Fido announced its new campaign, Off-Mute, aimed at supporting and amplifying the voices of Canadian BIPOC and LGBTQ2S+ musicians and driving important conversations in support of the communities. In partnership with inspiring Canadian talent, Off-Mute offers an intimate look at several musicians who are carving their own paths and shaping Canadian culture with raw performances and stories in their own words.

The campaign is centred around a web series featuring intimate artist-to-artist interviews and packed with powerful performances from boundary-pushing Canadian musicians, including:

  • Lido Pimienta, Colombian-Canadian Afro-Indigenous singer, and 2021 Grammy nominee
  • Witch Prophet, Toronto-based Ethiopian/Eritrean singer-songwriter
  • Elisapie, Inuk singer-songwriter raised in Nunavik (QC) and now based in Montreal
  • Shay Lia, Djiboutian-French musician based in Montreal
  • Jeremy Dutcher, Juno Award-winning tenor and Indigenous activist, member of Tobique First Nation in New Brunswick

The campaign is part of the Fido With Care initiative, which is rooted in combatting sexual and/or racial discrimination by using Fido’s resources to drive action and create positive social change in Canada. Through Off-Mute, Fido amplifies the voices of Canadian musical talent representing the BIPOC and LGBTQ2S+ communities, giving them a platform to discuss music, culture, and their experiences within the fabric of Canada.

“We’re thrilled to share the Fido platform to host important conversations with BIPOC and LGBTQ2S+ musicians that drive awareness and acceptance,” said Nancy Audette, Vice President and General Manager, Fido. “The launch of the Off-Mute campaign is a natural extension of our Fido With Care initiative and our ongoing partnership with Pflag, and we couldn’t be more excited to continue on this mission together.”

With Off-Mute, Fido will bring virtual performances from Canadian talent to its various platforms, offering artists another place to share their experiences in their own words, with no filter, no censor, and no mute button. There will be three episodes in total – Episode 1 is currently online, a discussion between Lido Pimienta and Witch Prophet. Episode 2 launches on April 14, featuring a French-language conversation with Shay Lia and Elisapie. Episode 3, launching in May, will be a dialogue between Jeremy Dutcher and another artist to be announced soon. Viewers can find the content series on Instagram TV via Fido’s channel, @FidoMobile.

Fido is also launching a fund raising initiative in support of Pflag Canada as part of this campaign, to help build awareness and expand support to the Pflag chapters across Canada. Fido has designed an exclusive Off-Mute t-shirt, which are being sold exclusively through TSC (Today’s Shopping Choice), with all proceeds from sales going directly to the Pflag Canada. Click here to make a purchase.

Pflag provides vital peer-to-peer support for Canadians with issues of sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression. The Off-Mute campaign extends Fido’s ongoing partnership with the organization, whose in-person support meetings were put on pause last year as the COVID-19 pandemic began. When Pflag Canada was faced with challenges in providing its critical support services to members of the LGBTQ2S+ community, Fido provided devices and data plans to Pflag chapters so they could stay connected with their communities.

“With Fido’s support, Pflag has been able to increase its virtual footprint, and we can now offer assistance to even more Canadians, in communities big and small,” says Michael Bates, Director of Marketing & Communications, Pflag Canada. “We thank Fido for their ongoing commitment to helping us achieve our mission to create a society that is healthy and respectful of all human beings.”

fido.ca, facebook.com/fidomobile, and instagram.com/fidomobile.

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.