Yaya Bey
Hidaiyah "Yaya" Bey has lived a thousand lives: poet, street medic, museum curator and lately, one of the most genre-bending R&B artists working today. Her kaleidoscope of life experience shines through her intoxicating blend of jazz and soul melodies, delivered with raw sincerity. In her own words, “I wouldn’t never rather be no other thing but the thing I am.”
Born and raised in Queens, Yaya came up as part of the NuBlack Music Group collective alongside artists like Sammus and Zenizen before dropping her first record in 2016, a window into New Yorker life called The Many Alter-Egos of Trill’etta Brown. 2020’s Madison Tapes solidified Yaya’s jazzy charm and disarmingly vulnerable lyrics, paving the way for The Things I Can't Take With Me EP the following year on the British label Big Dada.
In 2022, Bey released her breakout album Remember Your North Star, which received “Best New Music” from Pitchfork and combined Afrobeat bounce with neo-soul swing on tracks like “alright.” On 2024’s Ten Fold (which also received “Best New Music”) Yaya explores the death of her father — Grand Daddy I.U. of the legendary rap collective the Juice Crew — with painfully honest wordplay over a dizzying blend of hip-hop and poppy house that dances around samples of her dad’s voice. A recent dancefloor remix of “the evidence” courtesy of Exaktly further cements Yaya’s wild sonic abandon and shapeshifting sound.
Seeking a taste of her live show? Check out Yaya’s recent Tiny Desk appearance, a 16-minute primer for her vivid connection and aching vulnerability onstage ahead of her debut Sled Island performance.
BAWAH
From a stunning appearance at Vancouver Fashion Week to opening tour dates for Oxlade, BAWAH (formerly known as MAUVEY) has been taking no prisoners with his explosive brand of electronic hip-hop and R&B. Fresh single “PRAY FOR ME” melds pop sheen to bouncing Afro-beats, and with a new album coming soon, he’s just getting started.
(un)decided
Staying true to their name, local eight-piece (un)decided blend R&B, neo-soul, and hip-hop to create a unique sound shaped by an eclectic mix of musical influences. Through improvisational jams and freestyle cyphers, they balance energy and spontaneity with a relaxed but confident sound that translates perfectly to the stage.
ZENON & The 64
Offering up original neo-soul tunes, provocative lyrics and powerful vocals, ZENON & The 64 take you through ebbs and flows of the human experience with a groove to match. Led by singer-songwriter ZENON, they make their return to Sled Island with a brand new lineup, complete with Francis DNM on guitar, Balazs Ordog on drums and Trevor Wiebe on bass.
About Sled Island:
Sled Island is an annual five-day independent music and arts festival in Calgary, Alberta that brings together a community of music, comedy and art with nearly 30,000 attendees in multiple venues across the city. For more information, visit SledIsland.com.
Upon entering a festival venue, the passholder agrees to being photographed, filmed or recorded in that venue, and agrees to the publication, reproduction, distribution and broadcast of all photographs, video or other recordings of the passholder's voice or likeness without further notice or compensation in any publicity, advertisement or other publication carried-out by, or on behalf of, Sled Island and in perpetuity in any manner and media whatsoever, including print, broadcast or internet.
Everyone has the right to feel safe and included at Sled Island. All festival attendees must abide by Sled Island's safer spaces and inclusion policy and agree to the code of conduct, which can be found at SledIsland.com/SaferSpaces.
Sled Island acknowledges Calgary as the traditional territory of the Blackfoot and the people of the Treaty 7 region in Southern Alberta, which includes the Siksika, the Piikani, the Kainai, the Tsuut’ina and the Ĩyãħé Nakoda First Nations, including the Chiniki, Bearspaw and Goodstoney First Nations. Calgary is also home to the Métis Nation of Alberta (Districts 5 and 6).
You may also like the following events from Sled Island:
- Next Tuesday, 17th June, 05:00 pm, Sled Island Opening Party + Poster Show Launch in Calgary
- Next Wednesday, 18th June, 12:00 pm, Sled Island 2025 in Calgary
- Next Wednesday, 18th June, 05:30 pm, Sled Island presents: Mary Lattimore, SANAM and Hermitess in Calgary
Also check out other
Entertainment events in Calgary,
Music events in Calgary,
Arts events in Calgary.
