Tara Kannangara

JUNO-nominated artist, Tara Kannangara is a second-generation, Sri Lankan-Canadian force of nature, giving you music that is deeply personal, genre-bending and culture blending. All this, encompassed by wild trumpet melodies, searing guitar lines, lush synths, and piercing lyricism will make you turn your head and listen. Growing up in Chilliwack BC, Tara studied classical piano and voice from an early age but over the years secretly fostered an interest in Alternative, Pop, Jazz and improvised music. Even still, she decided to study classical trumpet and voice at the University of Victoria, but her love for making her own art led her to Toronto to pursue jazz and improvised music at the University of Toronto. After years of studying institutionalized art, Tara was compelled to break the veneer built around her experience of music-making. By writing about the realities or absurdities of white excellence, and the triumph of being an outsider, Tara will compel you to listen.

Tara has been featured on CBC's The Signal, The Sunday Edition and NPR Tiny Desk with Lido Pimienta. She also performed on Lido's Grammy nominated record, ""Miss Colombia."" Her work has been presented at major festivals across North America including The Montreal Jazz Festival, The Washington DC Jazz Festival and The Smithsonian. She currently teaches at the University of Toronto and acts as a student mentor at Humber College. She is also a founding member of #thisisartschool, a coalition of artists championing equity in arts education.