Sean Harbottle

One of the things that made 2016 not quite the most irredeemable year on record was the resurgence of British Grime. Skepta shut down the charts with Konnichiwa and won the Mercury Music Prize for his efforts.

After the epic ode to the tradition of Canadian facial hair that is “Can’t Be Shaved,” the titular “Ogopogo Punk” directs its attention to the mythical land-locked monster, the Ogopogo, based in Okanagan Lake.

Vân-Ánh Vanessa Võ’s fingers are moving like small ants, scattering all over the bamboo of the ?àn tranh — a 16-stringed instrument from Vietnam. They crawl across the neck, drawing forth what I imagine you might hear at the pearly gates.

Tosoff introduced the Quartet by saying that the music was her first experiment in combining her love of composition with lyrics and vocals — and in terms of a first experiment, it was a resounding success.

Speaking with Lucas in his cozy office, it’s hard not to gawp at the small revolution the Roots on the Roof community are cultivating. The myriad of color, the mess of memos and workshop sheets grows an office into a forest of creativity and light.

It seemed appropriate to watch a show entitled All Hell Is Breaking Loose, Honey on November 8, 2016. The performers even alluded in the show's introduction to the looming US election, the result of which had not yet been announced.

The Elephant Wrestler is a play that reflects the contrasting characters and concepts of modern India — how the Chai Wallah stories can exist in the age of Starbucks and how strong females can coexist with father figures.

Connie Buna speaks of herself as a bad student, despite her co-vocalist Jocelyn Macdougall’s insistence to the contrary. She speaks of the privilege she has, being able to perform this kind of music to an audience like hers.

The titular Blake is played by Dave Johns, a standup comic trading in his comic craft for a more tragic role. He performs opposite single mum Katie, a character forced by the system into roles like mother, carer, thief and prostitute.