THAT ERIC ALPER news artists
THAT ERIC ALPER news artists
Carla Muller Shares Two Personal New Songs « That Tree » and « Everything’s Gonna Be Alright » Honouring Her Sisters
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WOOLWICH, ON – Carla Muller has always written from the heart, and with the release of two deeply personal new songs – « That Tree » and « Everything’s Gonna Be Alright » – the Woolwich, Ontario singer-songwriter invites listeners into the most sacred corners of her life: her relationships with her sisters. Both tracks are available now via Canterbury Music Company, and together they form an extraordinary emotional diptych – a celebration of resilience, devotion, and the fierce, unbreakable bonds of sisterhood.
« That Tree, » co-written with the late Sean Cunnington, is a song born from a true story that has lived rent-free in Muller’s memory for decades. Her older sister Erika once climbed a towering oak tree as a young girl, fell thirty feet, and – in a feat of sheer, breathtaking grit – got up and walked home. Then, just four months later, when her bicycle was stolen, she jumped onto Carla’s bike – flat tires and all – and chased the adult thief down the street until she returned with both bicycles in tow. « I still remember how proud Erika looked, walking our two bikes back to where I sat waiting, stunned, » Muller recalls. The song distils that lifelong awe into something luminous and universal, transforming one girl’s extraordinary stubbornness into a roadmap for anyone who has ever stared up at an impossibly high branch: « I know that branch / Seems out of reach / But you’ve gotta try / If you’re gonna climb that tree. »
« Everything’s Gonna Be Alright, » co-written with Scott Metcalfe, carries a weight that is both joyful and heartbreaking in equal measure. Muller wrote it in 2008, when her younger sister lay in a coma for nineteen days, and Carla sat beside her, singing it again and again into the silence. The doctors suggested that Francine likely couldn’t hear her. She woke up and immediately asked what that beautiful song was. « So, I’ll stay and watch you while you sleep / Here in the darkness of this night / But I know this must be true / God is watching over you / And everything’s gonna be alright » – these words, first sung in a hospital room, ultimately became her own, a song she knew by heart and carried with her always. Francine passed away suddenly in October 2024 from a heart condition, and Muller played the song at her funeral, singing her baby sister to sleep one final time. The story behind this recording – completed while Francine was still alive and thrilled it had made the album – is the kind of profound, human detail that transcends music journalism and speaks to anyone who has ever loved someone fiercely and imperfectly.
Produced at Canterbury Music Company by Muller and Scott Metcalfe, in collaboration with veteran engineers Jeremy Darby and Julian Decorte, both songs carry the warmth and craftsmanship that have defined Muller’s creative home for the past five years. Working alongside an extraordinary roster of Canadian musical talent – including Jason Fowler, Rob Piltch, Burke Carroll, Drew Jurecka, Sam Clarke, Ross MacIntyre and many others – Muller has developed a singular sound rooted in acoustic intimacy and cinematic storytelling. The co-writing relationship with Sean Cunnington, whose memory also inspired « Beautiful Day » on ‘Paper Stars,’ lends « That Tree » an especially poignant dimension, honouring both the sister who inspired it and the collaborator who helped bring it to life.
For Muller, these songs represent the fullest expression of her artistic philosophy: she writes for the people she loves, drawing on the specific and the lived-in to illuminate something far larger. Where many artists reach for the universal by stripping away detail, Muller doubles down – a ten-speed Schwinn bicycle, a rose-coloured velvet rocking chair, a girl who didn’t know her name after a fall but walked home anyway. These are the textures of real life, and in Muller’s hands they become something extraordinarily moving. Both tracks sit within her landmark dual album release – ‘In Between’ and ‘Paper Stars’ – available now via M.I.C. Music Productios, a body of work that announces her as one of Canada’s most compelling and authentic voices in the singer-songwriter tradition.
Carla Muller lives in Woolwich, Ontario with her husband Tom and their three children, and writes with the conviction of someone who knows exactly what – and who – matters most. « I write from my heart, for the people I love, and for myself – past and present, » she says. « It’s a good place to be. » « That Tree » and « Everything’s Gonna Be Alright » are out now. Both songs are destined to find the people who need them most.
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Eric Alper
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Rising Pop Star Supertrendt Soundtracks America’s Most Dreaded Day With « Tax Day » Out April 10
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Every year on April 15, millions of Americans file their taxes. Some dread it. Some dodge it. Nobody has ever celebrated it. Until now.
Tax Day just got a soundtrack. “Tax Day,” out April 10, is a chic, danceable retro-swing pop track by Dutch independent artist Supertrendt that turns April 15 into something worth putting on the calendar. Think Caro Emerald meets Dua Lipa: sophisticated, ironic, and impossible not to move to. It acknowledges the dread, celebrates what taxes pay for — “Streetlights still shining / Bridges that hold / Classrooms and clinics / Heat in the cold” — and makes the whole thing feel like a party rather than a punishment.
“Every country has its version of Tax Day,” says Richard van den Boogaard, the Dutch artist and composer behind Supertrendt. “But America made it a cultural moment. It deserved a soundtrack. Nobody had written one yet, so I did.”
The song arrives at a moment when the conversation about who pays taxes and who doesn’t have never been louder. “Tax Day” doesn’t take sides. It takes the floor. The chorus — “Call it a celebration / Circle it and pay / Do the math, sign your name / Yay, it’s Tax Day” — carries the whole irony of the song in a single word. “The ‘yay’ was deliberate,” says van den Boogaard. “That one word carries the whole irony.”
Supertrendt is a Netherlands-based studio project crafting narrative pop without a fixed identity. Each release reshapes genre to serve the story, moving fluidly between deep house, alternative electronic textures, reggae warmth, noir minimalism, and introspective pop. The catalogue unfolds across four evolving series — Transformations, Observations, Reimaginations, and Celebrations — exploring reinvention, perception, and cultural reflection through emotionally precise writing. “Tax Day” lands in the Celebrations series. Van den Boogaard produces all music independently, treating the studio as a instrument in the tradition of Quincy Jones, Jean-Michel Jarre, and the producers who built entire sonic worlds.
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THE CELTIC TENORS RELEASE ‘LIVE AT THE EMPIRE THEATRE’- IRELAND’S CELEBRATED VOCAL TRIO DELIVERS THEIR FINEST HOUR
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Ireland’s internationally acclaimed vocal trio The Celtic Tenors — founding member Matthew Gilsenan, Daryl Simpson BEM, and dynamic new tenor George Hutton — have released their highly anticipated live album, The Celtic Tenors: Live at The Empire Theatre, out now through Slammin’ Media and Believe Distribution. Captured in a single electrifying evening at The Empire Theatre in Belleville, Ontario, the 16-track record documents a trio at the very peak of their powers, delivering a breathtaking blend of Irish folk, opera, classical, and pop in their signature, harmony-rich style.
The album arrives on the heels of an extraordinary period of momentum for the trio. Their PBS television special — showcasing Matthew Gilsenan, George Hutton, and Daryl Simpson performing opera, classical, Irish traditional, and pop music in their signature harmony-rich style — is available to stream on PBS.org and the free PBS App across multiple platforms. The special has significantly expanded their American audience, airing on stations from WNET in New York to KVCR in Los Angeles.
Critical reception to the album’s lead singles has been enthusiastic. Reviewing the trio’s bilingual rendition of Ed Sheeran’s « Perfect Symphony, » ATV Today called it « less a cover than a re-framing: a contemporary pop ballad recast as something intimate, almost devotional, » adding that the performance « carries the faint electricity of a room holding its breath. » The review concluded that the recording demonstrates not commercial endurance but artistic patience — proof that crossover need not mean compromise, but simply means conversation between genres, languages, and past and present.
The Celtic Tenors: Live at The Empire Theatre is a dynamic crossover concert that redefines the traditional Irish music experience, featuring a diverse repertoire blending iconic Irish folk songs with operatic and melodic reinterpretations of global hits by Guns N’ Roses, Coldplay, and Ed Sheeran. The full 16-track album spans the heartfelt intimacy of « Grace » and the rousing energy of « Galway Girl » to stunning interpretations of « Sweet Child O’ Mine » and « Viva La Vida, » alongside timeless Irish staples « Danny Boy, » « Whiskey In The Jar, » and « The Impossible Dream. »
Supporting the trio throughout are music director Colm O’Regan at grand piano, Darren Bell on guitars and mandolin, John O’Brien on pipes, whistles, and bouzouki, and Cecilia Leahy on violin. Together they create what ATV Today described as a performance where the supporting ensemble resists flourish in favour of texture — leaving space for breath, for phrasing, and for the kind of dynamic shading that studio polish often smooths away.
Matthew Gilsenan, the Kells, County Meath native whose emotive tenor has captivated audiences from New York to Shanghai, brings his characteristic storytelling warmth throughout. Daryl Simpson BEM — whose British Empire Medal recognises his dedication to peace and reconciliation through music — adds operatically trained power and nuanced artistry. George Hutton, the Derry-born tenor whose collaborations have ranged from Hozier to legendary Irish composer Phil Coulter, infuses the trio with fresh energy and contemporary sensibility. Together, they have earned their place among Ireland’s most successful classical-crossover acts while maintaining a rare balance of skill and personality — and over two decades and more than one million albums sold worldwide, their appeal, as the critics confirm, remains gloriously undimmed. A tour of Ireland is planned for later this fall, with the trio returning to North America for their celebrated Celtic Christmas 2026 tour.
The Celtic Tenors: Live at The Empire Theatre is out now on all major streaming platforms and available for purchase through Slammin’ Media and Believe Distribution.
2026 TOUR DATES:
June 26, 2026 — Ceili at the Castle, Hillsborough, UK
Play It Loud! How Toronto Got Soul’ Puts Jay Douglas and Reggae History Where They Belong
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CBC Radio: “Jay Douglas finally gets his flowers!”
Exclaim:« An entertaining celebration of one of the key architects of the Toronto sound”
JAZZ FM: « Beloved Toronto music legend Jay Douglas is finally getting his flowers! Proud to see his story come to life through this film!”
Reggae North: “A landmark event in Canadian music history!”
Sly Dunbar: “The Lou Rawls of Jamaican music”
Play It Loud! — How Toronto Got Soul, the feature documentary documentary, directed by Graeme Mathieson, produced by Andrew Munger (Once Were Brothers: Robbie Robertson and The Band), and Executive Produced by Clement Virgo (Brother, The Wire) has been nominated for 2026 Canadian Screen Awards for Best Biography or Arts Documentary Program or Series.
For much of the late 1960s and early 1970s, the Caribbean, Jamaican and reggae music scene in Toronto was almost unrivaled in North America in terms of quality and performers. Jay Douglas, lead singer of The Cougars and one of the biggest and brightest talents of that time, is the subject of this fantastic TVO Original documentary from Toronto’s Ultramagnetic Productions. Play It Loud! – How Toronto Got Soul enjoyed its World premiere at Toronto’s The Royal Theatre in October 2024, drawing a lineup around the block, before opening the Hot Docs Doc Soup season in December. Play it Loud! has gone on to play theatrically and in festivals across Canada, the U.S. and the U.K., winning laurels at the Yorkton Television Fest, New Orleans Black Film Festival, the U.K.’s Windrush Film Festival in Liverpool and the Los Angeles Pan African Film Festival.
Play It Loud! – How Toronto Got Soul traces Douglas’ life from his childhood in Jamaica to immigrating to Canada in his teenage years and residing in Toronto with a host of other Jamaica-born artists such as Jackie Mittoo, Leroy Sibbles and Wayne McGhie among others. With Toronto becoming a hotbed of Jamaican music, Douglas established himself as the lead singer of The Cougars, a fabulous group who performed a collage of genres (reggae/Caribbean/soul/ska/
Featuring appearances by Sly Dunbar, vocalist Jackie Richardson, Cadence Weapon (Rollie Pemberton), Lillian Allen, Adrian Miller, former MuchMusic host Michael Williams and many others, and the music of Bob Marley, Bo Diddley, James Brown, The Cougars and Wayne McGhie, Play It Loud was financed by TVO, Canada Media Fund, Telefilm, Ontario Creates, Rogers Documentary Fund, Knowledge Network BC and the Hot Docs–Slaight Family Fund.
Canada’s High Commission in Kingston, Jamaica is sponsoring the film’s Jamaican premiere on April 15, Canadian Film Day.
Ultramagnetic is in development on multiple projects including The Correspondent: Getting the Story is Half the Battle which examines the contemporary threat facing journalism through the life and career of legendary British/Canadian foreign correspondent Michael Maclear. The Correspondent is being developed with Ontario Creates and NHK Japan, with Takahiro Hamano, ex NHK exec as co-producer. Other projects include the series Sound Check: Tales From the Musical Underground. Equal parts Netflix’s Song Exploder and Parts Unknown, co-creator, Polaris Prize winning rapper Rollie Pemberton (Cadence Weapon) in the Anthony takes us on an immersive, intimate journey into the world of Canadian independent music. Also on the slate are Decrypted: Cybercrime, in development with true crime veteran Barbara Shearer, the “Untitled Science Project”, a top secret follow up to 2018’s successful Toxic Beauty, and Michael’s Wars, a scripted feature film.
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Eric Alper
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Canadian Blues Music Awards Crown First-Ever Winners at Landmark Toronto Gala
TORONTO, ON — The Canadian Blues Music Awards made history Monday night at The Phoenix Concert Theatre in Toronto, crowning the first-ever winners of Canada’s new national blues recognition programme across 16 competitive categories. The inaugural gala brought together the finest performers in Canadian blues for a landmark celebration that was more than an awards show. It was a statement about the depth, diversity, and resilience of blues music in this country.
The evening’s biggest winner was Brandon Isaak, who took home Electric Blues Recording of the Year, Blues Song of the Year for « Walkin’ With The Blues, » and Blues Guitarist of the Year, all for his album ‘Walkin’ With The Blues.’ Steve Marriner claimed Blues Producer of the Year for his work on three recordings: ‘Hear My Heart,’ Big Dave McLean’s ‘This Old Life,’ and David Gogo’s ‘YEAH!’ Sue Foley won Acoustic Blues Recording of the Year for ‘One Guitar Woman, A Tribute to the Female Pioneers of Guitar.’ Crystal Shawanda took Female Blues Vocalist of the Year for ‘Sing Pretty Blues,’ while Marcus Trummer claimed Male Blues Vocalist of the Year for ‘From The Start.’ Kenny « Blues Boss » Wayne won Blues Keyboard Player of the Year for ‘Ooh, Yeah!’, and Ollee Owens was named Emerging Blues Artist or Group of the Year for ‘Nowhere to Hide.’
The Canadian Blues Music Awards is a fully independent, incorporated national not-for-profit organization built from the ground up with a mandate to govern, develop, and operate Canada’s premier blues recognition programme. Initially formed in spring 2024 by Brant Zwicker and Cindy McLeod, the CBMA Governing Committee spent more than a year in extensive research, national consultation, and programme development before incorporating as an independent organization. All artist category awards are decided exclusively by a jury panel of industry professionals drawn from a national pool spanning radio, print, labels, engineering, production, promotion, academia, associations, festivals, and venues. « The Canadian Blues Music Awards represents a complete overhaul, » said Quisha Wint, Chair of the Toronto Blues Society. « A whole new programme created to serve the Canadian blues community with greater transparency, fairness, and unity from coast to coast to coast. »
Lifetime Achievement honours were presented to five foundational contributors to Canadian blues: Amos Garrett, Bobby Dean Blackburn, Kenny « Blues Boss » Wayne, Russell Jackson, and Tim Williams. The gala also featured live performances from Steve Marriner, Crystal Shawanda, Kenny « Blues Boss » Wayne, Brandon Isaak, and Dana Wylie of Secondhand Dreamcar, with host Danny Marks opening the evening. The after-party featured sets from emerging artist nominees Glenn Marais and The Mojo Train, Ollee Owens, JP LeBlanc, and Secondhand Dreamcar.
The Canadian Blues Music Awards are now established as the gold standard of blues recognition in Canada, a programme built on transparency, coast-to-coast representation, and a genuine commitment to the music and the people who make it.
2025 Canadian Blues Music Awards Winners:
Emerging Blues Artist or Group of the Year
Ollee Owens (Ollee Owens: Nowhere to Hide)
Blues Song of the Year
Brandon Isaak: Walkin’ With The Blues (Walkin’ With The Blues)
Acoustic Blues Recording of the Year
Sue Foley: One Guitar Woman, A Tribute to the Female Pioneers of Guitar
Electric Blues Recording of the Year Brandon Isaak: Walkin’ With The Blues
Blues Producer of the Year
Steve Marriner (Steve Marriner: Hear My Heart; Big Dave McLean: This Old Life; David Gogo: YEAH!)
Female Blues Vocalist of the Year
Crystal Shawanda (Crystal Shawanda: Sing Pretty Blues)
Male Blues Vocalist of the Year
Marcus Trummer (Marcus Trummer: From The Start)
Blues Guitarist of the Year
Brandon Isaak (Brandon Isaak: Walkin’ With The Blues)
Blues Keyboard Player of the Year
Kenny “Blues Boss” Wayne (Kenny “Blues Boss” Wayne: Ooh, Yeah!)
Blues Harmonica Player of the Year TIE
Guy Bélanger (Guy Bélanger: Postcards from London)
Steve Marriner (Steve Marriner: Hear My Heart; Big Dave McLean: This Old Life; David Gogo: YEAH!)
Blues Horn Player of the Year
Jerry Cook (Wailin’ Walker: All Fired Up)
Blues Drummer of the Year TIE:
Jim Casson (Davis Hall & The Green Lanterns: Canboro Canborough)
Sylvain “Sly” Coulombe (Chambers DesLauriers: Our Time To Ride)
Blues Bassist of the Year
Jasmine Colette (Blue Moon Marquee: New Orleans Sessions)
Blues Video of the Year
The Harpoonist: Show Me The Green (Did We Come Here To Dance)
Blues Industry Person of the Year TIE:
Bruce Morel (Morel Music International)
Ken Simms (Think Tank Music Network)
Lifetime Achievement Recipient
Tim Williams
Fan Favourite Award for Blues Artist or Group of the Year
Blue Moon Marquee
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Tom Wilson (Tehoháhake) Releases New Video « We Live In Dreams, » Co-Written With Tanya Talaga, Featured in Documentary Ni-Naadamaadiz: Red Power Rising
« We’re all gonna shine one day / we’ll stand our ground and never stray / rising tall with love and pride / while we live in dreams »
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TORONTO, ON — Celebrated Canadian musician, author, and visual artist Tom Wilson (Tehoháhake) today releases his luminous new video for « We Live In Dreams, » co-written with award-winning Anishinaabe journalist, storyteller, and filmmaker Tanya Talaga. Produced by Tom Wilson and mixed by Gary Furniss at The Stonehouse, the song is a stirring and deeply felt anthem of Indigenous resilience, cultural pride, and the unshakeable power of community, and arrives as one of the most meaningful recordings of Wilson’s remarkable career.
« We Live In Dreams » serves as the emotional centrepiece of the powerful new documentary Ni-Naadamaadiz: Red Power Rising, directed by Shane Belcourt and produced by Talaga’s production company Makwa Creative. The film resurrects and restores the buried history of a pivotal 1974 land-back occupation led by Louis Cameron, an Indian Residential School Survivor and founder of the Ojibway Warriors Society, an act of extraordinary courage that drew members of the American Indian Movement and ultimately brought the Native Caravan to Parliament Hill. Belcourt, who also directed and shot the song’s music video, brings the same unflinching visual storytelling to the single’s release.
The song was born from the creative partnership between two of Canada’s most essential Indigenous voices. Wilson and Talaga, whose groundbreaking books Seven Fallen Feathers and All Our Relations and Canadian Screen Award-winning docuseries The Knowing have reshaped conversations around Indigenous truth-telling, channelled the documentary’s spirit directly into the music. « We are here to give everything we’ve got to honour the warrior hearts who have dodged bullets, cut through razor wire and thrown their lives on the line to free the spirit of our people, » Wilson has said. « We are here to create art to fight the hate and the violence towards our people. We are here to tell the truth. We are here to stand for love and we are here to win with love. »
A multi-JUNO Award-winning artist known for his work with Blackie and the Rodeo Kings, Lee Harvey Osmond, and Junkhouse, as well as his bestselling memoir Beautiful Scars, Tom Wilson has spent decades building a body of work that honours his Mohawk heritage and insists on the truth. « We Live In Dreams » marks a new chapter in that legacy, a song written with intention, recorded with love, and offered to the world as both art and advocacy.
Ni-Naadamaadiz: Red Power Rising premieres on CBC’s Channel 1 on Sunday, May 24, 2026 at 9pm ET, with both versions available on CBC Gem beginning June 1, 2026. « We Live In Dreams » is available now on all streaming platforms. The single is released with funding support from the Ontario Arts Council, an agency of the Government of Ontario.
ABOUT TOM WILSON (Tehoháhake): Tom Wilson is a multi-JUNO Award-winning musician, bestselling author, and acclaimed visual artist whose work reflects his Mohawk heritage and lifelong dedication to truth-telling through art, music, and story. He is known for his work with Blackie and the Rodeo Kings, Lee Harvey Osmond, and Junkhouse, and as the author of the bestselling memoir Beautiful Scars.
ABOUT TANYA TALAGA: Tanya Talaga is an Anishinaabe journalist, author, filmmaker, and storyteller and the founder of Makwa Creative. She is best known for Seven Fallen Feathers, All Our Relations, and the Canadian Screen Award-winning docuseries The Knowing.
Steve Holt received his first JUNO nomination back in 1984 for The Lion’s Eyes in the Jazz Album of the Year category, and launched an international career performing with artists such as Archie Shepp, Eddie Henderson, Larry Coryell and James Moody.
But like many jazz musicians, Holt’s recording career eventually slipped out of the spotlight. His last album appeared in 2002, and for more than two decades he released nothing new. To many listeners, he had simply faded from view.
Now, at age 71, Holt has come roaring back with a new album of original music titled Impact — and it has brought him full circle with a 2026 JUNO nomination.
The record features a powerhouse quintet of some of Canada’s top jazz players and a set of fresh compositions that reflect the long arc of a life spent in jazz. One moment that has already drawn attention is Holt’s improvised solo piano interpretation of O Canada. Writing in The Aquarian, critic Mike Greenblatt said that « …what Holt does with the anthem is akin to what Hendrix did to the Star-Spangled Banner at Woodstock.”
It’s an unusual story in Canadian music — a musician still creating vital work after half a century in the art form and receiving a JUNO nomination more than forty years after his first.
Let me know if you’d like to do an interview with Steve, and I’ll be happy to set it up here, and thank you – as always – for your time and consideration!
Steve Holt Jazz Impact Quintet Nominated for 2026 JUNO Award – Jazz Album of the Year
The nomination for Jazz Album of the Year marks a major milestone for the acclaimed Canadian pianist, composer, and bandleader Steve Holt.
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IMPACT was made with intention, honesty, and letting great musicians bring the music fully to life. Being nominated for a JUNO is an honour I truly didn’t expect.”
— Steve Holt
TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA – The Steve Holt Jazz Impact Quintet has received a 2026 JUNO Award nomination for Jazz Album of the Year for their latest release, IMPACT — marking a major milestone for the acclaimed Canadian pianist, composer, and bandleader Steve Holt.
The nomination recognizes IMPACT as one of Canada’s most compelling jazz recordings of the year. The album showcases Holt’s return as a leader and composer, supported by a powerhouse quintet featuring Perry White (saxophone), Kevin Turcotte (trumpet), Duncan Hopkins (bass), and Terry Clarke (drums) — five of the country’s most respected jazz musicians.
Released in 2025, IMPACT has drawn positive critical attention from around the world for its musical depth, high-level ensemble interplay, and Holt’s distinctive compositional voice. Jack Kenny, at All About Jazz (USA) described IMPACT as “An intense album bursting with creativity. FOUR STARS”. Gordon J ack, at Jazz Journal (UK) said “This is Canadian jazz at its finest.” And Thierry De Clemensat, from Paris Move (France) concluded “Impact stands as a vibrant new chapter in Steve Holt’s storied career, rooted in tradition, yet resonating firmly in the now.”
Steve Holt is a two-time JUNO-nominated pianist whose career spans more than four decades. He was McGill University’s first-ever Bachelor of Music program majoring in Jazz Performance and later studied in New York City with legendary pianist Kenny Barron. Holt released his JUNO-nominated debut album The Lion’s Eyes in 1983 and has since performed with jazz greats including Archie Shepp, Larry Coryell, James Moody, Eddie “Cleanhead” Vinson, Bob Mover, and Michel Urbaniak.
The JUNO nomination for IMPACT marks Holt’s return to national recognition as a leader and composer and further establishes Steve Holt as a leading force on today’s Canadian jazz sta ge.
< br>The 2026 JUNO Awards will be presented March 27th in Hamilton Ontario, celebrating excellence in Canadian music across all genres.
MARIO PUGLIA EARNS JUNO NOMINATION FOR LATIN MUSIC RECORDING OF THE YEAR
Bilingual Artist Recognised for Debut Album ‘‘He Sanado Varias Cosas’’ – A Layered, Soulful Exploration of Healing, Identity, and Growth
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TORONTO, ON – Bilingual indie-pop and Latin Urban artist Mario Puglia has received a JUNO Award nomination for Latin Music Recording of the Year for his debut album ‘He Sanado Varias Cosas’, released via ABC Music. The recognition marks a landmark moment for the Toronto-raised multi-instrumentalist, whose warm, genre-defying sound – built at the intersection of Indie-Pop, R&B, and Latin Urban – has quietly been winning hearts across both English and Spanish-speaking audiences. The JUNO Awards Gala Presented by Music Canada takes place on Saturday, March 28th in Hamilton, Ontario, with The JUNO Awards Broadcast airing live nationwide on CBC and CBC Gem, and globally on CBC Music’s YouTube channel, on Sunday, March 29th at TD Coliseum.
Self-taught on guitar, keys, and drums, Puglia brings a rare totality to his artistry: he writes, produces, and performs with the same fluid ease with which he navigates between Spanish and English. Born in Caracas and raised in Toronto, he carries both worlds in his music without choosing between them, building what he describes as a “refuge” for anyone who has ever felt like a citizen of nowhere and everywhere at once. His sound is warm and golden, impossible to pin to a single shelf – and ‘He Sanado Varias Cosas’ is its fullest expression yet.
The title of the album translates to “I’ve Healed Several Things” – and the deliberate incompleteness of that phrase is the point. ‘He Sanado Varias Cosas’ does not claim total healing. It acknowledges progress. Written across different cities and emotional seasons, the record documents a process rather than a conclusion, moving through anxiety, self-worth, presence, nostalgia, forgiveness, identity, and joy with the kind of honesty that requires both courage and humour. Sonically, the album blends organic textures with contemporary pop production, grounded yet expansive – reflective of a life lived between coastal calm and global cities. It is, as Puglia frames it, not a destination but a checkpoint: music for people who are growing in real time.
Two singles from the album offer a vivid window into the album’s emotional world. “Paz y Felicidad” was born at a writing retreat on a farm just outside Medellín – in a space owned by a manager who also worked with J Balvin – where Puglia gathered with producers Juan Cerro, Geogy Mills, and Pablo Melov. The song’s spark came from two Golden Retrievers on the property named Paz and Felicidad, who spent their days cheerfully chasing everyone with a tennis ball. “Peace and happiness are always chasing us, inviting us to play,” Puglia reflects. “Yet we often push them away, distracted or overwhelmed.” The song – and its video, filmed at Centro Ítalo, the Caracas soccer club where Puglia spent his childhood – became a joyful reminder to turn around and say yes.
The album’s second single, “vision board,” charts a quieter but equally resonant territory. Written in Ciudad de México during a period of relentless travel and emotional expansion, it captures what Puglia calls the duality of growth: “Nostalgia for where you come from and gratitude for where you are becoming.” Its lyrics carry that feeling with characteristic lightness: “Olvidar lo que me preocupa / me da chance para respirar / aunque esté lejos de casa / ¡qué bien se siente estar acá!” The video was shot in La Guaira, Venezuela – the oceanside neighbourhood where Puglia grew up – featuring archival footage of his parents and his younger self, surfing, yoga, and the intimate details of a life fully inhabited. It is, like the album itself, a love letter to presence.
With his JUNO nomination, Mario Puglia steps into a wider national spotlight as one of Canada’s most compelling emerging bilingual voices – an artist whose music speaks fluently to the complexity of the diaspora experience, and whose debut album stands as one of the year’s most emotionally generous records. ‘He Sanado Varias Cosas’ is available now on all streaming platforms. The winners will be revealed on stage in Hamilton, Ontario at The JUNO Awards Gala Presented by Music Canada on Saturday, March 28th, and The JUNO Awards Broadcast at TD Coliseum on Sunday, March 29th, live nationwide on CBC and CBC Gem and globally on CBC Music’s YouTube channel.
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