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Blackie LeBlanc & The Kytami Revolution - 1:30PM Cascabella - 2:25PM On Point Collective - 3:15PM The Rebel Spell - 4:05PM Swan Island - 5:00PM Kocassalé Dioubaté - 6:00PM NAR - 6:50 Blackie LeBlanc & The Kytami Revolution - 1:30PM
www.myspace.com/blackieleblanc
Their influences, rather than being listed as the typical who’s who of hip hop MC’s, are listed as"everybody with an intent to better the world". Dagamuffin is also a member of the Filipino Canadian Youth Alliance /Ugnayan ng Kabataang Pilipino sa Canada. Get ready for some conscious words and mad skills as OPC bring their rhymes to the Waterfront stage!
Never mind the adjectives such as "amazingly talented" or any other bio bullshit you’ve heard a million times before. All you need to know about the Rebel Spell is that they are committed and passionate individuals who just happen to play the best damn punk rock from Vancouver since DOA and the Subhumans first reared their ugly heads. Recently they have aligned themselves with the G7 Welcoming Committee, who will oversee their next release.
Swan Island, an indie–black metal–new wave outfit, makes music to accompany the onset of Armageddon. Backed by an imaginative army of "wolves, witches, and long-necked birds," the all-estrogen band mixes dark, jangly melodies and striking guitar sounds, creating a sonic place to dance the apocalypse away. – San Fran Bay Guardian March 2006
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Blackie and Kytami’s musical worlds collided on a warm summer evening in a dark bar in East Van. Kytami was in the process of breaking from the bonds of the uptight classical tradition and she had recently discovered a penchant for fiddling and freestyling and Blackie was a notorious player in the hard core scene who had no formal training but was armed with a need for musical expression as an outlet for his chaotic energy. They were natural adversaries but together they decided to go against the grain and combine their talents to produce a sound that is passionate, political and truthful.
Drawing comparisons to the likes of Refused, The Mars Volta, and Fugazi, this post-hardcore outfit is creating a local buzz with their high-energy live shows and their new self-titled debut EP. Cascabella sports some local punk/hardcore vets, including former members of All State Champion, Harrow and Che:Chapter127. Lyrically, the band explores new territory which spans the personal and the political, packed full of local content – and through it all, there is a common thread of optimism, hope, and a sense of resiliency in the face of harsh circumstances. 
The On Point Collective starring two of the worlds illest MC's, revolutionaries & singers, Daga aka Dagamuffin and Arif Ali aka Alite, bring the ruckus to this unprepared hip-hop industry with a vengeance. World changin', rearrangin', causing hallucinations, into your brain membranes, things aint neva gonna be the same.
If you throw fast-food wrappers from the window of your luxury SUV while driving alone in the HOV lane, then you probably don’t exchange vegetarian recipes with the Rebel Spell. The ‘Spell, who tour North America relentlessly and have released two full-lengths, are dedicated to inclusiveness, community, compassion, ecology, and awareness. Indeed, you’d be hard pressed to find a more idealistic group of young men and women––ones who will gladly rip your face off with their angry, high-velocity punk rock. 
Forged in the volcanic fields of Oregon in 2004, Swan Island is rooted in the soil of the Pacific Northwest's legacy of feminist and queer rock bands. Working with the classic set up of drums, bass, guitars, and vocals, they have managed to fuse a variety of musical styles into a wild journey navigating philosophical commentary on the world's unravelling spiral mixed with undeniable hope through art and the creation of community. Joining forces with guitarist Radio Sloan (the Need, Peaches, the Transfused, etc) has led the Swans deeper into their intense deconstruction and re-working of the world around them. 
Kocassalé Dioubaté is a Guinean of the Mandingo tribe of West Africa. A descendant of the tribe's "Griots" - traditional storytellers, musicians and dancers - Koca has been dancing, playing and making music since he was old enough to walk. He was named after his grandfather, (a musician in the very first national troupe of Guinea) and he honed his drumming skills playing with his father – a percussionist and singer - at ceremonies all over Guinea. From these men, Kocassalé learned to play and build the traditional instruments of their tribe. Career highlights include playing as Head Drummer for Ballet Kaloum Lolé in Guinea, soloist for Ballet Bougarabou in Senegal, recording with renowned drummer Moussa M’Boum in the Gambia and playing with Senegalese superstar Youssou N’Dour. 
NaR is a queer Arab hip hop crew from Oakland, who for this performance will feature MC’s Tru Bloo & Mazen and producer Galen. Both emcees have roots in the mountains of Lebanon. Mazen was born there and moved to the states as a political refugee at the age of 5, fleeing the Israeli invasion. Tru Bloo came up in Las Vegas as a first-generation daughter of Syrian-Lebanese immigrants. NaR means "fire" in Arabic and describes their deep passion for social change and revolution. Although they are the first queer Arab hip hop crew, their lyrics focus on greater political issues, as well as the eradication of homophobia. These artists are committed to music, as it bridges cultural, social, and economic gaps in pursuit of the revolution – a Revolution to bring Social Justice to all!! 