Watch Saint and the Full 100 Band and Melafrique groove at Road to the Junos
The bands played reggae-infused sets at Alberta Avenue Community Hall in Edmonton
To celebrate the 52nd Juno Awards taking place in Edmonton, CBC Music and the Junos 2023 Edmonton Host Committee present Road to the Junos, a concert series spotlighting local musicians in the Albertan capital.
For the second set of performances, Afro-fusion band Melafrique opened for Saint and the Full 100 Band, with both groups bringing the sounds of the Caribbean to the stage at Alberta Avenue Community Hall.
"Family, thank you for coming out tonight, our name is Melafrique which means melanin from Africa," Melafrique's bassist, Leshan Masikonte, told the crowd before launching into "Kind Goodbyes," a bouncy, funk-fuelled track. Sounds of reggae and R&B crop up throughout the entire set, with the group grooving along.
Saint and the Full 100 Band kept the summery vibe in full swing, giving a smooth performance of "Girl Like You" and other upbeat reggae songs, including a cover of Bob Marley and the Wailers' "Jamming."
"We have so much talent in Alberta, it's ridiculous," Saint, the band's lead singer and drummer, told CBC Music.
The crowd bopped along as the band harmonized and swayed to the rhythm.
You can watch both performances above.
Simu Liu is back to host the 2023 Juno Awards on Monday, March 13, at 8 p.m ET. Tune in on CBC, CBC Gem, CBC Radio One, CBC Music and CBC Listen, and stream globally on cbcmusic.ca/junos.
