Gifted musicians play to strengths on Instagram
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 24/09/2020 (977 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
It’s not as easy as it once was to keep up with the live music scene in Winnipeg and with winter on its way, it’s only going to get harder.
While Spotify and Soundcloud are still fantastic places to discover music from around the world, a great way to learn about new local music — and the talented artists who make it — is Instagram.
Here are five suggestions of performers with incredible music and charming personalities and styles that you should definitely be following via the social media app.
RAYANNAH
The Winnipeg-born and -raised music artist Rayannah has an electro-alternative sound that blends breath, loop pedals, inventive beats and evocative lyrics to create a style all her own.
The francophone artist released her first full-length album, Nos repaires (Our Haunts), last March and has been a focal point of my Instagram feed both for her incredible sound as well as her completely unique visual style. Whether it’s neon orange eyeshadow or making face masks cool before anyone else — one of her music videos from last year features both — Rayannah’s Instagram posts and stories are the perfect dreamy vibe to have pop up on your Instagram feed.
If you’re lucky, you might even snag tickets to her upcoming socially distanced performance Afterglow, presented by Synonym Art Consultation and Wall-to-Wall at Théâtre Cercle Molière on Oct. 3.
Instagram: @RayannahMusic
BEGONIA
Earlier this year, Winnipeg singer-songwriter Begonia (real name: Alexa Dirks) lit up the stages of Winnipeg with music from her 2019 album Fear — or so those of you lucky enough to get a ticket to her five sold-out shows at the West End Cultural Centre tell us — and has been keeping her Instagram feed every bit as gorgeous and transformative as her live performances.
The music on Fear reflects on self-doubt, anxiety and solitude, while also being a celebration of authenticity and self-discovery, and Begonia’s glittery, bold and charismatic Instagram feed feels like a perfect companion to her music.
Instagram: @HelloBegonia
VIRGO RISING
One of the most exciting new bands on the block is Virgo Rising, an indie-folk-bedroom pop band that features Emily Sinclair on lead vocals and guitar, and sisters Jenna Wittmann on guitar, violin and trumpet and Lauren Wittmann on percussion, keyboard and harmonies.
All three have big Virgo energy in their birth charts, hence the name of the band. In astrology, a rising sign is said to be the face you present to the world, and the sensitivity and gentleness that are typical of the Virgo zodiac sign are also present in the band’s delicate music, which is perfect to listen to on a cosy night in with a cup of tea.
The band is currently working on its debut album, but in the meantime, the group’s music can be found online via Soundcloud.
Instagram: @virgorisingmusic
HERA NALAM
If you don’t know Hera Nalam yet, you will soon.
The multi-talented actor, singer and songwriter was the lead in Sean Garrity’s recent film I Propose We Never See Each Other Again After Tonight and can regularly be found sharing her music at venues like the Good Will and on her livestreamed performance series Late Night Jams with Hera. Nalam is also part of a creative collective, Kreative Fvckers, that focuses on fashion and video, a vibe that’s present on Nalam’s own Instagram.
Her talent and creativity in music and acting translate to her overall Instagram esthetic, making it a one-stop account to follow for amazing songs, adorable photos, and a masterclass in current styles and trends.
Instagram: @HeraNalam
SIERRA NOBLE
If you were an Indigenous kid with an interest in music growing up in the ‘90s, your idol was probably Métis singer-songwriter and fiddle player Sierra Noble.
Noble has won multiple awards, performed at the 2010 Olympics and opened for major acts such as Bon Jovi and Paul McCartney. She’s continued to wow crowds on stages throughout the world and has used her following and fame to discuss issues that are important to her, including landmines.
Her Instagram is a great follow for the balance of work and life she shares, using it both as a way of reaching out to her fans and promoting upcoming events and concerts, as well as amplifying the Black Lives Matter movement and speaking out against music-streaming service Spotify and its founder and CEO Daniel Ek.
Instagram: @SierraNobleMusic
frances.koncan@freepress.mb.ca
Twitter: @franceskoncan
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Frances Koncan
Arts reporter
Frances Koncan (she/her) is a writer, theatre director, and failed musician of mixed Anishinaabe and Slovene descent. Originally from Couchiching First Nation, she is now based in Treaty 1 Territory right here in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
