Check out the selection of performances available online from Canadian big names in world music

By Estela Cangerana

This year the 50th edition of the biggest Canadian music award, the Juno Awards, which is equivalent to the American Grammy, was presented online for the first time in history. Not for that reason it was less prestigious or failed to bring big names that rock fans around the world. The great highlights of 2020, actually, are well known to Brazilians: Shawn Mendes, from Pickering (Ontario), took two awards (artist of the year and best single by Señorita) and Alessia Cara, from Brampton (Ontario), took three categories (album of the year and pop album of the year by The Pains of Growing and best songwriter) from the six categories to which she was nominated.

Besides Mendes and Cara, the list of Canadian artists of international expression and greatly admired in Brazil is huge: rapper Drake, singer and songwriter Avril Lavigne (who took the Juno 2020 in the fan choice category), Justin Bieber, Michael Bublé, singer The Weeknd, Bryan Adams, Shania Twain, Lara Fabian, Coeur de Pirate, Céline Dion, Joni Mitchell, Alanis Morissette, Neil Young, Nelly Furtado, Nav, among many others. The diversity of styles and rhythms of Canadian musicians also left nothing to be desired, revealing the country’s multiculturalism, with influences both from Canadian indigenous peoples and immigrants from various parts of the world who have adopted Canada.

Even during the pandemic it is possible to enjoy the sound of many of them in lives and in rich virtual shows. Here are some of them:

• The full presentation of the Juno Awards 2020, with the performance of Alessia Cara, can be seen at https://www.cbc.ca/music/junos/watch-this-year-s-juno-awards-1.5623615
• The Canada Day CCBC Online Festival website also reserved a complete selection in its Cultural Content, in the Musical tab, with several videos and lists of Canadian artists, at https://www.ccbc.org.br/canadaday/
• The Canadian government made the official celebration of Canada Day available on YouTube, which was virtual this year and featured several performances. The two main events are available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6zL0m-HA8Y and at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tneRhBx8nWk
• A month before Canada Day, but already celebrating the date, Canadian Heritage prepared a varied playlist on its YouTube, with video clips of the artists who performed at the official show, at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwJMQVUWZyE&list=PL77KfJuXwO_HfhI86Es8zADXdXqN8Jz7z&index=2
• French music fans will be able to review their favorite artists or meet new ones with a selection of lives recorded and made available on the National Arts Centre website in Ottawa, which supports artists in their work at https://francomusique.ca/2020/03/26/le-cna-et-facebook-live-avec-des-artistes-de-la-francophonie-canadienne/
• To conclude, if the option is to watch the lives live, it is possible to follow the hashtag #CanadaPerforms on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, or follow the complete schedule of upcoming performances on the National Arts Centre website at https://nac-cna.ca/en/canadaperforms