NWT4Gaza Benefit Concert

Big Blue is smooth flowing music written under blue skies and big water. Ben Cornel mixes together fingerstyle folk playing and indie songwriting in this singer-songwriter project. Born and raised in Montreal, Quebec, Ben Cornel has been an active musician for over a decade. In 2020, he moved to Somba K’e (Yellowknife, Northwest Territories) and began composing guitar-focused instrumental pieces inspired by the sound and songwriting of artists like John Fahey and Junior Kimbrough. In 2023, the release of an instrumental self-titled EP brought into being the world of Big Blue; a world composed of primordial water and sky. Building from that initial release, Big Blue has blossomed into heart-felt singer-songwriter compositions inspired by artists like Alice Phoebe Lou and Thee Sacred Souls. 

Fia Grogono is a Yellowknife dancer, choreographer, and teacher. With a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Contemporary Dance, her work is shaped by a fusion of contemporary techniques, martial arts, contact improvisation, and Afro-Brazilian rhythms. Known for her strong creative vision, Fia’s choreography emphasizes the interconnection between body, nature, and culture.
Benjamin Norman Mujuni is a Kampala-born, Yellowknife-based dancer, choreographer, and instructor. With expertise spanning freestyle, hip hop, krump, and popping, he is also a visual artist and designer, holding a degree in Environmental Design and Architecture from the University of Manitoba.
For the past year, Fia and Benjamin have been collaborating to create intricate partner choreography, blending their dance practices and shared passion for improvisation and storytelling through movement.

Inemesit was born in Uyo, Nigeria and is of Ibibio ancestry. She is the second daughter of Utip and Arit Essien. Her father, Utip, was a gynecologist and surgeon and her mother, Arit, was a high school English teacher in Nigeria before retraining as a mental health social worker when her family immigrated to England when Inemesit was 5. Inemesit graduated from university in 2007 with a bachelor’s degree in Politics and International Relations, and moved to Denedeh, the traditional land of the Yellowknives Dene First Nation, in 2008 to begin her career. During 2020 Inemesit began to advocate more publicly for health equity through dismantling harmful ideologies created through systems of oppression. Inemesit is a mother of 3 sons, ages 6, 11 and 13. She is a fitness trainer, anti-racism educator and an aspiring author. In her spare time, she enjoys the creative arts and finds expression through illustration, painting and spoken word such as writing and poetry. Inemesit is in the work of radical change, which in the words of Angela Davis, simply means pulling at the roots. By pulling at the roots of systems of oppression, we can imagine a future where we are all free to be.

Narlie Cadigoy Dapilos was born and raised in Yellowknife, NT. As an artist he goes by the name of “Narlz B”, which originated from a nickname he had growing up, “Gnarls Barkley”. Narlz B represents the point in his life when he realized that he could “Be” anything and do anything he wanted, but most importantly he could “Be” his authentic self. Music had always been an outlet for him and a way for him to escape whatever he was going through but also to express himself. He’s always had a passion for creative writing, poetry, and lyric making. As an artist, he likes having the freedom to create something that reflects how he’s feeling or represents who he is and loves share that with other people.

Northwyne is a Yellowknife born and raised Hip-hop/R&B/Pop artist and producer.  He is part of music group Ice Cold Collective where he writes lyrics, produces and record songs. He has performed at events such as Folk on the Rocks, Yellowknife Pride, Snow King, and other local events.

Local yokel, Otis Dawgwood, is a cranky old folker who remains continuously amazed by his luck. An admitted hack, Dawgwood, has been able to compose not one, but two, whole original tunes, and earn a whopping $126.78 over his twenty year run as a local musician.  

Oh yes, are you ever in for a treat!

Buckle up ears.. Buckle up!

Taylor Saracuse has no answers for anything and is making music about it. A blend of rock n’ roll, r&b, pop, and any other sounds that floated through his air space over the last 34 years, Taylor’s solo material aims to excite and provoke unsuspecting showgoers. Taylor will sing and play guitar and likely be joined by friends.

Erika Doehring-Lafferty (she/her) is Gwichya Gwich’in and German. She is a graphic recorder, artist, poet, and dreamer. She integrates these art forms into her facilitation practices to support the creation of transformative gathering spaces. When she is not creating art and daydreaming of other days and places, she is reading a book, an essay, or policy – for fun! 
Erika has been an entrepreneur for the past 20 years. She is a big believer in the power of Indigenous economies to support safety and sovereignty. Erika believes that knowledge and learning come in a multitude of ways. This is where her love of art, poetry, academia, business, and facilitation meet. Erika uses these expressions of creativity to support transformative group work and to support her art practice.