Queer South Asian Music Festival Coming to Mississauga
Published September 17, 2019 at 9:05 pm
Mississauga is one of the most diverse cities in Canada, so it makes sense that it has been chosen to be the home of a unique music festival that celebrates queer, South Asian alternative culture and rock and roll.
According to the event’s Eventbrite page, ScrapFest will showcase alternative artists with varied geopolitical backgrounds and a common outsider perspective.
Organizers say the platform, which couldn’t be more timely, “seeks to bridge cultural differences by showcasing artists with a shared queer-inclusive narrative.”
The event will take place on Saturday, Sept. 28 at Maja Prentice Theatre (3650 Dixie Road). It will run from 6:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
So, who will be performing?
Guests will be able to check out a performance from headlining act Urvah Khan & The Scrap Army.
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Organizers say Khan was born in Karachi, Pakistan and arrived in Canada with her family as a teenager.
“The daunting task of fitting into North American culture as a non-conforming foreigner was at times overwhelming. This backdrop has shaped Khan’s path as an artist, and has furnished a desire to provide a safe performance environment for artists who share a similar experience,” the event page reads.
Khan currently resides in Toronto and has been recognized by the BBC, CBC, Noisey/ Vice and more.
She will be joined on stage by The Scrap Army.
Other performers include Toronto-based alt/rock singer/songwriter Sing Bandana Singh.
“I am a daughter of diaspora twice over, being Indian, born in Fiji and living in Canada. I’ve always felt the tension of being made of many things. Music is how I make sense of this tension,” the event page says.
The event will also feature a performance by Humza A. Mian (aka Manghoe Lassi), a queer Canadian-Pakistani who currently resides in the GTA.
He is a registered veterinary technician and a drag queen who has garnered a following on social media.
The event page says his drag works to bring awareness to the existence of queer Desi folk and “break the chains of toxic masculinity that hold so many queer Desi’s back from expressing themselves.”
Radio and television personality Jeff Woods, the creator and host of The Legends of Classic Rock, will also be at the festival.
The event is being organized by the Sur Sangum Foundation, a Toronto based organization dedicated to building communities through encouraging cultural exchange, promoting traditional and contemporary creative expression and deepening appreciation of the arts and heritage.
Tickets are $20.
For more information (and to purchase tickets), click here.
Cover photo courtesy of Urvah Khan’s Facebook page
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