The Goldfarb Gallery × Jane Street Speaks February Showcase
The Joan and Martin Goldfarb Gallery of York University joins forces with Jane Street Speaks to present an all-star lineup of emerging rappers, singers, and spoken word poets from the Jane Finch community. Hosted by Jane Street Speaks founder, Nathan Baya, with musical sets by DJ Enzo Mezu, this event features performances by hip hop artists Cocanina and S!sha along with spoken word poetry by Faduma Mohamed. This program reflects The Goldfarb Gallery and Jane Street Speaks’ joint commitment to spotlighting the talents and achievements of up-and-coming artists from the Jane Finch neighbourhood. This event also includes an open mic, giving emerging artists a platform to share their work and enabling them to build and cultivate new audiences.
Jane Street Speaks has a remarkable track record of supporting and celebrating new generations of multidisciplinary artists through an ongoing program of open mic events and workshops, providing an invaluable educational and performance platform for emerging artists from across the city. We feel strongly aligned with Jane Street Speaks in its mission and dedication to creating enriching and challenging artistic development opportunities that foster the growth and advancement of up-and-coming artists.
Nathan Baya is an artist, songwriter, and performer born and raised in Toronto. Baya’s parents immigrated to Canada from the Democratic Republic of Congo, a heritage that has left an indelible impact on his musical sound. Known for his electrifying performances, Baya has taken the stage at over 100 venues including for the Toronto Raptors, Afrofest, Nuit Blanche, Rise Edutainment, and the Toronto Biennial of Art. He appears in the Wagner & de Burca film RISE, which was produced by The Goldfarb Gallery. Additionally, Baya was the opening act for Koffee at the 2020 Manifesto Festival.
Enzo Mezu, formerly known as Kappa Mezu, is a Toronto-based DJ. Describing his sound as Alternative Underground, he has given himself the mission of putting listeners onto new, less popular and underrepresented types of music. Kappa started volunteering on CIUT radio’s MasterPlan show and has DJ’d for Artscape programs, the Royal Ontario Museum, TIFF, Urban Arts Culture Shock Festival, and Toronto’s 2015 Manifesto 15, where he was one of four headlining DJs.
Cocoa Bell, known as Cocanina, is a Toronto-born singer, rapper, and songwriter raised in Jane Finch by a single mother. Celebrated for her versatility and unique sound, Cocanina has an impressive catalog of 35 singles, 3 EPs, and 21 music videos. Her music has earned her radio play, spots on multiple editorial playlists, and sync’s in television and movies.
S!sha (see-sha) is an independent rapper, singer, and songwriter from Jane Finch. Her music serves as an outlet for expressing unfiltered thoughts and boundless creativity. A versatile artist, her lyrics are often bold and unapologetic and, at times, humourous and quirky. Beyond music, S!sha is also a dancer, a comedian, and an all-around entertainer who stands out because of her incomparable charisma and passion.
Faduma Mohamed is a Somali-Canadian poet, playwright, educator, and actor. She has written and performed two one-woman shows, OUGHTISM and Golden Mind, its sequel. The productions, developed by Watah Theatre, offer reflections on her experience as a sibling of autism and the intersections of race and disability, while also challenging the pursuit to find a “cure”.
