Keshia at the Café

TIFF Music Café rocks it out with Canadian artists

The 2006 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) kicked off this past Thursday, celebrating the best in international, Hollywood, independent, and of course, Canadian film. But what is film without a soundtrack?

The Canadian Music Café returns this year, once again running alongside the festival in a three-day musical showdown at the Rivoli.

The showcase will have some of the best Canadian artists featured on original film soundtracks premiering at the festival.

It will kick off on Sept. 12 with Toronto’s own Matt Dusk, and the Trews, named as one of “Canada’s hardest working bands” (as per the Café website).

Also among the artists is 18-year-old Juno Award-winning Keshia Chanté, one of the Café’s youngest artist. Keshia -- who will be performing in the Sept. 13 line-up -- took the time to sit down with S&H.ca to discuss her latest album, her inspirations, and why she’s excited to come home.

Kimberly Fu: First of all, Keshia, thanks for agreeing to speak to me. I know you must be a pretty busy woman with everything going on.

Keshia Chanté: No problem!

KF: By the way, congratulations on all your successes up until now. You won a Juno and several Urban Music Awards at such a young age. That’s really admirable. I’m only a couple years older than you and I must say that what you’ve done so far is really, really great.

KC: Oh thank you. Thank you so much.

KF: Can you tell me a bit about how you got signed and how you got here?

KC: Well, I was six-years-old when I did my first performance. It was for Black History Month. My mom and mom’s friend got me into it. I sang ‘Dear Mama’ by Tupac [Shakur]. I worked for like, three weeks before the performance and when I did the show, the audience was screaming for me the whole time. I got my first standing ovation! I remember running off the stage and telling my mom, “Mommy! This is what I want to do for the rest of my life!” Ever since then I’ve been pretty driven, going to talent shows, and all that. An agent actually got one of the tapes of one of my performances and he liked it. He sent it to Ivan Berry at Sony BMG, who is now my manager. I know I’m only 18, but this year has been a lot of growth for me. I’ve grown a lot.

KF: You’re branching off into the American market, which is fantastic. Tell me a bit about your next album.

KC: My next album is a joint venture between Sony BMG Canada and Sony Epic [in the States]. Making this album was crazy because for the first album I was blessed and I was a sponge and I got all this information from those producing the album. For this album it was crazy just to show how much I know. I had so much say, I had so much creative control, and showing different things I didn’t know I knew and I learned [from the last album]. I am so excited about it. The producers and the writers were like, “What is going on here?” when they saw how much I knew. That’s exciting for an artist, to have the producers be so flustered.

KF: What compelled you to come back and do something like the Canadian Music Café?

KC: It’s very exciting. It’s so important to me. This is where I came from. I shot my first video here. I don’t forget where I came from. This is my home. I’ve been here for four years. I’m branching off, but it feels good to come home.

KF: Are you going to attend the Toronto Film Festival?

KC: Yeah, I think so, I’m flying back and forth but I definitely hope that I will be able to.

KF: Do you still get star struck when you meet big name stars?

KC: Not really. I would just talk to them. I met Destiny’s Child and Alicia Keys. But it wasn’t really “Oh my god!” I was more like, “I really love your stuff.” It was weird.

KF: Who are your biggest inspirations anyway?

KC: Tupac Shakur, even though he wasn’t a vocalist. He’s a true artist. Beyond any negativity, he was a very positive role model. He pretty much set the bar for me. When I see something of Tupac, I’m just taken aback by the way he speaks. He’s never disappointed me, him as an artist. So I keep those comments and thoughts in my mind when someone comes up to me saying that I’m their inspiration.

KF: Well, I think that’s all for now. Again, thanks for agreeing to speak with me and good luck on the 13th. I hope to catch your show!

KC: No problem! Thanks!

To check out the full schedule of the Canadian Music Café, please visit www.canadianmusiccafe.com. The showcase will wrap up on Sept. 14

Source: SceneandHeard.ca, Volume 6 Issue 5