HAVIAH MIGHTY TURNS UP THE HEAT WITH MALA RODRÍGUEZ ON FLAMENCO
THIRTEEN WINS THE 2021 PRISM PRIZE
STOCK EXCHANGE MIXTAPE SET FOR RELEASE THIS FALL
PERFORMING IN ONTARIO AND BC THIS SUMMER WITH DEBUT AT FOCUS WALES IN OCTOBER
Listen to Flamenco and watch the visualizer by BlackPowerBarbie here.
Produced by Haviah Mighty and long-time collaborator, Taabu (known for his work on 13th Floor standout, Wishy Washy), this spicy international collaboration transcends continent and genre. Mala Rodríguez has held a prolific career for over two decades, collaborating with the likes of Big Freedia, Stylo G, and Juan Magán to being featured on President Barack Obama’s Summer Spotify Playlist in 2015, with her song, Yo Marco El Minuto, and named as one of NPR’s 200 Greatest Songs by 21st Century Women.
“With this one, I wanted to try something different! Inspired by the cultural influences behind flamenco, this song allowed me to be a guest in a new genre. Mala Rodríguez really brought this record home - her verse added authenticity, sensuality and pizzazz. She has a great voice and message, and with her Spanish roots, I felt that she spoke to the energy of the song more directly than I ever could,” Haviah says. “It's a feel-good song, with the intention of resonating on a dance floor, with the bass pulsing as heavily as the sweat on one's brow as they hit their moves. This song is quite literally a vibe!”
Flamenco will appear on Haviah’s new mixtape, Stock Exchange, set for release this fall, which is the latest full length following her 2019 Polaris Music Prize-winning album, 13th Floor.
On July 26, Haviah’s video for Thirteen won the 2021 Prism Prize, a national, juried award established to recognize the artistry of the modern music video in Canada. The visual companion to the lead track from 13th Floor, was illustrated by Toronto artist, Theo Kapodistrias, referencing the Thirteenth Amendment and exposing the roots of systemic racism. It debuted on Canada Day (July 1) last year. Watch Thirteen.
In addition to Mala, Haviah's forthcoming Stock Exchange mixtape is an international endeavour that will include collaborations with UK artist, Yizzy (appearing on audio/visual, Protest), US artists Jalen Santoy (Way Too Fast) and Old Man Saxon (Antisocial), to Toronto artists TOBi (Good On My Own Tonight) and Grandtheft (Avocado), with more to be announced. The title refers to a reckoning Haviah had internally over the last year, connecting with how artists are forced to validate their value based on random data (followers, subscribers) and losing a part of the authentic human-to-human universal experience of art.
Last month, Haviah made her return to the road and stage, rocking festival stages across Ontario and Quebec. Toronto fans can experience her unparalleled live set with upcoming hometown shows, joining Arkells at Budweiser Stage on August 13, 14 and 15, followed by a set at CityView Drive-In alongside Shad and Skratch Bastid on August 27. Haviah will perform at Riverfest Elora’s Wish You Were Here festival on August 20 before heading to Westward Music Festival in Vancouver, British Columbia on September 12 and flying to the UK for her debut at FOCUS Wales. See below for full details.
Get familiar with Haviah Mighty’s work to date ahead of Stock Exchange and watch as she continues to rise in sound and vision on stages across Canada this summer.
Upcoming Tour Dates:
Friday, August 13: Toronto, ON @ Budweiser Stage w/ Arkells (Tickets)
Saturday, August 14: Toronto, ON @ Budweiser Stage w/ Arkells (Tickets)
Sunday, August 15: Toronto, ON @ Budweiser Stage w/ Arkells (Tickets)
Friday, August 20: Elora, ON @ Riverfest Elora’s Wish You Were Here - Elora Centre for the Arts (Tickets)
Friday, August 27: Toronto, ON @ Skratch Bastid & Friends - CityView Drive-In (Tickets)
Sunday, September 12: Vancouver, BC @ Westward Music Festival - The Imperial (Tickets)
Friday, August 8: Wrexham, Wales @ FOCUS Wales 2021 - Tŷ Pawb (Tickets)
Photo by Yung Yemi (@yung.yemi)
DOWNLOAD – Hi Res Press Photo | DOWNLOAD – Hi Res Artwork
We acknowledge the financial support of FACTOR, Canada’s private radio broadcasters, and Ontario Creates.
About Haviah Mighty
Haviah Mighty didn’t need to change her birth name when she decided to dedicate her career to music. Mighty could not better describe Haviah’s craft of provocative challenges and uncompromising truths.
Based out of Toronto, Haviah has spent a lifetime developing her skills as a songwriter, vocalist, producer, and performer culminating in a style of profound introspection and incisive socio-political critique. Her dynamic combinations of rap, song, and instrumental, transition seamlessly from hip-hop to soul to afrobeats with a meticulous flow and cadence that transcends any traditional expectation of genre. 2019 saw Haviah earn break-out success with her album, 13th Floor, garnering overwhelming praise from publications such as Pitchfork and Billboard, and making her the first hip-hop artist and the first Black woman to win the Polaris Music Prize, celebrating the “best Canadian album of the year”.
In 2020, the recognition spread internationally. Haviah made an acclaimed appearance on Sway in the Morning, impressing with a performance of immaculate flow and fierce lyricism, “showing you something you NEED to be looking at.” Likewise, in the UK, BBC Radio 1’s Jack Saunders recognized Haviah as “one of the most exciting new rappers out there.”
2021 might have seen Haviah’s momentum stalled by a certain global pandemic…But for Haviah, attrition is met with defiance, and hardship with inspiration. She describes the enforced solitude of lockdown as not an obstacle, but “a window of immense opportunity” to develop the art that has always been a realization of deep contemplation and self-examination. Haviah pushes forward continuing to carve out spaces that boldly defy gendered expectations for women in hip-hop.
Stay locked in for new projects to challenge, move, and entertain, coming your way soon. Unyielding and irresistible - Haviah Mighty will be heard.