Bijaan and Femi take the stage for the National Music Centre’s CIBC Summer Series at the legendary King Eddy on August 22.
About Bijaan
With roots stretching across India, East Africa, and Canada, Bijaan is the definition of a global artist. Born and raised in Calgary, Alberta as a first generation Canadian to immigrant parents, Bijaan’s love for music was evident at a young age. Not overly intrigued by the dominant country music landscape in Western Canada, Bijaan was instead drawn to the warmth and soul of his father’s Motown record collection and the grit and lyricism of late 90’s hip-hop.
Penning his first song in the 6th grade, hip-hop music soon grew from a hobby and pastime into a lifelong pursuit. Since then, Bijaan has gone on to play numerous live shows, record and write countless songs, and even finished in fourth place on Shaw TV’s Urban Star talent show in 2011. In 2015, Bijaan went viral on social media after publishing a spoken word piece entitled They Are Not Me, condemning ISIS attacks in Europe and the resulting Islamophobia in the West, garnering over four million views online.
Inspired by the lyricism and authenticity of the early pioneers of hip-hop (Jay-Z, Mos Def, and Shad) and the poise and polish of the modern era (J. Cole, Mac Miller, and Saba), Bijaan’s music transcends generations of hip-hop fans by creating a unique blend of old school authenticity with new school swagger.
About Femi
Nigerian-Canadian artist Femi has ventured to all corners of Canada. Growing up in Toronto, attending school in Newfoundland and living in Calgary has shaped the artist and the diversity that can be found in his music. Effortlessly blending smooth melodies with melodic rap while incorporating various emotions throughout his records, Femi is a unique artist that garners music lovers across all genres. Femi's has created a lot of original music that live performances can be tailored to the atmosphere of the venue and the genre of music that showrunners want to put on for their audience.