Showcase: Shining a Spotlight on Emerging Niagara Artists
By David DeRocco
Following your dreams doesn’t mean you have to have a starring role. Sometimes the best dreams fulfilled are ones where you share the spotlight.
Take, for example, aspiring Niagara singer/songwriter Ola Kiermacz. The talented 24-year-old first appeared on the Niagara music scene in 2016 with the release of “From Us, To You,” an eight-track production of original Christmas tunes that featured collaborations with other upcoming Niagara artists. That experience helped galvanize her resolve to continue songwriting while helping to foster the dreams of other emerging local artists, which is why she’s curating a unique event August 16th at The Warehouse in St. Catharines called “SHOWCASE.”
“The four artists doing this show are local to Niagara and doing big things individually,” said Ola, whose spent a good part of the past year honing her songwriting passion with regular trips to Nashville. “I’ve been writing with them and for them. They’re on their way and they’re all very different. So I thought, why not put on a show. I’ll host it. I’ll run it. They’re each going to start their set with an original that either I’ve written or we’ve written together. That ties my place into the evening.”
The SHOWCASE event will feature acoustic performances by Chloe Rabideau, Valerie Borghesi and the tandem of Nico Tripodi and Sophia Deluca, with a full band performance lead by Joshua Lynes. MC duties will be handled by Ola, who says she has no reservations about stepping out of the spotlight to see her songs performed by others.
“I’ve really been taking the songwriter path this past year, so this is not really about switching gears but just a continuation of what I’ve been doing,” said Ola, a Laura Secord graduate and long-time member of Chorus Niagara. “Curating and bringing people together to sing these songs is really the life I have in my heart. I’m really leaning towards songwriting now and taking a backseat to these wonderful emerging artists feels good. I find humility in it. I’m honoured to have the best people present the music in the best way.”
*For more information contact: Ola Kiermacz, 289-228-9122. Or email her at alexkiermacz@gmail.com. Tickets available at The Warehouse.
