Afro-Canadian artists ready to hit the stage at Machine Shop

A former Algoma University student is excited to share the sounds and beats of his African heritage with Saultites through his very own music festival.

Emmanuel Aigbukor, a young man from Nigeria, moved to Canada in 2010 before founding SoundKing Entertainment five years ago in Toronto.

Aigbukor recently attended Algoma U for music and established connections through several artists and music lovers alike while growing his company in Toronto.

His interest in developing a festival was rooted in providing Afro-Canadian artists with a platform to showcase their music, and he sensed there was a demand for it in the Sault.

“It’s something different,” he says. “We’re all about bringing people together, helping each other out as much as we can, and showcasing our talents and our culture. Our main goal is creating a platform that local artists can benefit from. Hopefully the city loves it.”

The SoundKing Festival lineup features four artists from his label, as well as several local performers from around town.

Aigbukor says the festival will showcase some familiar styles of music that residents are already accustomed to, like R&B and rap, while other genres such as afrobeat could be a new listen for attendees.

He recognizes the style of music may not align with everyone’s personal or usual tastes, but Aigbukor encourages the public to come out and give the festival a chance.

“It’s new sounds and new experiences for a lot of people, so you have to be very open minded,” he says. “We have lots of multi-cultural people in the Sault. I know more people are relocating to the Sault and coming from different parts of the world, so we have to be adaptive and receptive to that.”

Aigbukor says he’s hoping to make the SoundKing Festival an annual event in the Sault, and he’s actively working with Algoma U and Sault College to provide frosh events for their students.

The Machine Shop will be hosting the event on Thursday, Sept. 8 from 7 to 11 p.m., and tickets are still available for purchase online.

Aigbukor is asking any local vendors that may have last-minute interest in setting up a space at the festival to email [email protected].