Presented in partnership with the 16th Annual Small World Music Festival.

In celebration of Pierre Kwenders' new album
MAKANDA at the End of Space, the Beginning of Time

Futuro Libre presents:
Pierre Kwenders
with
DATU
OBUXUM
DJ Sean Sax

"Pierre Kwenders (a.k.a. José Louis Modabi) is originally from Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, and his multi-lingual (he sings in English, French, Lingala, Tshiluba and Kikongo) stylings have reached acclaim in Canada, specifically his home city of Montreal, where he’s gained the attention of the likes of Arcade Fire’s Win Butler. Even though he has a Juno nomination and Polaris Prize longlist kudos to his name, he hasn’t yet made as big of a splash across the border. With his latest track, “Sexus Plexus Nexus,” this should change. Kwenders draws from Congolese rumba, contemporary electronic pop, 1980s retro, smooth jazz, and ’70s funk. This results in a cornucopia of sound filled with goodies from a wide breadth of eras and cultures."
- Pitchfork, June 2017

The new record includes contributions from Shabazz Palaces' Tendai Baba Maraire in Seattle, SassyBlack (THEEsatisfaction), Ishmael Butler (credited as Palaceer Lazaro), Fly Guy Dai, Kae Sun and Tanyaradzwa.



DATU
Electronic-tribal music duo DATU is a modern Filipino music group, consisting of producers Alexander Junior (formerly of Times Neue Roman, and Styrofoam Ones), and Romeo Candido (formerly of KUYA, and Prison Dancer). DATU showcases movement, gongs, and storytelling through singing and rap, reinvigorating traditional Filipino music with their cultural transcendence, creating a brand new sound. After years of producing and collaborating with other Filipino-Canadian artists like Toronto rapper Han Han and dance troupe HATAW, DATU's debut EP, High Blood dropped in July 2017 and is a unique blend of traditional and new, delivering a fresh take on the alt-world genre.

OBUXUM
OBUXUM is a up and coming young Somali performative- experimental music producer. She's currently working on an a instrumental series called The m3taphor which will consist of intricate samples, soundscapes, Jazz, Hip-Hop, Afro-dance, Dancehall/Reggae, dub and EDM inspired music. The m3taphor EP series serves as an musical reflection of OBUXUM's experiences throughout her daily life and her blooming into a diverse sound artists.

DJ SEAN SAX
DJ Sean Sax loves making people dance. It’s what he lives for. Be it from the stage, over the radio airwaves or through a club’s speaker system, the Sound of Sax has been ever present in Toronto’s Black music scene for over two and a half decades now. From his humble beginnings spinning for “pub nights” at his university, he has gone through many musical evolutions but his initial vision has never changed: Make ‘em dance!