Event Description
On sale Feb. 6!
19+ Event | Doors 6:45pm
$35 Advance/VJS Members | $39 at the door (taxes incl.)
Available Through:
Victoria Jazz Society Office | 250-388-4423 | 975A Alston St. (No Service Charges)
Royal & McPherson Box Office | 250-386-6121 | www.rmts.bc.ca (Service Charges Apply)
Note: This venue will have limited seating.
“How many ways can one five-piece band spell ecstasy? WESLI’s super tight band out of Montreal had the crowd jumping out of their seats to a blend of Haitian roots music, reggae, and rap tapping into voodoo, rara, Afrobeat and hip-hop.” – American Blues Scene
JUNO Award-winning Haitian-born singer, multi-instrumentalist, and producer WESLI has become one of Haiti’s most inspiring musical ambassadors. Now thriving in Montreal, his unique compositions seamlessly blend traditional Haitian rhythms with an eclectic array of styles that reflect his broad musical influences and experiences, mixing world music, afrobeat, hip-hop, soul, rara and roots music. WESLl’s ability to fuse the vibrant sounds of his homeland with contemporary genres have captivated audiences worldwide. The many prestigious awards he has earned since 2016 are the results of his immense talent: The “Hagood Hardy SOCAN Award” (2016); the “Dynasty World Music Award” (2017); the JUNO award for “World Music Album of the Year” for Rapadou Kreyol (2019), as well as the Félix Award for the “World Music Best Recording” at ADISQ in the same year.
Born to a financially-challenged family in Port-au-Prince to music-inclined parents, the power of his sound has driven his desire to create change and bring Haitian culture to new audiences. He has collaborated and shared the stage with Tiken Jah Fakoly, Magic System, Alpha Blondy and many others. Since 2008, Wesli has performed on more than 50 major festival stages in Canada, in addition to touring the entire world, always offering captivating performances. His latest JUNO-nominated album, Tradisyon, explores the roots and imagines the future of his Afro-Haitian culture. Don’t miss WESLI’s live performance – “world music at its best” here in Victoria at Wicket Hall this spring!