Manitoba musicians ready for their big moment

Marathon rehearsals, cross-country networking and presentation drills: Tomiwa Omolayo is preparing for BreakOut West like an athlete training for the Olympics.

“It’s a pretty big deal and my plan is to make the most out of the opportunity,” says the local Afrobeats musician, who performs as Tommyphyll.

BreakOut West is Western Canada’s largest annual music industry event. The conference, public music festival and associated award show is being hosted in Winnipeg next week for the first time in nearly a decade.

Omolayo, 27, is gearing up for a busy five days as a conference speaker and festival performer, with shows on Friday at Public Domain and Saturday at The Forks. He’s also a nominee in the new Afrobeats Artist of the Year category at this year’s Western Canadian Music Awards, the winners of which are set to be announced at the Park Theatre on Thursday.

Born in Nigeria and now based in Winnipeg, Omolayo has spent much of his music career travelling elsewhere for professional development opportunities. He’s excited to have BreakOut West happening in his own backyard this year.

“All these delegates from all over the world are finally coming in and it’s a big deal because everyone is finally recognizing how wonderful Winnipeg’s music scene is,” he says.

It’s equally exciting to see Afrobeats in the spotlight.

“People are taking this genre as seriously as a lot of us have been for years,” Omolayo says of the musical style that blends West African influences with jazz, R&B and soul.

BreakOut West was last set to take place in Winnipeg in 2020, but was moved online owing to the pandemic.

The convention brings together artists and music professionals from British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, the Northwest Territories, Yukon and Nunavut, as well as representatives from Mexico, Columbia, Sweden and the Philippines.

“The overarching goal of BreakOut West is for emerging artists in Western Canada to do business with international and national companies, whether those are booking agents or festivals or record labels,” says executive director Michael Dawson. “It’s really about showcasing this immense talent coming out of the West and the North.”

The conference includes panels, mixers and one-on-one meetings.

Lhasa Petik is looking forward to making inroads in her hometown during BreakOut West.

“Usually people start local and then tour the States, but I’ve done exactly the opposite,” says the 26-year-old Winnipeg musician.

Petik is a classically trained multi-instrumentalist who came up through the Winnipeg Youth Orchestras and has since gravitated to electronic music. Her music has gained a following on social media, which has led to international collaborations and touring opportunities — including opening for American DJ Inzo at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado.

At home, however, Petik has had a harder time finding gigs and electronic music fans. Her upcoming BreakOut West performances — at Blue Note Park on Thursday and the Fairmont Saturday — will be among her first local shows.

“I’m trying to focus on building my community here, especially with everything changing so quick in the States right now,” says Petik, who released her debut album, Thymia, earlier this month.

More than 50 artists are scheduled to perform during the music festival, which is open to the public and takes place Sept. 25-27 at venues across the city. All-access wristbands are $33.28 via Eventbrite.

eva.wasney@winnipegfreepress.com