Voicing the Archive

‘Voicing the Archive’ explores rich connections between archives, songwriting, and contemporary music. Archives hold a space where historical figures and stories of struggle can be explored and revisited in imaginative performances. The final event of the ‘Living Archives’ series will see two talented artists discuss their craft, perform songs, and chat with the audience about their musical journeys. 

For his show Freedom Singer, Khari Wendell McClelland collected and interpreted songs that likely accompanied his great-great-great grandmother Kizzy as she fled US slavery into Canada. He uses a range of styles like hip-hop, gospel, folk, and soul to create a bridge from the past to the present. Freedom Singer also became a documentary theatre musical created alongside Project: Humanity's Andrew Kushnir and CBC's Jodie Martinson. 

Archives give us space to curate important historical narratives that celebrate national icons.  Award-winning artist Krystle Dos Santos’s show Hey Viola! is a musical exploration of civil and women’s rights trailblazer Viola Desmond.  Born in 1914 in Halifax, Viola Desmond was a businesswoman of Black Nova Scotian descent who challenged racial segregation by refusing to leave the whites-only area of the Roseland Theatre in 1946. That moment spurred a civil rights movement in Canada that posthumously led to Desmond becoming the face of the Canadian $10 bill.

This event is open to the general public and does not require registration (but please note that our seating is limited). This event will be followed by a reception in the Piano Lounge.

Dr Theresa Muñoz is a Canadian poet living in Edinburgh, Scotland, with a PhD from the University of Glasgow. She has published one collection of poetry, Settle, which was shortlisted for the Melita Hume Poetry Prize. Her second collection Archivum, an exploration of what it means to engage with archival artefacts, is published by Pavilion Poetry (2025) and was nominated in the Saltire Literary Prizes 2025. She has been awarded the Scottish Muriel Spark Centenary Award, Robert Louis Stevenson Fellowship, Creative Scotland Award, and shortlisted for The Kavya Prize and a Sky Arts Royal Society of Literature Writers Award. She has directed several literary initiatives in the UK, including the Newcastle Poetry Festival and the James Berry Poetry Prize.

Krystle Dos Santos is a powerhouse vocalist, songwriter, and performer whose dynamic presence and rich, soulful sound have captivated audiences across Canada. With a career spanning multiple genres and disciplines, she has shared stages with celebrated artists such as Allen Stone, Serena Ryder, Ruth B, Stevie Wonder, and Michael Bublé. More than just a performer, Dos Santos is a musical historian, using her art to illuminate the cultural and historical impact of music. Delighting in the art of what she coins ‘edutainment.’; her projects delve deep into the roots of Black music and Canadian history, including BLAK: Canadian Women in Music, A History of Motown, and Hey Viola!, a musical tribute to civil rights icon Viola Desmond.

Originally from Detroit, Khari Wendell McClelland has become a darling of the Canadian music scene with reviewers lauding his performances as a clever mix of soul and gospel. Khari’s songwriting crosses genres and generations, joyfully invoking the spirit of his ancestors who straddled the US-Canadian border in efforts to escape slavery and discrimination.  His music draws from this rich history, integrating the rhythms and folklore of early African-Americans with contemporary sounds and stories of struggle. Recently, Khari received critical acclaim for his Freedom Singer project, recreating the music fugitive slaves carried on their journey north into Canada. Khari also performs with the Roots Gospel group The Sojourners.