Runs from Noon to 10 pm 

Presented by Blackness Yes! and Pride Toronto.

Hosted by Troy Jackson.

This powerful stage's mandate is to unite and engage communities through musical performance, words, images, dance and education. The eleventh installment of Blockorama has ten hours of soul-solid programming. Our segments this year include: Back to Life, Back on the Block, Hot Mess, the Diva and Beyond Show, Lift Every Voice, and House for All. Check out some classic favourites and some amazing artists that we think you should be watching and listening for. This year's "Diva and Beyond Show" stage will be hosted by vocalist Troy Jackson.

SCHEDULE:
12:00 pm Yoga with Mate Masie
12:30 pm Rhythm +
1:00 pm Memphis Sugar
1:40 pm Gene King
2:20 pm DJ San Fran
3:00 pm DJ Nik Red
3:30 pm Craig Dominic
4:30 pm DJ Carma
5:00 pm Michelle Ross
5:15 pm Mandy
5:20 pm Devine
5:25 pm tbone
5:30 pm D¹bi Young
5:50 pm Benni E
6:10 pm Rehaset
6:20 pm Ryan G Hinds
6:30 pm Scandelle
6:50 pm Tika Simone
7:00 pm Enjoy Troy
7:15 pm ILL NANA
7:20 pm House of Monroe
7:30 pm DJ Blackcat
8:00 pm B'UGO
8:30 pm jojoflores

Mate Masie
Mate Masie is a program of the Black Coalition for Aids Prevention and a West African philosophy that means "What I hear, I keep." It is an innovative community- based program, created to provide HIV/AIDS prevention education to African, Caribbean and Black youth.

Rhythmn +
Rhythmn+ fuses popular West African rhythms with West Indian influences to create a new sound that entertains while it educates the listener

DJ Memphis Sugar
For the past 10 years, DJ Memphis Sugar aka Syrus Marcus Ware has hosted the weekly radio segment, "Resistance on the Sound Dial" every Saturday from 11-12 noon on CIUT! Inspired by art and activism, Memphis Sugar brings social conciousness into all of his sets.

Gene King
Gene King has remixed and produced house music for numerous labels. Gene also became a programmer for CKLN.88.1 FM in 1993. His show Vibes N' Vinyl which airs every Friday night/Saturday Morning on the same station and can be heard at http://www.netmusique.com online every Thursdays from 4PM to 6PM.

 

 

DJ San Fran
The Sanfrandisco sound combines soulful House, Underground Disco, Electro and Old School Funk. Francis spins a diverse spectrum of grooves at venues around the city.

DJ Nik Red
DJ Nik Red spins from the heart to heal the soul and to entertain the mind. Influenced by griots, song writers, poets and the occasional novelist, nik will take you on a trip from bars to beaches, gender outlaws and mind controllers that inhabit our multitude of communities.

 

Craig Dominic
DJ Craig Dominic burst onto the DJing scene in late 2008 and he's been made resident DJ two nights a week at Crews & Tango. He has garnered himself a lot of buzz with his ability to make hip hop, reggae and top 40 co-exist under one hot roof.

DJ Carma
Dj Carma a young, firestorm DJ in Toronto. She has enliven the Toronto scene for the past 5 years with the sunny energy of the latest Reggae and Soca tunes, as well as Hip-hop, R&B and a dash of Soulful House.

 

 

 

Michelle Ross
Michelle Ross has been doing drag since 1973, and has worked in Paris, London, Puerto Rico, Chicago and Las Vegas, among other places. She's known for her impersonations, and has done stints at La Cage. She has been performing at Blockorama since the very beginning.

Devine Darlin
Devine Darlin has been shaking up Toronto's drag scene. Miss Gay Toronto, Devine Winner of Star Search are some of her many titles. She tore it up at Blockorama and is determine to keep us entertained this year.

Mandy Sapphire
Mandy Sapphire is a popular gay activist and a fighter and has represented the Nigerian and African LGBT community around the world. She performs legendary tracks from the late Mariam Makeba, Angelaique Kidjo, late Brenda Fassie, and the list goes on.

T-Bone
A new comer on the scene, T-Bone caught the bug to be a drag King several years ago and has been working on something especially for the Blockorama crowd.

d'bi young
d'bi young is Toronto's original dub poet, playwright and actor. d'bi.young's dancehall.rock is lyrically profoundly feminist | humanist | analytical | spiritual | sensual | and sexual. In short: revolushunary. As capitalist oppreshun increasingly globalizes, resistance necessarily needs to do the same. This music is a celebrashun of global resistance. survival. hope and love!

 

Benni E 
Philly's Benni E is a queer afro-panamanian artist who you don't want to miss at this year's Blockorama stage. She has an upcoming album, The Oz Children and is currently working with The NauQad Project, Decibel Live, Shunda K, and others. This amazing emcee maintains her relationship with the community by providing community based services for youth through music and visual art. You can her in the throes of the queer music scene in her hometown and nationally supporting other musicians and poets.

Rehaset
Rehaset Yohanes is best known for her work and activism around the local music scene in Atlanta, GA. Now a recent transplant to Canada, Rehaset is a fresh face in the Toronto art scene and hopes to continue to evolve as an artist by exploring other forms and mediums and ultimately help "Bridge the Gap Between Afrikans and the World."

Ryan G. Hinds
Multi-disciplinary artist Ryan G. Hinds has performed with everyone from Liza Minnelli to Sky Gilbert. A founding member of ARTWHERK! collective, Ryan never ceases to amaze and challenge audience.

 

 

Scandelle
With a fearless combination of stunning visual androgyny, electrifying stage presence and powerful unforgettable singing talent, SCANDELLE continues to rock boundaries. SCANDELLE has earned critical acclaim from music Legends SIR ELTON JOHN and PATTI LABELLE, airplay on over 200 radio stations worldwide, and the love of fans everywhere.

 

Tika Simone
Tika Simone is a compound of the exotic and familiar, the extraordinary and the timeless. Her vocals seems to flow from a few decades prior, carrying with it the sweetness of Patti Labelle in her prime, and the power of vintage Aretha

Enjoy Troy
Troy Jackson is a social activist and microphone invader trained in the art of Gospel, Pop, House and R&B. His Sharp Pop lyrics spit over infectious house melodies make you wanna move on the dance floor - and make you think.

ILL NANA 
ILL NANA is a queer friendly multiracial dance crew. ILL NANA utilizes classical dance techniques and urban dance forms of hip hop, ballet, jazz, house, vogue, latin, modern, and wushu kung fu creating an individual style.  These fearless performers are out and proud, sexy, and gender-proof. Through dance they represent many people and promote loving oneself, our differences, and coming together.

 

 

House of Monroe
House Of Monroe formed in December of 2006 when a few close friends decided they wanted to defy the odds and make a change in the Toronto Dance scene. Since then they have stormed the scene and stood apart from from the rest... So watch out!

DJ Blackcat
This funky dred is the one that brought the urban sound to the Toronto Gay scene. His high energy mixing and animated way of Djing has made him a household name in Toronto for the last 18 years.

B'ugo
After 8 years of working his magic at every possible legendary club in Montreal, B'UGO started in the deep house scene. Taking cues from disco, funk and soul, B'UGO's wild and exotic beats will keep you glued to the dance floor in a daze of glamour, fierceness and overdose of raw sexual energy.

Jojoflores
His hard work and dedication has won him an established reputation in the music industry and has awarded him multiple residencies at famed clubs world wide. He was voted "Best International DJ 4 years running by NYC's Undaground Archives magazine.

 

Blackness Yes!
Blackness Yes!, is a community-based committee that works year-round to celebrate Black Queer and Trans history, creativity, and resistance. Our mandate is to create a space for LGBTQ folks of African descent, their friends and allies. Blackness Yes! creates and develops the Blockorama stage which has happened for the past 11 years at Pride Toronto. The committee consists of volunteers who come from various parts of the African diaspora who come together to bring you a truly wide array of entertainment.