With over 800 volunteers, Manifesto showcased their skills at this year’s festival and proved that with the support and love of a community, you can achieve anything. Headlining this year at Echo Beach were The Internet, Isaiah Rashad, Jidenna, and Toronto’s very own Majid Jordan.

Opening up the evening was recording artist and successful producer Jidenna. Known for his 2015 hit “Classic Man”, Jidenna has been taking over the music scene in an individualistic and unique way with his unmatched charisma, energy, and style. Jidenna performed with the utmost compassion for his craft, and his positivity is something that parallels the message of what Manifesto is all about. Jidenna deserves to be seen live, and was the perfect artist to kick off the evening.

Next to take the stage was the critically acclaimed The Internet, a soul band from LA, which consists of five members. All talented and successful in their own right, this band has created their own identity in the music world. With three albums out to date, The Internet have seen a lot of success.

The most interesting and intriguing aspect about this group was their support of one another’s talent and ambition. Performing separately and together, they took the time to promote each other’s individual endeavors. They played a mix of old and new singles, while also giving then crowd a glimpse of what’s to come from both the group and its individual members.

Slowing down the tone of the festival and making the scene a little more intimate was American recording artist Isaiah Rashad. Touring with artists Juicy J, Joey Badass, and Smoke DZA in 2012 allowed for Rashad’s first break into the music scene. He is now well known in the industry and uses his relationships to develop his ever-growing career. He most recently finished his first headlining tour, as well. Playing hits from his recent album The Sun’s Tirade, Rashad’s performance was smooth, sexy, and well thought-out.

Finally, taking the stage was Toronto’s own Majid Jordan. Signed to OVO Records and known for co-producing with Drake, the duo felt right at home. Their stage presence was undeniable, and you could tell that the experience of their recent North American tour allowed them to truly perfect their performance. The crowd was entranced from the moment they took the stage right up to the moment they left. Surprising the audience with special guests Roy Woods and R&B duo DVSN, Majid Jordan did not disappoint, and certainly left us wanting more.

Manifesto’s positive message and the evident support that everyone involved gives one another is truly inspiring. This platform has grown significantly over the years and shows no signs of slowing down. The festival was proof of what we can achieve if we work together and appreciate each other’s talents and passions. Using the cities resources and support, Manifesto continues to make a positive difference in the community. With the bar set high, we look forward to Manifesto 12.

All images courtesy of Manifesto Toronto

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“Manifesto was born out of the meeting of a small group of people in Toronto who were young event presenters and concert promoters, many of whom were artists or creatives themselves. This group identified a major gap in high-level programming and festival opportunities for hip-hop and the urban arts and an overall lack of cohesive infrastructure for this community in Toronto and the GTA. The original concept was the gathering of many people operating independently to produce a festival that represented the community as a whole,” explains one of the co-founders Jesse Ohtake.

Over a decade of existence, the organization has grown into a multi-disciplinary, world-class festival with a positive social and economic impact. During the months between the annual festival, the Manifesto works towards empowering local communities by providing them with opportunities for artistic and professional development within the largest area of Toronto.

“Over the years Manifesto has continued to work with communities on a project-by-project basis, and the festival works to serve as wide a group of people as possible, based on our capacity and ability to do so as a non-profit organization” continues Ohtake.

“We’ve been able to establish many exciting partnerships with well-established organizations and companies in Toronto, including Harbourfront Centre, Luminato, NXNE, The AGO, The ROM, Massey Hall – Roy Thompson Hall, TD Toronto Jazz Festival, Canadian Music Week, and more. These opportunities have allowed us to bring our artist community in front of thousands of new audience members through collaborative presentations.”

“Our overarching goal is to unite, inspire, and empower diverse communities of young people through arts and culture. We strive to build careers, foster community connections, and fuel civic pride all while contributing to the vitality of the city we love,” explains Ohtake. That strive and passion is continuously illustrated through Manifesto’s actions – this year the anniversary festival featured big shots such as Anderson Paak, Rich Kidd, Kaytranada, and more through a multitude of city venues and free concerts at Yonge and Dundas Square.

Manifesto’s support (though not exclusively) contributed to the success of artists such as Shad, EGR, Tanika Charles, Jimmy Chiale, Rich Kidd, Fiya Bruxa, Zaki Ibrahim, Pluto, Sara Golish, a l l i e, and Son Real.

When asked about his favorite success story, Ohtake went on to talk about the 9th Wonder festival edition, the one that made them top of mind for many Torontonians and artists alike. “The Legendary Live Mixtape features almost every legendary Canadian hip-hop act in a single set. Young breakout artists Jhene Aiko and Raury making their Canadian debuts in Toronto, and likely the biggest shows of their career at that point in time at Manifesto. Raekwon and The Beatnuts jumped on stage as unannounced guests at Yonge-Dundas Square. Souls of Mischief shouting out Manifesto during their set as a comparable festival to Hiero Day in Oakland – quite the honour.”

Despite their success the organization remains humble: “Over the past 5 years, there have emerged numerous community organizations who have been able to carry the torch in some areas where Manifesto’s capacity became stretched. Groups like UNITY, R.I.S.E., Spoke N Heard, Kapisanan, Culture Shock, and others have emerged and been able to provide niche communities with services and programming that Manifesto always saw potential for in the past, but may not have been able to execute ourselves” points out Ohtake.

All images courtesy of Manifesto

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A highly enthusiastic line up began to gather outside of the venue a few minutes before the official door time. By 9 p.m. The Opera House was full with people popping in and out for “fresh air” breaks before fighting their way back to the stage to reclaim their space in the pit. Early arrival enthusiasm aside, the audience was pretty laid back, bopping and occasionally singing along.

The stage, on the other hand, was on fire through and through. Starting with ShaqIsDope’s killer performance representing the 6th, the rest just kept getting hotter and hotter. KEITA JUMA, another local, came in with a more serious set of tracks while Nasty Nigel’s last minute drop-in was a pleasant surprise, and a much more hyper performance, especially when he dropped into the mosh pit for a track. Wrapping up the night, Ty Dolla $ign ruined the room with his high energy show and heavy beats, as he was losing layers of clothing one by one – the energy was rising through the roof. It seems appropriate to share the evening through a closeup lens.

photos by Erik Shaw

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