Author: Immanuel Matthews

Everlasting is the title of Rayana Speede’s upcoming EP and poetry book, but it’s also how she describes love, in all its forms.

The 23-year-old, an artist in every sense of the word, is preparing to release a unique project that demonstrates her wide range of talent.

While some choose to release music on Soundcloud, and others post poetry on blogs or websites, Speede decided she wanted to release a musical project and poetry book together as complementary works of art. The music will be available digitally, while the physical collection of poems will include QR codes, connecting the readers to corresponding songs.

Speede looks to redefine how love is discussed throughout art, using the creative passion she’s been developing since childhood. As a proud Jamaican-Canadian, her culture at home was a natural but driving force in growing her love for music, as well as art in general.

“My family’s really artistic,” said Speede. “We’re a typical Jamaican family who loves music. We’d just be chilling in the living room, singing together, just for fun. That’s something we love to do as a family.”

Speede’s family is no stranger to talent, as a majority of her immediate relatives practice some form of art, whether that be singing, painting or poetry. Her uncle, Mello G, has even gained popularity throughout the city as an established reggae singer. All that aside, expectations were always the last thing on Speede’s mind, throughout the process of creating Everlasting, performing at local underground shows, and singing in her church choir. Her and her family’s faith, on the other hand, have been one of Speede’s greatest inspirations.

“I was raised, and live in a Christian household. That’s my faith as well,” Speede said.

While the Books of Psalms and Proverbs of the Bible inspired Speede’s work, her beliefs also have a lasting impact on her mindset and how she views her career goals. “Faith really makes you redefine success, as well,” she said. “It’s not about buying houses and flexing. I care about sharing joy and love.”

Speede hopes to use her art as a medium to convey her beliefs concerning love, especially those often ignored in mainstream media.

“I wasn’t in a relationship for a while, but I had so much love in my life,” Speede said. “I really wondered to myself, ‘Why isn’t there a song I can listen to that’s catered to my mom, or to my dad, or to my sister?’”

For Speede, today’s media often fails to portray the true emotions that people feel on a daily basis. She believes that flings and romantic love are not the only forms of affection that should be highlighted in art.

“In this project, you really go through what my view of love is, and how to sustain all of its different kinds,” the artist said. “I can experience love for my mom, or for my nephews and nieces, all in different ways.”

Speede has been singing since she was five, and writing poetry since the age of 10. In 2016, she released her first EP, Love’s Aftertaste, after being selected to take part in a six-week artist residency program at Up Next studio in Montreal. The program spurred the creation of the four-track project, which features soul-caressing R&B vocals, paired with jazzy, laid-back instrumentals.

In fall of last year, Speede had the idea to begin Everlasting.

“In September, I started putting together different poems I had written and was working on,” Speede said. “I really wanted to make a book with all of the poems I had written. I also really wanted to release music. Then I thought, ‘Why not just do both?’”

Now, Speede hopes to expand her audience with the release of her poetry book alongside the EP, and believes in Everlasting’s potential to help create a different discourse around love.

“I think it will open the doors for people to be open with each other, and talk about their feelings,” Speede said. “It doesn’t always have to be romantic. I really hope this project opens those kinds of conversations.”

Keep an eye out for her single, “Love is,” dropping on all music streaming platforms on April 19, and Everlasting, set to be released mid-May.

Montreal’s music community joined together to perform for relief efforts in the Philippines

On Sunday, March 24, local Montreal artists performed at École Privée to help raise money for relief efforts in the Philippines, following a devastating typhoon in 2018. While the artists may have taken a pay cut to perform at the charity event, the cause behind the show made it well worth it. It was organized by the McGill University Filipino Asian Students Association (MUFASA), the McGill Association of North American Born Asians (MANABA), and McGill graduate Chuong Trinh, a.k.a. Waterboii, one of the night’s performers. It was their love for music and passion for helping others that spurred the idea for Bahay, the name of the event, which means “home” in Tagalog, one of the Philippines’s official languages. They thought the name sounded welcoming.

While the event took place late on a Sunday evening.—far from an ideal night to attend a show—the renowned Montreal club began to fill up around 10 p.m. With up-and-coming artists including Qi Yama of the art collective KAJ, Waterboii, Dev, Gxlden Child and more-established local rapper Lou Phelps set to hit the stage, the energy in the tight-knit venue grew by the minute. The perfectly-timed smoke machines and bright light lasers helped to add a vibrant aesthetic to the mysteriousness of the club’s dark, gloomy walls.

As Abdou, a DJ from KAJ, curated the playlist from around 10:15 p.m. to 10:45 p.m., the dancers in the crowd really began to move. By the end of the set, his eclectic, unique sound had clearly impressed, as the dancing crowd had filled any remaining space on the dance floor.

Minutes later, only a focused eye could have spotted the nonchalant movements of Qi Yama, who appeared gripping a mic behind Abdou and the elevated DJ booth. Then, he let the crowd have it.

He began to flow with an energy that surprised some, given his calm demeanor. His melodic bars rang through the small room, as some peered upwards in search of the catchy tune that mysteriously appeared. His set was short and sweet, as if not wanting to give away his secrets. As he wrapped up, Qi Yama descended back down from the stage to a booth nearby, leaving some slightly confused, and most wanting more.

Around 11:45 p.m., following a bustling set of hip hop hits from Netherboii, frequent collaborators Dev and Gxlden Child joined on stage, for more intense sets. As Dev took centre stage and Gxlden Child joined the DJ behind the booth, Dev’s questions to the crowd had them shouting back full-force.

“How are y’all feeling tonight?” he asked the crowd, through the autotune-laced mic that accompanied his sound. Their answers were muttered and matched his intensity—likely due to a mixture of alcohol and excitement. “The producer of this song is my boy and he’s Filipino. Shoutout to the Philippines, man,” he said.

As his set progressed, Dev performed each song with the same energy as the last, his body gyrating with passion. While it seemed like he could go on for hours, it was Gxlden Child’s turn to shift from bopping his head behind the DJ booth to performing at the front of the stage. He took Dev’s place and carried out his setlist with a more gloomy, melodic sound. His music’s energy quickly had its effect on the showgoers, as their movements slowed down to match Gxlden’s dark flows.

When it seemed like the crowd had given all of the energy they had to give on a Sunday night, they were resurrected by a performance from Waterboii, one of the organizers of the event, and a MUFASA and MANABA general member. Waterboii performed the entirety of his set from the dancefloor, with the crowd forming a circle around him, essentially creating a 30-minute moshpit.

The ambience quickly shifted to one that was reminiscent of a pre-2016 XXXTentacion show, with distorted trap instrumentals and raging vocals. Waterboii’s energy was infectious, as he bounced off of the crowd members and belted lyrics at top volume.

As Waterboii’s set came to an end and the mosh pit dispersed, his set came to an end, it was time for the night’s final performance. Lou Phelps, a household name in the world of Montreal hip hop, brought his funky, bouncing musical style to the Bahay event. As the attendees rapped along to the lyrics of his notable tracks like “Come Inside” ft. Jazz Cartier and “What Time Is It?!” ft. Innanet James, the infectious smile on Phelps’s face effectively helped spread an aura of good vibes over the audience.

“I knew what had happened [in the Philippines], and that’s why I was so honoured to be asked to perform for the event,” said Phelps in a later interview. “I have a few friends that are from the Philippines, also.”

The event raised over $2,000 towards relief efforts in the Philippines, a feat Waterboii hopes to surpass in the near future.

“Over $1,100 is pretty neat for a first time, but we plan to make bigger, better events in the future,” he said. We all believe in the potential of events like this, and we want to push communities to support a cause, and create new concerts for different audiences.”