Performers & Volunteers

Composer and multi-instrumentalist Moni Mathew’s career span the ethnic, roots and classical canons. A performer and arranger with the Vinok Worldance ensemble since 1992, he assumed the mantle of Musical Director in 2007, appearing with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra in 2015. Moni is also a member of the Cifra Hungarian Ensemble and as such has been heard in national broadcasts with CBC and also with the ESO in 1997. His talents as a multi-instrumentalist, composer and arranger have led him to work with Edmonton’s Usha Kala Niketan Studio for the productions Passages and Navarasa and the Brian Webb Dance Company for whom he co-composed the Tania Alvarado piece “1” with Ojas Joshi. Moni’s talents as a bassist can be heard on the 2003 Ann Vriend album Soul Unravelling; he also co-arranges and produces other Alberta singer-songwriters’ original material with One More Mile co-founders Brad Smith and Fred Brenton. Moni’s talents as a keyboardist and electric bassist were integral to the success of the Alberta funk/hip-hop group, the Hi-Phonics and he’s been heard gigging with the likes of FenderCase, Jay Sparrow, Jeff Hendrick and the Mocking Shadows. Venturing into the classical world, he has played Shostakovich and Beethoven as violists with the Strathcona String Quartet, as well as with the Red Deer Symphony Orchestra.

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Since beginning his musical education at the age of four, Moni has been involved in all aspects of music, including performance, composition, and arrangement. Following studies on violin in the Suzuki program, this native Edmontonian has travelled to Japan, Korea, France Spain, Italy, England, Switzerland, U.S.A., Taiwan, Brazil, Hungary, Romania, as well as across Canada with a variety of performing ensembles. Along the way, he has learned a variety of styles (classical, jazz, R&B, popular, Indian classical, flamenco, world folk) and instruments (violin, viola, piano, electric and acoustic bass, guitar, mandolin, sitar, santoor) and skills (composing, arranging, orchestrating, teaching). As a graduate of the Grant MacEwan Community College Music Program (Performance/Bass), Moni has enriched the vibrant Edmonton music scene with his commitment to diverse ongoing projects, and by performing live venues, playing on recordings, and by arranging for a variety of Edmonton artists and ensembles

Enoch Attey is a Canadian-based musician and producer. His passion for all things musical is apparent the moment you hear him. Born in the Ivory Coast but raised in Ghanaian tradition, he began his musical journey with the likes of Simon & Garfunkel, Mahalia Jackson, and the Beatles. Picking up the guitar at 17, he's played everything from Rock, Jazz, RnB, to Reggae and Gospel. His music can be described as a marriage between Soul and Gospel, where Reggae, RnB, Blues, and Folk are invited to dinner regularly. With a deep soulful feeling, in constant exploration of what it means to be human, light shines through even as you listen.

Some may say Nigel Williams was born to make people laugh and sing. Singing all through childhood from choir to choir he developed an ear for sound. He has played the piano for over 23 yrs. It is from this experience that he has tuned his voice and learned to train his ear for the sounds of soul. He has also been an Emcee for many events all over the world including Canada, The U.S.A., all over The Caribbean, and Europe. Currently he is part founder of Melanistic Magazine and hosts The Black Multiverse Theory Podcast.

Terrell Edwards often referred to as the perfect blend between Sinatra and Motown, took to the stage as a standard jazz-soul artist and formed the Tri-City Rat Pack's jazz trio. The smooth but explosive tunes performed by the trio got the attention of legendary Tonight show host Jay Leno. Terrell and the group were invited to Las Vegas to work alongside the legend within days of meeting the icon, eventually spending nearly 3 years opening for Leno at the Mirage in Las Vegas. Over the last couple of years, Terrell was hard at work, writing songs, including his single 100% in October 2021, produced by hitmaker Preston Glass, under Warner brothers UK. The song has since reached #5 on the billboard traditional R&B soul charts and was listed in the top 100 songs released in the UK in 2021.

Haitian-born spoken word artist and patient advocate, Medgine is a person for whom the love of language and the alchemy of words is second nature. Her multi-lingual upbringing (French, Creole, English) not only prompted her to begin experimenting with the potential and magic of language but naturally compelled her into a deep love of poetry. Over the years, Medgine became a Lupus, CIDP, Polymyositis, and Raynaud’s warrior, all of which fuels her desire to merge storytelling and her power of language into patient advocacy, especially for those living with chronic illness. Medgine currently serves as a Patient Advisor and working on her first collection of poetry.

Shamalan hails from South Africa and then immigrated to Canada in 1982. Situational entertainment is and has always been at the core of his world whether it be a comedy, dancing, singing or rapping. His professional world finds him productively occupied as a Realtor® in which he has successfully assisted families to buy and sell residential real estate over the past 22 years. He cleverly injects his witty and animated attributes into the mix to create an entertaining experience for all his clients. When he isn’t working or sleeping, he keeps his wife Alyssa and 3 boys Evander, Tevi and Xavier (Texas Tribe) amused and pleasantly distracted.

New Season of Praise is a contemporary gospel group that is based in Edmonton, Alberta. Started in the early 2000s and led by Colin Forde, this group has been sought after for its trademark dominant vocals. While the group’s roots are in urban music, it now incorporates less urban song selections following trends in American gospel. They have sung in various venues across the province, having shared the stage with Israel Houghton and Ron Kenoly