Global Music at The Rooms
Date: Aug 7
7:00 pm
- 8:30 pm
Where: Fortis Courtyard & Amphitheater
Global Music
Celebrate the diverse talent in our community with this exciting concert series! Led by MusicNL and the Association for New Canadians, this initiative aims to increase the representation and recognition of new musicians in our province. Stay tuned for weekly announcements of featured musicians!
This is a free event. All ages are welcome. Bring a blanket and enjoy the music on the lawn! Please check our social media for updates in case of inclement weather.
This event is offered in partnership with the Association for New Canadians and MusicNL.
AUGUST 7
7:10 to 7:40: Ana Luísa Ramos
Ana Luísa Ramos is a Brazilian singer-songwriter, educator, and music curator based in St. John's, NL. She has performed across Europe, South, Central, and North America, working in both classical and popular music. Ana holds a Licentiate Degree in Music Education and a postgraduate diploma in Vocal Coaching, with studies in Brazil, Argentina, Austria, and Canada. She has contributed to over 18 albums and released her debut solo album, "Um," in 2016. Her second album, "Amanheceu," was released in 2021, the same year she won the MusicNL Jazz Artist of the Year award. Ana also performs as part of the duo "Ana & Eric" with Eric Taylor Escudero. Their self-titled EP (2020) and album "Our House From Here" (2023) earned multiple MusicNL and ECMA nominations. Ana's latest solo album, "Solaris," released in April 2024, explores themes of love in Portuguese and English and was recorded across Canada, the USA, and Brazil.
7:55 to 8:25: Andrew Kagumba
Andrew Kagumba is a PhD student in Ethnomusicology at Memorial University of Newfoundland. He also holds a PhD in Music Education from Texas Tech University. Born and raised in Uganda, Andrew's creative output is deeply influenced by the rich musical heritage of his Ganda culture.
AUGUST 14
7:10 to 7:40: Jing Xia
Jing Xia is a professional guzheng artist and ethnomusicologist based in Newfoundland, Canada. Born and raised in Hunan, China, Xia began studying the guzheng at the age of six. Her recent accolades include winning the 2023 East Coast Music Award "Roots/Traditional Recording of the Year” and the 2023 MusicNL Awards "Album of the Year” and "Solo Artist of the Year.”
7:55 to 8:25: Alla Melnychuk
Alla Melnychuk is a pianist from Ukraine. In May 2022, she moved to the vibrant city of St. John's, where she currently works as a piano teacher at Halliday Music Studio. In addition to teaching, she performs both solo and as part of the international Sunflower Duo, a group she co-founded with a friend. The duo has performed multiple times in St. John's for various events and audiences. Alla has also participated in Shelley Neville's last two "O Holy Night" shows and, with the duo, toured across the island in the summer of 2023. Her performances feature instrumental (piano) arrangements of Ukrainian classical and folk music, contemporary adaptations of Ukrainian folk music, and works by contemporary Ukrainian composers.
AUGUST 21
7:10 to 7:40: Cristina Hernandez
Cristina Hernandez is a Mexican folk singer and songwriter with over a decade of experience in the music industry. She studied voice and composition at Fermatta Music Academy. In Mexico, she released her first EP, Más Allá de la Razón and performed at various festivals and cultural venues. Now based in St. John’s, Cristina launched her international career in March 2022, performing for the Multicultural Women’s Organization on International Women’s Day and premiering her song “Flowers in the Wind.” She also participated in the Newcomer Musician Panel during the same event. Cristina's latest performance was a multicultural collaboration at the Lawn Vanya Festival. Currently, she is working on new music that fuses influences from Canada, Mexico, and other cultures worldwide.
7:55 to 8:25: Zay Nova
Zay Nova is an Indonesian-born singer/songwriter, and radio producer/video producer based in St. John's. He released his debut album, Head Above the Water, on January 20th, 2024. Zay Nova was Nominated for 2022 Music NL Country Artist of the Year as well as Global Artist of the Year and 2021 nominee for the Canadian Independent Music Video Awards for Best Country Video. His debut album, Head Above the Water, is available now online or visit www.zaynovamusic.com
AUGUST 28
7:10 to 7:40: Baraka
From his home base of St. John’s, NL, Baraka carries with him a sound and spirit sure to deliver a world-class entertainment experience. Originally hailing from the coastal city of Dar-es-salaam, Tanzania, Baraka has been performing and writing music since his early teens. Drawing influences from artists such as Ed Sheeran, John Mayer, Tracy Chapman, The 1975, Drake, Kanye West, The Script, Usher, and Ne-Yo, he has a natural talent for writing clever lyrics and infectious melodies.
7:55 to 8:25: Eldin Husic
Eldin Husic is a singer-songwriter originally from Bosnia and Herzegovina. He has lived and performed music all over the world. Eldin has more than 25 years of experience in the music scene. In 2002, he moved to South Korea and performed there for 16 years.
Eldin is a proficient instrumentalist and singer-songwriter. He sings and plays original and cover songs in English and his native language. In his compositions, he mixes folk and rock from diverse musical traditions. Since 2018, he is grateful to call Newfoundland home. Eldin likes to sing about love.
Events & Programs
Join us for Films On The Go, featuring a collection of short films from the most recent St. John’s International Women’s Film Festival (SJIWFF).
About the lineup: Sweetgrass, perfect brows, the surprisingly queer life of a climbing clip, a giant imaginary bear, and one very bad day in 1986, this year’s Films on the Go lineup delivers seven short films packed with big emotion, sharp humour, and unforgettable moments. Crafted by filmmakers from Newfoundland & Labrador, Mi’kma’ki, Canada, and beyond.
Learn more about the films and artists here: https://www.womensfilmfestival.com/filmsonthego
Presented in partnership with the St. John’s International Women’s Film Festival.
Films play on a loop in our theatre during open hours, unless the space is booked for a private event.
Auks, Wolves and Whales
What fills the void when a species is no more? Legends, folklore, and history worth learning from. Come listen to the stories of the Great Auk, the Newfoundland Wolf, and Endangered Whales as they echo across the ages through their body and bones. Commiserate with the extinct, heed the calls of the endangered, hold ossified bones, and see how artists transform tragedy into hope for a sustainable future.
Join us each day for an interpretive guided tour in one of our galleries. From the story of the Cod fishery to visiting a current art exhibition to a Family Rainbow tour, there is something for everyone.
Each tour is approximately 30 – 40 minutes and is included in the cost of admission. Free for Rooms members.
.
Grounding: Through the Senses
This sensory tour of the art gallery exhibition 'Grounding' is accessible through touchable objects, audio descriptions, scents, and soundscapes. Participants can experience the exhibition’s themes and artworks in a way that emphasizes accessibility, inclusion, and meaningful engagement with Newfoundland and Labrador’s culture.
Join us each day for an interpretive guided tour in one of our galleries. From the story of the Cod fishery to visiting a current art exhibition to a Family Rainbow tour, there is something for everyone.
Each tour is approximately 30 – 40 minutes and is included in the cost of admission. Free for Rooms members.
Fishing for Cod
For centuries, fishing for cod has played a vital role in the lives of the peoples of Newfoundland and Labrador. Generations of fishing men, women and children made use of the land and sea to sustain them and spent their lives “making fish”.
Join us each day for an interpretive guided tour in one of our galleries. From the story of the Cod fishery to visiting a current art exhibition to a Family Rainbow tour, there is something for everyone.
Each tour is approximately 30 – 40 minutes and is included in the cost of admission. Free for Rooms members.
Join Breakwater Books to celebrate some of their renowned women-authored books! Featuring Heidi Wicks, author of the recently released short story collection Here, and Angela Antle, author of the debut novel The Saltbox Olive, this conversation, moderated by Trudy Morgan-Cole, will delve into their writing processes and the historic and cultural inspirations behind their work.
This is a free event, but a ticket is required. Please reserve your free ticket online or by calling (709) 757-8090.
Presented in partnership with Breakwater Books.
Books will be available for sale in The Rooms Giftshop on Level 1.
About the Authors:
Heidi Wicks has written for Riddle Fence, Newfoundland Quarterly, and The Globe and Mail. Her debut novel, Melt (2020), was featured in the Globe and Mail’s Hot Summer Reads list and received a silver medal IPPY (Independent Publisher) award. She also received the 2019 Cox and Palmer Creative Writing Award. She is featured in the short fiction collection Hard Ticket and the creative nonfiction collection Best Kind. She lives in her beloved hometown of St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador.
Angela Antle is a writer, artist, and documentary maker based in St. John’s, Newfoundland. Antle’s writing has appeared in Riddle Fence, Newfoundland Quarterly, and CBC.ca. She wrote and directed Gander’s Ripple Effect: How a Small Town’s Kindness Opened on Broadway, and wrote the feature-length Irish-Norwegian-Canadian documentary Atlantic: What Lies Beneath. Narrated by Brendan Gleeson, it was the winner of best documentary awards at the Dublin, Wexford, Nickel, and Chagrin Film Festivals. As a journalist, Angela has rowed a dory through the Narrows, covered the subculture of Florida’s Spring Break, taken bumpy komatik rides on the coast of Labrador, hitchhiked from France to Newfoundland on a fishing boat, interviewed a Prime Minister on Broadway, and recorded Ron Hynes singing “Sonny’s Dream” in Ireland. She is an interdisciplinary PhD candidate at Memorial University, a member of Norway’s Empowered Futures Energy School, and was recently named the 2025 Rachel Carson Writer in Residence at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München.