afiwi International

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dance Immersion

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Muhtadi Drumfest

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Ballet Creole

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Coba

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African Drums and Art Crafts

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Ginuwine Affection

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Eddie Bullen

Press

Planet IndigenUS July 2012 News (external link)

An Evening of Reconciliation
About the Truth and Reconciliation Commission:
Participants
- The Reverend Jesse Jackson, Founder and President of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition
- The Honourable Justice Murray Sinclair has led the work of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada since July 2009.
- The Reverend Jesse Jackson, Founder and President of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition
- Richard Wagamese is one of Canada's foremost Native authors and storytellers.
- Lisa Odjig is of the Odawa/Ojibwe/Pottawatomi Nations from Wikwemikong, Manitoulin Island, Ontario.
- Beyond Sound Empijah

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OMNI Television Canadian Ethnic Media Association 34th Annual Awards Gala (external link)

OMNI Television Unveils Broadcast Details for Canadian Ethnic Media Association 34th Annual Awards Gala

- Renowned journalists, editors, and directors in print, radio, internet, and television celebrated
for their contributions to Canadian ethnocultural media -
- Exclusive, one-hour broadcast includes diverse collection of music and dance performances
representing cultures from around the world -
TORONTO (July 5, 2012) – OMNI Television today announced broadcast details for its exclusive Canadian coverage of the Canadian Ethnic Media Association (CEMA) 34th Annual Awards, celebrating five outstanding contributions to Canada’s multilingual broadcast, print, and internet journalism landscape. The one-hour CEMA Awards broadcast premieres in Ontario on Saturday, July 14 at 10 p.m. ET on OMNI.1 and 11:30 p.m. ET on OMNI.2, and in Alberta and BC on Sunday, July 15 at 5 p.m. MT on OMNI Alberta and 10 p.m. PT on OMNI BC. The CEMA Awards were taped during the June 23 evening gala ceremony at the Velma Rogers Graham Theatre in Toronto.

“OMNI Television is proud to once again recognize the diverse array of ethnocultural media that have an unwavering commitment to reflecting Canada’s diversity every day,” said Madeline Ziniak, National Vice-President of OMNI Television and chair of CEMA. “This year’s submissions reinforce the importance of presenting community perspectives on contemporary issues through unique and engaging journalism.”

Hosted by OMNI Television personality Lucy Zilio and 680News reporter Rudy Blair, the broadcast includes the prestigious Sierhey Khmara Ziniak Award, presented annually to one outstanding individual who has become a voice for Canadian multiculturalism. Also showcased are dazzling performances by Toronto’s Holy Trinity Russian Orthodox Church choir Trinity Nightingales, Japanese Yosakoi-style dance group Sakura Mai, and the fusion drum group Beyond Sound Empijah.

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The Canadian Ethnic Media Association (CEMA) 34th Annual Awards Gala, (external link)

Canadian Ethnic Media Association Unveils Award Winners for 34th Annual Gala, June 23rd
The Canadian Ethnic Media Association (CEMA) presented its 34th Annual Awards Gala, on June 23 at the Velma Rogers Graham Theatre (333 Bloor Street East) in Toronto. Each year, through this gala event, CEMA is proud to recognize and celebrate excellence in media while also acknowledging Canadian Multiculturalism Day (held annually on June 27).

Rogers Media talents Lucy Zilio and Rudy Blair co-hosted the evening, which featured an array of diverse entertainment. Russian youth choir, Trinity Nightingales kicked off the festivities as first performance of the evening andthe Japanese dance group Sakura Mai and African drummers, Beyond Sound Empijah were showcased.