My name is Tonye Aganaba, I am a visual artist, singer/songwriter, and storyteller. I am the brains, brawn and beauty behind #AfroScience - a one-woman show exploring themes of diversity and race, sexuality and gender, addiction and healing, faith, and creativity. Three years ago, I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis - a degenerative autoimmune disease that leaves many wheelchair bound and disabled for life. Shortly after that, while shooting a documentary in Dawson Creek with CBC - I fractured my spine in six places in a car accident. I put my career on hold, and embarked on a journey of self-discovery. During this healing time - I was gifted the opportunity of a self-directed education. I moved into a 28ft motorhome on the edge of a beautiful forest, and took the time to learn about all the things I’d ever wanted to know. Aromatherapy, Essential Oil Distillation, Yin Yoga, Social Advocacy, Painting, Sewing, Graphic Design, Screen Printing, Music Production, Growing Green Things, Tea Blending, Natural Medicine and more. Most importantly, I delved headfirst into the study of Sociology/Social Sciences also known affectionately as the the study of social problems. As a newly disabled artist, there were a lot of social problems I had to tackle head on - and uncharted territory I had to navigate in order to come to terms with my new reality. I learned first hand about the burden of INTERSECTIONALITY and how it affects and informs my creative process. For those who are not familiar with the term - INTERSECTIONALITY is a concept used to describe the various ways that oppressive cultural and societal institutions like racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, ableism, classism, xenophobia etc are inextricably connected and as such can’t be framed and explored as separate entities. #AfroScience is the result of this education. It fuses music, visual art, dance, digital media, and SOCIAL SCIENCE to communicate my experience as a Queer, Black, Disabled, Immigrant, Non-Binary, Femme Presenting Artist - as well as perspectives from other artists, creatives and collaborators in the most liveable city in the world! It’s an intimate and interactive intersectional art show, designed to inspire, motivate and educate anyone who experiences or participates in it. This show is the culmination of my experiences, it is Me.
On Wednesday January 17th 2019 I was invited to participate in an intimate and interactive live music series called Locals Lounge. The monthly night is held at the iconic Railway Club - a venue that has a been a mainstay in our music scene for over 25 years.
Locals Lounge is the brainchild of musical mastermind and multi-instrumentalist Ian Cromwell (known affectionately on instagram as @crommunist.), and its sole purpose is to get to know the people behind the music we encounter in Vancouver.
I was SO excited to participate because for the longest time, Locals Lounge was held on Sunday nights at the now defunct Belmont, and I was ALWAYS working at Guilt & Co on Sundays :)
Thank you to Ian and his incredible team for treating me like absolute GOLD!
YOU ARE AMAZING!
Tonight: Opening for @parlourpanthermusic and my ultimate forever darlings @moondleband with a set of pretty acoustic ditties. If you feel like pining for your beloved beside me....please join us at @wisehallandlounge. Doors at 8 Show at 9 📸: @celinepinget — view on Instagram http://bit.ly/2sMtp5w
The Red Gold & Green Machine are a North American Hip-Hop group with a sound that skips effortlessly between genres and appeals to lovers of all styles! Its core creators are Canadian songstress and MC – Tonye “Magic T” Aganaba and Los Angeles lyrical legend, dr.Oop of the bLackloveR88rs, as well as unofficial third member/collaborator – MC Nucleus. The trio met and subsequently formed RG&GM in the summer of 2010 after meeting while performing at Shambhala Musical Festival in British Columbia, Canada. What transpired on that fateful day sparked a journey, both literally and figuratively as they crossed borders to meet, create and hone their long-awaited debut album “Planet Africa”. The chemistry between The Red Gold & Green Machine is undeniable with their unique style building upon foundations laid by “The Fugees” and “Black Eyed Peas.” Inspired by these genre-bending groups The Red Gold & Green Machine endeavored to create their own eclectic mix of hip-hop, soul, reggae, funk and dance music. Melding them to form a cerebral and soulful new sound which they refer to as “Planet Lovetronian Vibes”.
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