The second coming of Soul
Songstress Ania Soul brings the groove back to T.O.
BY: AFRO P
In a city where rock is king and the most popular clubs blast techno and dance into the wee hours of the night, soul music has always had a tenuous existence. Canada's early-'60s and '70s immigrants from the US and Caribbean brought with them the sounds of soul music which satisfied the hunger of music fans who craved Aretha Franklin wannabes and the smooth Motown groove.
More than four decades later, Toronto is still a city that is reluctant to embrace the power of soul music. But through her music, T.O. artist and resident Ania Soul is intent on making soul supreme in this city. Ania says she found her love of soul in western Canada: "I can say my first introduction to soul music was in the church. I was born in Toronto and moved to Edmonton when I was eight. My mom became an ordained minister so I spent a lot of time at her ministry. I grew up as a singer in her church. I moved back to Toronto in 1999 and started going to places to see some local artists perform. I recall going to Lava on College to see Divine Brown and Jully Black."
Catching the sparse soul offerings in the city energized Ania to start performing in local clubs. She soon became a mainstay at live music nights where her daring interpretations left crowds mesmerized.
"I'm not afraid to express different styles of soul or to have people express to me what their style of soul is. There are now a few other soul artists in the city. If you check out Myspace or other sites like that, you see a lot of soul performers based in Toronto — the vibe is changing and soul is making a comeback."
Ania is looking forward to the release of her debut album, which features collaborations with a few emerging music groups that fuses soul, R&B and reggae.
"There are a lot of stories and experiences in my new album. Soul is at the centre, but there are definitely some spiritual and secular vibes a well. My album is coming out next summer and it will be a real representation of Toronto's new soul movement.
To find out more about Ania and her new album, visit: myspace.com/aniasoul
