There’s a six-part docuseries on Toronto’s underground music scene streaming across Canada soon.
Hosted by Dwayne Gretzky member Lydia Persaud, New World Beat is a “love letter to Toronto and the musicians who are integral to the culture of [the] city,” production notes for the show state. Each episode of the series features three unique artists with each getting a 15 minute segment produced about them.
Artists featured in the series include The Weather Station, James Baley, Charlotte Cornfield, Chippy Nonstop, Dijah SB Kevin Wong, Alex Samaras, Erez Zobary, Joseph Brooks Organ, Aphrose / Mingjia, Emily Steinwall, Dani Doucette, Kyla Charter, OBGMs, LOR, Sebastian Javier, and Tara Kannangara.
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The series originally aired in Canada in 2023 on the Portuguese-language channel Camoes TV. Brad Wheeler wrote in The Globe and Mail at the time that the series was “deserving of broader exposure.”
New World Beat is now going to be airing on TVO in Ontario and streaming across the country on tvo.org. The first episode premieres at 10 p.m. ET on March 27.
New World Beat episode breakdown
Episode 1: In the pilot episode of New World Beat, Charlotte Cornfield professes the importance of small venues in Toronto’s changing economic landscape, Mingjia illustrates her inspiration, and James Baley reclaims the space that shaped him.
Episode 2: Vocalist artist Alex Samaras refuses to be categorised, Kyla Charter uses loops to achieve transcendence, and Erez Zobary channels her coming of age into her music.
Episode 3: The Weather Station explores the Leslie Street Spit, Joseph Brooks Organ explains the meaning of lovelorn, and Aphrose offers a glimpse into being mother and a musician at the same time.
Episode 4: Dijah SB visits their old haunt, Kevin Wong tours the gay village, and Lor transforms into a pop artist at the newly transformed venue.
Episode 5: The OBGMs face the challenges of authenticity, Emily Steinwall meditates on the meaning of music, and Dani Doucette strips down a produced pop song into its barest form.
Episode 6: Chippy Nonstop builds a safe space to rave, Sebastian Javier writes a song in real time, and Tara Kannangara honours her students.
Watch a clip from New World Beat
@newworldbeat New World Beat – @theweatherstation – turning #climate anxiety into #music. #toronto #lesliestreetspit #climatechange #newworldbeat #tvo #musicscene #tranzac @michaeltobin_ ♬ original sound – New World Beat