Blackout Podcast

He showed up to the East Coast Sessions feeling uncomfortable in his outfit, until he put it on and felt like himself. That's JR Slotta: an artist who's always willing to try something new, even when it pushes him outside his comfort zone.

In this episode, JR breaks down his viral East Coast Sessions performance at the skate park, the story behind the song "On My Mind," and why he chose that track over the original plan. He also dives into his creative partnership with producer Josh Bragg, how they make magic happen across Discord calls, and...

Stella Eusebius is a Nigerian creative, content creator and fitness enthusiast who currently lives in Nova Scotia, Canada. She is currently pursuing her Bachelor of Science in Psychology with hopes to eventually go to medical school.

Stella started content creation just for fun, but over time it’s turned into something bigger for her and she hopes to work with brands like Gymshark.

Stella’s journey into creativity started with writing and drawing, and her creativity has evolved and taken the shape of different activities like painting and styling.

She has plan...

Quoia States is a Jamaican-Canadian Pop-fusion artist based in Halifax, Nova Scotia, known for her soulful vocals and genre-blending sound infused with Afro-Caribbean influences. With a captivating stage presence and an ability to connect deeply with audiences, she continues to establish herself as one of Atlantic Canada's emerging voices.

In 2025, Quoia closed the Nova Scotia Music Week Main Stage and delivered standout performances at Magnetic World Festival, Lil Mosey Live in Halifax, and the ANSMA Canada Day Concert. This year, she has already appeared at NovaFest and ANSMA's ECMA Black Vibes stages, with even bigger...

When Nenna decided to move her family to Canada, she left with an open mind and heart. Three years later, she's the founder of two businesses, a certified AI consultant, and a community-builder who has trained over a dozen immigrant entrepreneurs!

In this episode of The Blackout Podcast, Nenna shares how she got her start: from her father's lessons about running toward storms, to her Igbo entrepreneurial roots. She explains why she launched Graph AI Agency to help businesses automate repetitive tasks like scheduling, lead generation, and content creation, freeing up entrepreneurs to focus on family and...

Jéa is a Toronto-born artist of Jamaican and Native Canadian roots, now based in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Her sound is raw, soulful, and honest, blending smooth R&B textures with playful storytelling and emotional depth.

Influenced by artists like Snoh Allegra, Jaz Karis, and Alex Isley, she explores themes of heartbreak, hope, manifestation, and love through her music. Since debuting in 2023, she’s released a series of captivating singles, performed at multiple festivals, and recently dropped her debut EP in October 2025.

With more music on the way in the new year, Jéa continues to g...

Renée Babin is a multidisciplinary professional who grounds her work in compassion, intentionality, and connection. With a focus on holistic approaches to law, community, and wellbeing, she is committed to empowering individuals and organisations to move with clarity and purpose.

Her commitment to equity, advocacy, and community engagement shapes both her personal and professional approach. Renée has been teaching yoga since 2021. With ongoing learning, yoga lends her personal fortitude and teaches others the benefits of wellbeing as a community practice. Deeply committed to community-led change, Renée serves on advisory committees with Halifax Reg...

Niyi Adeogun is a multidisciplinary artist, creative director, and founder of CXRE Labs, a creative studio exploring the intersection of art, design, and technology. His work spans visual art, brand identity, immersive experiences, and experimental design, often using symbolism and storytelling to create pieces that feel both personal and thought-provoking.

Originally from Lagos, Nigeria, and now based in Canada, Niyi’s practice is rooted in curiosity, emotion, and innovation. He is passionate about creating work that not only looks compelling but also invites deeper reflection on identity, connection, faith, and the human experience.

Through his st...

East Coast Sessions is a Black female-owned and led music platform dedicated to showcasing local musical talent across the East Coast of Canada. Our mission is to empower artists to confidently share their craft while providing an affordable, professional, and supportive space for growth.

Unlike traditional music video services, East Coast Sessions offers a full creative experience tailored to each artist. We guide artists through a collaborative process to help them prepare for their session and highlight their performance in the best way possible. After the session, we provide a content plan designed to help artists share...

Daramfon Morgan is a Canadian Nigerian visual artist and the founder of DCM ART CREATIONS, based in Halifax, Nova Scotia. His work explores identity, culture, and memory through a bold visual language that blends African heritage, Caribbean influence, and contemporary expression. Working primarily in digital painting, his pieces are known for their rich colour, layered symbolism, and ability to tell stories that resonate across the diaspora.

Through collections such as Faces of the Diaspora, We Carry the Fire and We Wear Our Stories, Daramfon uses art as a tool for storytelling, education, and connection. His work reflects...

Zuzu, an author, speaker, percussionist, and photographer, transforms adversity into empowerment.

After breaking his neck, Zuzu was fully paralysed and told he’d never walk again. With an unwavering belief in God and in himself, he has defied the odds by overcoming his paralysis through a variety of action-centric modalities, meditation, and a plant- based diet.

Embodying a “Light Warrior” mindset, he now helps others transcend pain, awaken their purpose, and live a self-actualised life.

“Life is meant to be lived to the fullest… now, in this present moment.” - Zuzu Ramia

Check him...

Raised and based in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Zoe believes in the power of the voice to create community through song, and is constantly learning from her students and colleagues. Zoe holds a full studio of amateur and professional singers, and focuses her teaching on CCM pedagogy.

Zoe has coached professional singers and actors, post-secondary and post-graduate students and other vocal coaches. Zoe holds a Bachelor of Music in Voice Performance (Jazz Studies) as well as a Masters of Music (Composition). Zoe holds certificates in Somatic Voicework - The Lovetri Method (Baldwin Wallace University) and Acoustic Vocal Pedagogy...

She is a poet at heart, a creative spirit who experiences the world through rhythm, emotion, and truth. Her words are shaped by lived moments and quiet reflections, capturing both the beauty and complexity of life. Through her poetry, she gives voice to the unspoken and creates space for connection, healing, and self-expression.

As a new mother, her world has expanded in deeply transformative ways. Motherhood has both grounded and elevated her, inspiring a new depth in her creativity rooted in love, growth, and resilience. It continues to influence how she moves, creates, and shows...

Liz LeClair is a proud fundraiser and an intersectional feminist, bringing 20 years of experience to her work as the founder of UpRising Philanthropic Consulting. Liz is also a gender-based violence advocate working to raise awareness on the epidemic of violence in Nova Scotia and an end to the misuse of non-disclosure agreements (NDAs).

Liz lives and works in Punamu’kwati’jk (Dartmouth, Nova Scotia), which is located in Mi’kma’ki - the ancestral and unceded territory of the Mi’kmaq people.

Liz approaches her work with nonprofit organisations through a community-centric fundraising lens, recognising that equit...

She writes, raps, beatboxes, performs spoken word, and speaks three languages. Meet Warlet, one of the most exciting and multi-dimensional artists to join The Blackout Podcast.

Warlet shares the story behind her journey from Brazil to Canada, revealing how her parents (both vocal coaches) inspired her musical foundation, how Brazilian rap legends like Racionais MC shaped her political awakening, and why her upcoming debut album TRLNGL will feature everything from Brazilian funk to reggaeton to R&B.

But this conversation goes much deeper than music. Warlet opens up about the profound impact of her younger...

Jessica Steele is a paper collage artist based in Halifax, Nova Scotia. She holds a BFA in Fibres from Concordia University and a Diploma of Fine Arts from Dawson College.

Working primarily with hand-cut vintage print materials such as books and magazines, Jessica explores how meaning shifts when familiar imagery is separated from its original context and recombined into new relationships. Though collage is often associated with spontaneity, her process is tactile and methodical, involving the careful sourcing, cutting, and arranging of printed fragments to create surreal compositions. She is particularly interested in how a...

He’s a photographer, a videographer, a rugby player, and a die-hard Dallas Cowboys fan. Meet Tapiwa, the creative force behind Captured by Shumba.

In this episode, Tapiwa explains how his journey behind the camera began in 2023, inspired by a photographer he met on a solo trip to see the Cowboys. But more importantly, we get into why his photos stand out. Tapiwa’s mission is to show his subjects a version of themselves they’ve never seen before, making every photoshoot an experience they’ll never forget.

We discuss the meaning behind his brand name ("S...

Tatiana is a mining engineer by training, a creative by instinct, and a question-asker by nature. She immigrated to Canada from South America as a teenager, carrying with her a spirit of curiosity, deep resilience, and a desire to understand not only herself but, by extension, the people around her.

Along the way, she learned to bridge the worlds of logic and intuition, reconciling a highly analytical mind with spirituality, culture, and creative expression. What began in engineering soon expanded into something far greater: a journey into artistic, entrepreneurial, and community-centred spaces where ideas collide and new...

Cathy Akinkunmi is a Halifax-based event producer and Creative Director of Beautiful Celebrations & Design, with over 15 years of experience designing elevated, culturally rich celebrations. She is known for blending tradition with modern elegance to create immersive and unforgettable experiences.

In 2024, she produced Halifax's first African-Inspired Wedding Party, a sold-out signature event that spotlighted over 30 brands and generatedmore than 1.3 million online views. Her work bridges culture, community, and contemporary design in bold, intentional ways.

Beyond events, Cathy is passionate about empowering entrepreneurs and amplifying diverse voices in Atlantic Canada. Through every production, she continues to redefine...

As someone who has always been drawn to explore a variety of interests, FollyHollyLynn’s creative path reflects a lifelong openness to change and growth. Growing up, she experienced both ends of the spectrum when it came to quality of life; nothing overly dramatic in the early years, but enough to evoke deep feelings at times. Later on, nothing excessively lavish, but enough to inspire genuine joy.

At seventeen, she left home to pursue a dream of becoming a scientist at Dalhousie University, enrolling in Neuroscience with a minor in Philosophy. The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in...

Literally stumbling into music by escorting a friend to a studio session and jumping on the mic out of curiosity, S.Kae has never looked back. What started as a random moment quickly turned into a serious craft and a movement he is now fully committed to embodying. But being a creative artist was not something new to him.

Born in Zimbabwe, he was involved in a High School drama club and some dance competitions in Ukraine. This diverse exposure to artistry made him spend time and build relationships with artists. This later led...

India Gailey is a cellist, composer, vocalist, and improviser who appears most often in the realms of classical and experimental music.

Named by CBC as one of “30 hot Canadian classical musicians under 30,” India moves fluidly as a soloist, chamber musician, and interdisciplinary collaborator, performing across the western hemisphere. She has written music for concerts, films, dance, and theatre, often exploring environmentalism and magical realism in her work.

In 2022, she composed music for Symphony Nova Scotia to illustrate Mi’kmaw poet Rebecca Thomas’s children’s book I’m Finding My Talk, followed by...

Nahom Assefa is a multidisciplinary artist, curator, and writer whose practice explores cross-cultural storytelling, belongingness, and identity through visual and community-based work. Being a self-taught artist and Business Administration graduate from NSCC, Nahom challenges the “starving artist” stereotype by combining art with entrepreneurship. His studio, Cultured Creative Studio, celebrates the beauty in cultural diversity, collaborating with organisations such as Atlantic Flamenco, Latispánica, and Lululemon, among others.

Originally from Ethiopia and now based in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Nahom's work has gained recognition provincially, including as a Nocturne Festival’s 2025 NOISEmaker, 2025 Ambassador for Atlantic International Film Fe...

Kvng Nova, born Abraham Adebayo, is a Nigerian artist carving out a distinctive sound that bridges cultures and emotions. Blending Afrobeats, Hip-Hop, R&B, and Afrofusion, his music reflects both his roots and a global outlook, delivering vibrant, dynamic tracks that resonate widely.

Despite being new to the scene, Kvng Nova shows notable maturity and versatility, placing Afrobeats at the core while weaving in hip-hop grit, R&B smoothness, and experimental elements. His sound is driven by storytelling, rhythm, and emotion, allowing his music to connect with listeners across different moods...

DJ Utshab is one of the most renowned DJs in Bangladesh, celebrated for his electrifying performances. He began his DJ career in 2010, and with years of dedication and hard work, DJ Utshab became one of the most sought-after DJs in the country.

He has been living in Halifax since 2022, where he performs at the city’s top clubs and events, consistently delivering high-energy sets that leave fans wanting more.

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Nicolae is an alternative R&B singer, rapper, drummer, and producer based in Halifax, Nova Scotia. His music blends soulful R&B, hip-hop honesty, and rock-leaning energy, with rhythm always at the centre. His latest release, Honey Blooded, explores desire and addiction through metaphor, pairing cinematic textures with an electric edge and deeply personal storytelling.

Before stepping fully into his solo work, Nicolae built his reputation as a drummer, performing across Atlantic Canada and beyond. Alongside many other projects, he was a founding member and drummer for Lindsay Misiner & the 7th Mystic, a project that earned two...

Stacey Moser is a fiercely independent creative who believes reinvention is a choice, not a phase. A SCUBA diver, model, artist, and postmenopausal ADHD woman with relentless curiosity, Stacey has been forging her own path since the 1970s, questioning norms, following instinct, and refusing to live quietly at any age.

After retiring from a corporate, career-driven life, she chose freedom over hustle and joy over obligation. Today, Stacey prioritises staying fit, healthy, and fully engaged with life, freelancing in modelling and acting, creating art, and connecting people and projects, but only when it aligns with her values...

Born in Ukraine, Margarita Fainshtein earned a BFA from the University of Haifa, Israel and MFA from School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

Exhibitions include: Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art, Chicago; Chicago Art Department, Chicago; Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, Halifax; The Artist House, Jerusalem (forthcoming), The ArtCake Gallery, New York, USA (forthcoming), Katzman Art Projects, Halifax; and venues in North America and Europe.

Fainshtein’s work can be found in the permanent collections of Acadia University, Canada; Art Bank Nova Scotia, Canada; Art Institute of Chicago, USA.

Fainshtein’s work reflects the...

At fifteen, her first song emerged from an English class assignment, built on three chords and sung with friends. That simple moment with a guitar quietly began a path she could never leave. Born in Santiago, Chile, she was raised among films, music, and poetry, where art persistently called to her. Through mentors and fellow artists, she found stages, collaborators, and the understanding that art was a way to inhabit the world.

By nineteen, she began recording and performing with bands. She rebuilt her project, co-founded the independent label Caída Libre, and adopted t...

Dana Elborno is a Palestinian-Canadian social advocate based in Halifax. She is diving into her long-awaited art career. Dana holds a Child and Youth degree with a minor in Psychology from MSVU and currently works as a mental health and youth worker.

Dana started her activist career in 2021 and has continued to showcase her advocacy on social media, rallies, events, and fundraisers. She has been inspired by art in every aspect of her life such as her love for fashion, drawing, and poetry. Dana has always had big dreams and is planning to show more of who...

What started as a simple side hustle for a single mom in Halifax has exploded into a thriving business crafting stunning charcuterie boards and tables for weddings, corporate events, and more.

In this inspiring and down-to-earth conversation, Amanda shares her incredible journey: from buying her first house and needing flexible work, to landing a 250-person corporate gala and fitting four commercial fridges in her kitchen. She opens up about the realities of balancing entrepreneurship with motherhood, the viral power of a genius business name, and how social media helped build a supportive local food...

Sherry Anne Crowe is a model, actor, and inspirational speaker in her 50s who believes that life is not about fading quietly with age, but about evolving boldly. Through her creative work and growing social media presence, she challenges outdated narratives around ageing, confidence, and visibility, empowering women to take up space on purpose and define success on their own terms.

Rooted in lived experience, Sherry Anne’s journey reflects a powerful transformation through periods of reinvention. She chose to explore new possibilities, embrace the courage to try something unfamiliar, and learn to truly lo...

Job Brumaire is a creator and entrepreneur born and raised in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. He is driven by a deep passion for expression through both music and craftsmanship.

His journey in music began behind a drum kit in church, evolving into a heartfelt way to connect with people and channel positive energy. Beyond the stage, Job is the owner and operator of Jules & Jax Contracting Services, a dedicated drywall business he built with a focus on reliability and quality.

For Job, both his music and his work are rooted in the same core values: consistency...

Luke French is a rapper and songwriter out of Westville, Nova Scotia

Now residing in Halifax. Influenced by both new and old-school artists like Griselda, J. Cole, Kendrick Lamar and Eminem, French began his career in 2020 after releasing his mixtape “1624”, which earned praise from Griselda producer Camoflauge Monk for his production work. Luke's most recent project with fellow collaborators C-Stone Léon and GhostBoyRJ is titled “Tokyo Sayonara” and is currently out on all platforms.

French gained some momentum within Halifax after shows at local venues, and the release of his solo project “Forever Hold Your Piece”...

Natalie Chiasson is a journalist and visual artist based in Halifax, Nova Scotia. She moved to the East Coast from western Canada in 2019, and has established strong roots here in Mi’kma’ki.

She is passionate about storytelling through writing, photography, videography, and illustration, and strives to document stories that amplify underrepresented voices that bring attention to environmental, cultural, and social issues that help people better understand the world around them.

Find out more @nataliechiassonmedia

What happens when you don’t choose music, but music chooses you? In this electrifying episode, the magnetic Nigerian artist Oluzy traces his journey from freestyling on street benches in Lagos to sharing stages with Afrobeats giants like Ruger and Joeboy in Canada.

Oluzy pulls back the curtain on his unique creative process, revealing how a chance airport encounter inspired his viral hit “Bamidele Logba Logba” and why he believes the universe, not him, curates the loyal team that surrounds him. He gets real about the pressure to constantly outdo himself, the hustle mentality forged in a Lagos...

Blackout Podcast Episode 349: Double A - DJ / Founder, Modus Music Group

Double A first made his mark as a pioneering drum and bass DJ in Montreal’s underground scene in the early 1990s. Over the next decade, he toured extensively across North America and around the globe—from Cape Town to Tokyo, Los Angeles to Toronto. Alongside longtime DJ partner Twist, he co-founded Dune and Nude Recordings, two influential Montreal-based labels that helped shape the city's electronic music landscape.

With a string of releases and remixes to his name, Double A shifted gear...

Born and raised in Ottawa, Canada, Caleb Latreille has spent most of his adult life wandering across both the planet and creative disciplines. As a youth, he was a prolific writer, writing and directing for the theatre and becoming deeply involved in the North American zine scene of the late 1990s and early aughts.

After a move to Halifax, Nova Scotia, his work with paper shifted towards music: creating posters, fliers, and cassette booklets as a DJ/organizer and selling handmade mixtapes at local craft and record fairs; and to mail art, keeping ties with f...

Courtney Baker is a self-love coach who helps women reconnect with their worth and remember they are the love of their own lives. Her approach is rooted in softness, honesty, and a deep belief that self-love is a radical, necessary act of reclamation. Not a luxury masked in bubble baths and overpriced coffee, but in fact, your birthright.

She works through 1:1 coaching, creating space for body neutrality, emotional healing, and those beautifully imperfect moments of growth. Her work gently guides people back to themselves, one breath, one boundary, and one brave step at a time.

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Ken Oguzie is a dynamic and results-driven international trade and investment professional. He is the President/ Founder of Africa Canada Trade and Investment Venture based out of Nova Scotia, Canada, with partner offices across Africa. ACTIV is a boutique consulting firm specialising in trade and investment solutions, with a focus on promoting and facilitating Trade and Investment between Canada and Africa, across diverse sectors.

With over a decade of experience in the global trade industry spanning 4 different continents, 5 countries, Ken has a proven track record of driving sustainable growth, fostering international partnerships and bringing Economic d...

Hailing from Kjipuktuk/Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, Jupiter V (they/them) is a queer artist, musician and creative crackerjack with a career spanning over a decade. Making a name with award-winning gig posters, they've gone on to illustrate for film, graphic fiction, children's literature and more.

Most recently, they worked with EVERYSEEKER Music and Arts Festival (2025 & 2026) and Nocturne: Art at Night Festival (2024), and is looking forward to publishing their second comic with Duck Prints Press in 2026. Jupiter also composed the original soundtrack for the hit PC game Bopl Battle, and has most recently released the album Last...