TORONTO,
Canada (www.phemphat.com) The
Honey Jam, an all-female talent showcase
featuring Canadian artists performing a wide variety of music genres,
is proud to celebrate ten years of stellar talent this year. Over the
years,audiences have witnessed a dazzling array of performances by some
of Canada's great voices, including R&B powerhouse vocalists Jully
Black, and Melanie Durrant, Canadian Idol Finalist Toya Alexis, winner
of the CBC
National Poetry Face-Off, Motion, actress and singer from
Degrassi: The Next Generation,
Andrea Desiree Lewis, and Poet and Radio
Host from Toronto's FLOW 93.5FM, Jemeni. Multi-Juno and Grammy Award
winner,
Nelly Furtado, was discovered at a
Honey Jam showcase in 1997.
The
search is now on to find the next great Canadian female performer!
National auditions are held every June for a coveted spot in this
extraordinary showcase. Auditions for the 2005 showcase will take place
on Sunday June 5th, at The Mod Club Theatre (722 College Street,
Toronto). The
Honey Jam's 10th Anniversary Celebration is scheduled for
mid-August in the intimate surroundings of The Mod Club. Open to
performers from across Canada, interested candidates residing outside
of Toronto are asked to submit their audition via videotape for
consideration. More details regarding audition requirements can be
viewed at
www.phemphat.com.
To
date, there have been 12 successful "Honey Jams", hosted by Canada's
First Lady of Hip Hop, Michie Mee. Although the shows take place in
Toronto, performers from Vancouver, Edmonton, Saskatchewan, Winnipeg,
Ottawa, and Montreal have taken part throughout
Honey Jam's ten-year
history. The show primarily features singers, rappers, and poets,
however DJs, dancers and musicians are also an essential part of the
line-up.
Sponsors for the event include Universal
Music Canada, Baby
Phat, Yamaha, and media sponsors Peace Magazine and Now Magazine.
The
Honey Jam began in 1995 as a celebration for the first all-female issue
of a popular music magazine. The party, reflecting the theme of that
particular issue of the magazine, had female singers, rappers, spoken
word artists and DJs. The event was well received and supported by some
of music's innovators and tastemakers. More importantly, the need to do
something about the lack of exposure and promotion given to local
female performers, as well as the lack of female representation on the
business side of Canadian music, was realized. The outcome was naming
the event "The
Honey Jam".
Amateur and seasoned female artists
have a platform to perform any genre of music in front of an audience
of friends and supporters, record label representatives, A&R,
producers, sound engineers, DJs, Managers, and media outlets from
across the country. The exposure the artists have received over the
years from being a part of this exciting event has provided an
excellent springboard to take their careers to the next level.
For more information on The
Honey Jam, previous performances, or the 2005 auditions, please see
www.phemphat.com.
