Halifax’s most powerful Gospel/R&B voice – Reeny Smith – brings her band, and a personally curated opening songwriters’ circle with Mahalia Smith, Jah’Mila and Keonté Beals, to The Carleton for a HUFF performance on Monday, August 30th. Show time is 7 PM and tickets are only $30 + HST.
***If you want to sit with others who have purchased their tickets separately, please email reservations@thecarleton.ca with the names***
Since releasing her first in EP in 2015, “I Am Reeny,” Reeny Smith’s powerful voice and vibrant, emotional roller-coaster of a stage show have solidified her as one of the most enthralling artists in Canada.
Signing with Cymba Music Publishing in 2016, she released her breakout single, “Good Girl Swag”, a song with an unrelenting positivity in an increasingly harsh world. Smith went on to win Music Nova Scotia’s African Canadian Artist of the Year award in 2016, 2017 and 2018, as well as Best RnB Artist award in The Coast’s Best of Halifax awards in 2017 and 2018.
She’s collaborated with artists like Quake Matthews, and opened for Anderson Paak at the Halifax Jazz Festival, but through it all, Smith says the thing she’s the proudest of is developing her craft as a songwriter and being recognized for all of the hard work she’s put into the depth and realism of her work.
“My biggest achievement thus far has been recognized internationally for my songwriting work. Songwriting was never something I thought I was good at, so to have reached this level of validation means a great deal to me.”
Jah’Mila is wrapped in the very roots of the reggae family tree and with over 15 years of experience as a vocalist in the industry, she is determined to integrate her talent and legacy into a service of love and positivity for all who hear her.
North Preston has a historic lineage of growing the biggest voices in Nova Scotia through its strong gospel scene and church community. Keonté Beals keeps this tradition going with his own powerhouse pipes, which first wowed crowds when, at 16, he gave his solo debut at his home church. Pivoting into an early 2000s-influenced R&B sound as he began to create his own music, Beals’s colorful body of work highlights the range of his talent and musicality. He has a voice that breaks generational boundaries, backed by a sonic palette that draws easy comparison to the work of Usher, Anthony Hamilton and Elijah Blake.
In 2016, Keonté released “Man Down” from his self-titled EP, followed by a second single “4 Ever” in 2017.
Keonté, is a natural-born entertainer who has collected accolades from: Music Nova Scotia, African Nova Scotia Music Association (including Artist of the Year 2020), The Coast Halifax, East Coast Music Association; Challenge AIDS and Malaria in Africa and recognized by the Honorable Keith Colwell with an MLA Rising Star award.
In 2020, CBC produced a special “Keonte Beals: Christmas in North Preston” which was rated number one story in Canada and earned a feature in “Being Black in Canada.” CBC produced a Christmas CD derived from the special, entitled “December”, which was well received.
2020 also saw the birth of Keonte Beals Entertainment. (Kebe.ca) Keonte launched project ‘King’ in 2020 under his own company name, which, received the ANSMA song of the year for 2021.
Keonte also won the ECMA for R&B album of the year for ‘King’ in 2021.
Mahalia Smith may be Reeny’s sister but she’s an artist in her own right!
