The 2022 Polaris Music Prize returned live to the Carlu in Toronto in top form with an incredible celebration of everything Canadian music is all about.
Hosted by CBC Music’s Angeline Tetteh-Wayoe and starting with a well-deserved performance by 2021 Polaris Music Prize winner, Cadence Weapon, performing “from his winning album, Parallel Worlds, the four-hour program celebrated the 10 Polaris Music Prize Short List nominees as voted by Canada’s music journalists and broadcasters; and featured performances from all 10 2022 Short Listed albums that ranged from minimalist classical fusion to exciting disco throwbacks, to heartfelt hip-hop.
The nominated performances began with an uncompromising and powerful performance by Snotty Nose Rez Kids of their tracks “Grave Digger” and “Sink or Swim” from Life After, which soon lead to the delightful Lisa Leblanc staging a performance “Dans L’Jus” and “Gossip” from Chiac Disco in full 70’s style.
Classically-trained, Ouri, stunned the crowd with an ethereal performance of “Too Fast No Pain” and “Ossature” from Frame of a Fauna with nothing more than her beloved cello and a couple of backup singers; while rockers Ombiigizi brought joy to their performances of “Ogiin” and “Spirit in Me” from Sewn Back Together. R&B sensation, Charlotte Day Wilson, performed stripped-down takes of her hits “Take Care of You,” “Mountains,” and “If I Could” to a crowd that seemed there just for her.
Montreal’s Pierre Kwenders was up next, making the audience move with a medley of tracks from José Louis And The Paradox Of Love that included “Your Dream,” “Heartbeat,” and “Papa Wemba.” Culinary-themed supergroup Fresh Pepper paid tribute to Destroyer‘s LABYRINTHITIS with a performance of “Eat the Wine, Drink the Bread” that was reminiscent of anything by Talking Heads. Kelly McMichael (who was joined on stage by first-ever Polaris Music Prize winner Owen Pallett) would also give resounding performances of “Stepping Stone” and “Out the Window” from her album, Waves.
Closing out the performances with an absolutely blistering performance of “Golden Days” and “Dimanche Soir” from PICTURA DE IPSE: Musique directe that seemed to marry both punk and glam rock into one cohesive production was Herbert Lenoir; and five-time Short List nominee, Shad, who gave the audience a powerful performance of “Out of Touch” from Tao.
Finally, Cadence Weapon returned to the stage to reveal that the night belonged to Pierre Kwenders, whose album, José Louis And The Paradox Of Love, was voted to be the winner of the 2022 Polaris Music Prize winner. In his acceptance speech, Kwenders paid tribute to the family and friends who brought the Congolese artist to Canada to create his multilingual masterpiece.
“This is my story, this is my African story, my Congolese story, my Canadian story, this is your story if you want to take it as yours and make it for what you want to make it,” Kwenders said as part of his speech.
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The Polaris Music Prize will now shift attention to the voting of the 2022 Slaight Family Polaris Heritage Music Prize, which will honour two more classic Canadian albums that were released before the creation of the Polaris Music Prize in 2006. To vote for the album, you think should be honoured as the Heritage Prize winner, make sure to visit https://polarismusicprize.ca/heritage-prize/ and vote!