The Q Musicale 2024
The Q Musicale artist spotlights – nuépa, Urvah Khan, Scott Thiessen, K WooDZ
Bryen Dunn
The Q Musicale was founded in 2024 by Antoine Elhashem and Sherry Sylvain, who are shaking things up with their curating of 2SLGBTQIA+ live entertainment festivals and initiatives. Armed with a mission to amplify the voices of queer artists, the determined duo’s goal is to provide space and exposure for both emerging and established 2SLGBTQ+ artists to share the immensity of their unrestricted talents and identities.
The inaugural festival takes place June 22, 2025 between 1pm and 11pm at Barbara Hall Park outside The 519, located at 519 Church Street, Toronto. Presented in partnership with the Church Wellesley Village and Pride Toronto.
Nuépa is a Queer Nonbinary Portuguese-Canadian artist whose music is a captivating fusion of genres, seamlessly weaving together infectious pop melodies, pulsating dance beats, and raw rap verses. Nuépa fearlessly explores the intersections of identity, sexuality, and mental health through their music, leaving listeners unable to anticipate their next move.
What are you most excited about performing at The Q Musicale?
I am excited to share the music I’ve put so much work into over the past couple years. I’ve poured my heart into these upcoming songs, and the journey has been one of incredible personal growth. I’m really proud of who I am and how far I’ve come … I have only the incredible people in my life to thank.
What can attendees expect from your performance?
With so many people hearing Friction for the first time, they can expect an explosion of energy and vulnerability. This song is all about the magic of possibility. That summer dusk time when a nostalgic scent wafts through the air as you make your way downtown. I’m going to bring that to life in this performance.
Who has been an inspiration to your creativity, either musically or personally?
I think if you had asked me three or four years back I might have said The Carpenters or Janet Jackson (laughs). Over the past couple years I have gotten the privilege of becoming closer to several artists in our queer community as well as abroad. It has been incredibly inspiring getting to work with these amazing individuals; to see them as the queer role models I never had growing up, as well as for some of them to become peers in the creative process with me.
What’s one thing people might not know about you?
Although music is my passion, I’m actually a graphic designer! I love visual art just as much as I do music. The combination of both create the magic we know as reality, and I think to create art in any sense is divine.
Are you currently working on any new or upcoming projects?
Yes! On June 20th I am releasing the first single “Friction” off of my very first EP of the same name. “Friction” is an electrifying dance track infused with cool house sounds that transform hot hazy summer days into breezy, careless summer nights.
Catch nuépa at The Q Musicale, as part of the “Emerging Artists Showcase between 1:30 to 2:10 on June 22, 2024 at Barbara Hall Park, 519 Church Street, Toronto.
Urvah Khan is a Canadian Pakistani musician blending rock, rap, South Asian, and world music to reflect her multicultural identity. Founder of ScrapFest, prioritizing trans and underground artists, and curator of Muslim Pride, promoting queer and trans Muslim artists. Amplifying marginalized voices in the arts, music, and entertainment scene.”
What are you most excited about performing at The Q Musicale?
I’m thrilled to be part of Q Musicale, especially because it represents a significant shift towards prioritizing live musicians and bands at Pride Toronto. It’s an opportunity to bring my unique blend of rock, rap and world influences to an audience that celebrates diversity and inclusion.
What can attendees expect from your performance?
Attendees can expect an electrifying performance that blends genres and cultures, reflecting my multicultural identity. From high-energy rock and rap fusion to soulful melodies infused with southasiam/ world music elements, my set promises to captivate and inspire.
Who has been an inspiration to your creativity, either musically or personally?
I find inspiration from a diverse array of musical legends and contemporary artists. Musically, icons like Black Sabbath, The Beatles, Ravi Shankar, and Sister Rosetta Tharpe have deeply influenced my craft with their groundbreaking work. Sharing the stage with Bif Naked was a highlight, and her energy continues to inspire me. In the rap world, artists like Eminem and Kendrick Lamar are personal favorites, their lyrical prowess and storytelling resonating deeply with me.
What’s one thing people might not know about you?
One thing people might not know about me is that I’m a passionate advocate for mental health awareness within the music industry. I believe in the power of music to heal and destigmatize mental health struggles, and I actively support initiatives that prioritize the well-being of artists and fans alike.
Are you currently working on any new or upcoming projects?
Yes, I’m excited to announce that I’m currently working on my seventh studio album, which will further explore themes of identity, belonging, and resilience. Additionally, I will continue to push the boundaries with my performance based festivals; Scrapfest and Muslim Pride and hope to continue expanding to different cities.
Catch Urvah Khan at The Q Musicale at 4:00pm on June 22, 2024 at Barbara Hall Park, 519 Church Street, Toronto.
Scott Thiessen is a small town artist from Thunder Bay, Ontario, sharing his voice in the big city. Writing about his experiences in life and love as a gay man offers a unique perspective that is coupled with the intricacies of Scott’s conversant writing, leaving the listener with a lasting impression.
What are you most excited about performing at The Q Musicale?
I’ve never had the opportunity to perform in front of my own community before. Writing about my queer experience has been liberating, and I’m eager to share that with people who will understand. I also hope it will make me more powerful.
What can attendees expect from your performance?
I think they can expect to have a hook stuck in their head for the rest of the day. I hope… I’m going to be performing a new song called “Killing Me”. It describes the liberation of finding a love that feels like home, with a sick beat.
Who has been an inspiration to your creativity, either musically or personally?
Lately I have been channeling the trapped soul of a young boy. Me. I have been connecting to my inner child in my songwriting lately. Wondering what he would like to hear, wondering how I would like to treat him. It has really reshaped my approach to my life and music. Turning lullabies into remedies, into lyrics, into melodies. So basically just like a chopped salad. I love salad.
What’s one thing people might not know about you?
I love to go on google maps street view in random places and just see what the world looks like. (I’m too poor to travel, but you only asked what they don’t know)
Are you currently working on any new or upcoming projects?
I have a 7 song EP that I am immensely proud of called “Where The Willows Grow”. It’s out on June 7th! These songs serve as an indelible reminder of where I came from, and I hope they find their place in other people’s lives too. What I hope the listener can take away from “Where The Willows Grow” is a sense of comfort, like a warm hug. To know that mercy can be easy, and urgency is a drought. To be nurtured, is to be loved. To be spared, is to be forgotten.
Catch Scott Thiessen at The Q Musicale, as part of the “Emerging Artists Showcase between 1:30 to 2:10 on June 22, 2024 at Barbara Hall Park, 519 Church Street, Toronto.
K WooDZ is a Black, queer 4x Canadian fiction Author, Artist, Advocate, Facilitator of African- Jamaican heritage— Their work depicts the unfiltered, authentic, and occasionally dark side of Toronto life. With lived experience through raw, intimate narratives, they capture issues from female incarceration, sex trafficking, addiction, mental health, relationships, coming of age, and spirituality through their art.
https://kyapublishing.com/kamilah-haywood
What are you most excited about performing at The Q Musicale?
I am excited to be a part of the Q Musicale because I get to be a part of an amazing pride event that is showcasing local emerging talent.
What can attendees expect from your performance?
My performance will be raising awareness on social issues we are currently experiencing in our city. It will feature a spoken word artist Glowz and a vocalist Kalyssa. The song is called Prisoners of War.
Who has been an inspiration to your creativity, either musically or personally?
An inspiration for my music has been those I have lost to mental health and addictions. My work is dedicated to them.
What’s one thing people might not know about you?
Hmmm, that I have gone into prisons to speak to men and women about my story/journey to inspire them to believe in themselves.
Are you currently working on any new or upcoming projects?
Yes I am currently recording an EP and working on two up and coming novels.
Catch K WooDZ at The Q Musicale, as part of the “Emerging Artists Showcase between 1:30 to 2:10 on June 22, 2024 at Barbara Hall Park, 519 Church Street, Toronto.
The Q Musicale takes place at Barbara Hall Park, 519 Church St, Toronto – June 22, 2024, 1pm – 11pm. Check the website for a schedule of performances.
About the Author
Bryen Dunn is a freelance journalist with a focus on travel, lifestyle, entertainment and hospitality. He has an extensive portfolio of celebrity interviews with musicians, actors and other public personalities. He enjoys discovering delicious eats, tasting spirited treats, and being mesmerized by musical beats.
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