38th Women’s Blues Revue

Toronto Blues Society & Roy Thomson Hall Present

THE 38TH WOMEN’S BLUES REVUE 

Returning to Roy Thomson Hall for another night of

Celebrating women in Blues

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 28 @ 8PM ET 

ROY THOMSON HALL – TORONTO, ON

GET TICKETS HERE

Featuring

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Jackie Richardson

Jackie Richardson is an award-winning singer and actor whose career spans more than five decades, earning  
her national recognition as Canada’s reigning queen of jazz, blues and gospel. Along with two JUNO Award nominations, Jackie’s national recognition includes the Black Theatre Workshop’s Martin Luther King Jr. Award (2016), a Lifetime Achievement Award from Canadian Actor’s Equity (2007), an African Canadian Achievement Award, and a Canadian Black Achievement Award (to name a few). Internationally, Jackie was
honored to be an NAACP Image Award nominee in 2003 for Best Actress in a Television Movie for ‘Sins of the Father.’ She is also a Gemini and Dora Award-winning actor who has appeared in numerous musical theatre productions, films and television series. In 2014, the Toronto Star named Jackie one of 180 people who have helped shaped the city since it was founded. In 2021, it was announced that Jackie would be named an
Honorary Member to the Order of Canada.

www.facebook.com/jackierichardsonofficial/

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Shakura S’Aida

Shakura S’Aida, acclaimed Americana roots soul singer/songwriter and Schitt’s Creek recurring actor, has thrilled global audiences in 31 countries with her exciting and dynamic showmanship. Summerfolk Festival has raved about the Toronto, Canada-based S’Aida’s “engaging, vivacious and exciting” performing style and her uncanny ability “to touch your soul,” while Donna Grantis (Prince, 3rd Eye Girl), her longtime co-producer and co-writer, praises the Brooklyn-born, Swiss-raised, three-time Juno Award nominee as a “powerhouse vocalist whose artistic vision continually inspires me. Her captivating live shows bring people together to celebrate life and love.”

S’Aida has contributed to Toronto’s music community for over 40 years as a singer/songwriter, bandleader, frontwoman, playwright and producer. Through her initiative Shakura S’Aida Presents, she has created opportunities for both audiences and music creators to deepen their connections to music and community. Shakura has produced and curated concerts featuring both established and emerging artists across Canada, the US, and Europe. Events like HER Majesty, On Their Shoulders, Gospel n’ Gravy, and The Art of Song Music Festival have brought together diverse groups of musicians in collaborative settings, creating intimate experiences for local, national, and international audiences, no matter the size of the venue.

Shakura’s passion for community involvement doesn’t stop at music; for the past 5 years, she has organized a Daily Bread Food Bank drive in her surrounding neighbourhoods. With the assistance of over 20 volunteers, her neighbours and friends have so far helped to raise over 10,000 lbs of food for deserving community members.

Shakura also volunteers on the Toronto Jazz Festival, Canadian Songwriter Hall of Fame and the Folk Canada Board of Directors.

“Music is a great connector,” says the 2024 recipient of the prestigious SOCAN Foundation’s “Her Music” Award. “I use it to uplift and remind people that they’re not alone; that we’re all community.”

www.shakurasaida.com

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Cheryl Lescom

Cheryl Lescom has been part of the Canadian Blues Scene for over 30 years.  Starting off as a back-up singer for Ronnie Hawkins and Long John Baldry, Cheryl has recorded, toured and performed with the likes of Jeff Healy, Matt Minglewood, Dutch Mason the Downchild Blues Band and more.  After an absence to raise a family, Cheryl recorded two independent CD’s before taking some time off to recover from a bout with Cancer.  Her “High Heeled Blues” CD features 14 songs including “Queen Bee” written by Juno Award winner (and the CD’s producer and guitarist) Jack De Keyzer, “I Can’t Stand It” written by Mr. Downchild, Donnie Walsh (who guests on the CD) and “Beg Borrow Steal” written by Matt Minglewood. The first single “Heartache” features additional vocals by the Detroit Women and piano from Juno nominee Julian Fauth.

“Cheryl Lescom has one of the best and biggest voices in Canada..I’ve had many great singers with me over the years and Cheryl is by far one of my favourites!”  Long John Baldry

www.facebook.com/www.CherylLescom.ca/

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Celeigh Cardinal

Celeigh Cardinal’s powerful voice and storytelling have earned her widespread acclaim. Her third studio album, Boundless Possibilities, released on June 21, 2024, marks a turning point in her career—an odyssey through grief, the triumphant peaks of independence, and the sacred valleys of spirituality.

Anchored by its luminous standout track, “Light of the Moon”, which earned her the 2024 Songwriter of the Year award at the Western Canadian Music Awards, the album is a radiant testament to her lyrical mastery. Boundless Possibilities was also entered in the first round of voting for a potential Grammy nomination and garnered two Canadian Folk Music Award nominations—for English Songwriter of the Year and Indigenous Songwriter of the Year. In 2025, the album received two JUNO nominations for Adult Contemporary Album of the Year and Contemporary Indigenous Artist of the Year.

This music transcends the ordinary; it is a tapestry of sound and emotion, designed to resonate in the deepest parts of the body, mind, and soul. Each song is a delicate yet unflinching reflection of an artist embracing her place in the universe—offering both a mirror for her own journey and a map for others navigating loss and renewal. It cradles those who’ve known sorrow, whispering in tones both tender and defiant that they are not alone.

Cardinal’s debut album, Everything and Nothing at All (2017), earned her Indigenous Artist of the Year at the 2018 Western Canadian Music Awards. Her follow-up, Stories from a Downtown Apartment (2019), won a JUNO Award for Indigenous Artist of the Year in 2020.

Beyond her albums, Cardinal’s music has been featured in films and TV shows, and she has toured internationally, including performances at Expo 2020 Dubai, Ireland’s Your Roots Are Showing, UK Americana, and Germany’s Reeperbahn Festival.

www.celeighcardinal.com/

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Joce Reyome 

Joce Reyome has been dedicated to cultivating their distinctive sound which blends classic blues sound with raw vocals, and a throwback to the rich origins of uninhibited rock. Their sound is infused with inspiration from the likes of Etta James, Janis Joplin, and Tracy Chapman. Reyome performs with such genuine authenticity, it makes you forget they’re a genuine rascal about town. While they perform, they’re not just playing music for you, they’re leading you on a journey of complex heartbreak, blended with humorous interludes, and love personified.

Winner of the 2025 Solo/Duo Category of the International Blues Challenge, Reyome, a genuine soul, brings authenticity to their performances, turning audiences into active participants in a journey through heartbreak and humour. With performances on the Confederation Centre of the Arts main stage, at the Orpheum Theatre in Memphis, at JUNOfest 2024, at the East Coast Music Awards and more, they have captivated audiences across Atlantic Canada.

www.jocereyome.com/

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Angelica Jones

Angelica Jones has arrived—new name, same unstoppable energy. Formerly known as the Angelina Hunter Trio, this powerhouse band delivers the raw, electrifying sound fans know and love, now with a fresh identity. From gritty guitar riffs to soulful vocals, Angelica Jones is here to redefine blues for a new generation, all while staying true to the heart of their music.

The band, composed of three lifelong friends and mainstays of the Canadian music scene, has grown and cultivated their sound around the personality and stylings of Angelica on vocals and guitar. When she plugs in her Stratocaster, expect a wide range of style, emotion, and power. She can lull you in with sweet melodies and sear you with razor sharp blues attitude and screaming guitar lines.

Angelica Jones has the power to shrink a venue or blow it up with her voice alone. Totally unique, when she begins to sing, she sounds like no one else. She can tell a sweet story with her voice or bewitch you with its intensity. It’s a powerful instrument on its own.

The band is on an upward trajectory since their nomination for Best New Group at the 2024 Maple Blues Awards where Angelica was one of the few selected featured artists performing at the gala. The band has been performing at many festivals including the Kitchener Blues Festival, the Orangeville Blues and Jazz Festival,the Kemptville Live Music Festival as well as many performances at the Ottawa Bluesfest and more.

www.angelicajones.ca

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The Women’s Blues Revue is curated by passionate local programmer and performer,

Quisha Wint who returns as producer for 2025.

 

 

Bringing blues lovers together for an evening honouring the contributions to the genre with some of Canada’s finest musicians.

GET TICKETS HERE