Riley Dickinson is excited to join the Bent River Records team as a student intern for Winter, 2025. They’re in their second year in MacEwan’s Arts & Cultural Management program, with a prior diploma in theater performance. They’re a local drag performer and musician under the name Robin Hearts, releasing a debut album in 2024 and then being a featured performer at the Edmonton Drag Festival that following Summer and playing gigs across Alberta and BC. They’re thrilled to pieces to be on the “other side of the table”, and can’t wait for the knowledge, connections, and experience working with Bent River is sure to bring.

Leili is in her third year of the Bachelor of Music program, specializing in Recording and Production, with vocals as her main instrument. Her musical journey began at age 10 when she started learning the violin, which eventually led to her high school diploma in Classical Violin Performance in Iran. Passionate about music production, Leili’s long-term goal is to establish her own recording label and studio. She is thrilled to be interning with Bent River Record Label and is eager to learn the inner workings of the industry, including Bent River’s unique approach to engaging with artists, planning events and shows, and publishing music. Recently, she’s become deeply interested in experimenting with synthesizers and exploring electronic music.

Jussi, an exchange student from Finland, is thrilled to be joining Bent River Records for the Winter term of 2025, a unique opportunity provided by MacEwan University that allows students to get hands-on experience in the music industry. He is in his third year of studies at the University of Metropolia in the Bachelor of Music Program, and with that experience, he is excited to find out what prospects this exchange and internship at BRR has to offer. Jussi is deeply deeply involved in the music he makes, and wants to ensure that the outcome be as exquisite as possible. With a passion for producing, writing music, and mixing, he looks forward to learn from the talented team and gain valuable experience.

Xavier Svekla is one of the student interns at Bent River Records for the 2025 Winter Semester. Xavier is a fourth-year student in MacEwan’s Bachelor of Music program, majoring in Recording and Production. He has been a performing musician for many years, and by joining Bent River Records, he hopes to learn more about the business side of the music industry. Xavier plans to use and further develop his skills in event planning, live sound, and artist management with the Bent River team. While music is Xavier’s biggest passion, he is also interested in learning languages and traveling the world.

Montuno West @ The Yardbird Suite
Friday, November 29, 2024
Doors open at 7:00 PM
Show starts at 8:00 PM

Montuno West featuring Israel “Toto” Berriel releases their new Bent River Records album, Raíces.

Montuno West boasts an exciting and infectious sound strongly influenced by jazz, Afro-Cuban folklore and other Latin styles. A true blend of tradition and modern approaches keeps the band’s sound fresh, evocative, and, most importantly, uplifting. In 2019, the group won the Calgary Music Award for World Recording of the Year. It was also nominated for a Western Canadian Music Award in the World category.

Montuno West is excited to be joined by special guest Israel “Toto” Berriel (Vancouver/Cuba). Berriel is a traditional Afro-Cuban percussionist, vocalist, and educator. He played with the world’s best-known Rumba group, Los Muñequitos de Matanzas, for twelve years, where he mastered the Afro-Cuban repertoire. Toto is an exceptional performer and a naturally gifted vocalist with a distinctive sound. Although deeply rooted in Afro-Cuban traditions, he is also comfortable with jazz, soul, and funk. Originally from Matanzas, Cuba, Toto has toured worldwide and has made Canada his home since 2001.

Band members

Israel “Toto” Berriel, vocals and percussion
Chris Andrew, piano
Rubim de Toledo, bass
Raul Tabera, percussion
Luis Tovar, drums

Tickets will also be available at the door if not previously sold out online.

Brianna Lizotte spoke to Global News at Noon Edmonton on Thursday to talk about what led her to becoming a musician. Check out the interview here!

Bent River Records presents Brianna Lizotte @ The Aviary!

Thursday, November 21
The Aviary | 9313 111 Ave
Show starts at 8 p.m.
Tickets $12 at the door | FREE for students

Brianna Lizotte celebrates the release of her Bent River Records album, Winston & I.

This album is all about the ups and downs of the transition between her teenage years to adulthood: lively jigs written for family, spiralling mental breakdowns and accepting that not having the answer to everything is okay. This showcase will include all tunes from her two albums along with many tunes that she grew up hearing at family kitchen parties. Lizotte takes inspiration from her love for marching and concert band and fiddle music to create something new. The sound of the sax, trombone, electric guitar, and traditional folk fiddling will fill listeners with feelings of nostalgia, excitement, and the need to dance.

Brianna Lizotte is a fiddler currently living in Edmonton Alberta. She grew up in a household where music was played, whether it was from home videos or kitchen parties. At the age of 10, most of the musicians in her family passed away, so she took it upon herself to keep the music alive. This has led her to many opportunities, such as competing twice in the Canadian Grand Masters, music festivals across Alberta, and travelling to Rome to support the Métis delegates during their meetings with the Pope in 2022.

Apart from performing, Brianna can be found teaching fiddle lessons and Métis history through music and dance workshops and in studios recording for documentaries, EPs, singles, etc. Graduating from MacEwan University’s Bachelor of Music program in 2023, she looks forward to developing her voice within the Canadian music scene.

All ticket proceeds to MacEwan scholarships, awards and bursaries.

Meet Ijaz Janmohamed (he/him), an addition to the Bent River Records team for Fall 2024. A rising jazz saxophonist originally from Edmonton, Ijaz is a third-year student in MacEwan’s Bachelor of Music program. He is joining Bent River Records for a learning opportunity during which he can contribute and further develop his skills and interest in entrepreneurialism, public relations, relationship building, and student engagement practices. When he is not listening to music, Ijaz can be found with his special passions for creative writing, language-learning, and researching Asian-Islamic jazz fusion. Ijaz is very excited to join the team and engage deeper with MacEwan University’s and Edmonton’s broader arts communities!

We are excited to welcome Will Drake as another student intern at Bent River Records for the 2024 Fall Semester! Will is a third-year student in MacEwan’s Arts & Cultural Management program. Will aspires to build a career working ‘behind-the-scenes’ with local artists across all disciplines, having always been drawn to the music industry. A classically trained violinist, Will grew up with a passion for sharing stories, he continues to cultivate his interest for music and culture while working at the Winspear Centre for Music here in Edmonton. Will is excited to have the opportunity to learn alongside the rest of the Bent River team this semester and is eager to connect with an engaged community of students and artists alike!

Meet Karlee Mong, a fourth-year student studying Graphic Design here at MacEwan University. She recently joined the Bent River Records team as an intern and is very excited to have the opportunity to work with creative and like-minded individuals. Karlee graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Alberta and is in the process of completing her Bachelor of Design. She enjoys all things creative, spending time with her loved ones, and sipping on matcha.

Calling all artists!

In the spirit of MacEwan’s long history of artistic collaborations, Bent River Records (BRR) is offering an opportunity to have your design featured on collaborative original work.

This competition honours the continued support of MacEwan’s Provost and Vice-President, Academic, Dr. Craig Monk. His generous contributions to Bent River Records have made student opportunities like this possible. This contest is open to all currently enrolled MacEwan students.

ABOUT THE COMPETITION: Artists will submit original cover artwork for the winners of the Bent River Records Song Writing Competition series. Participants may take inspiration from the competition theme of “gratitude” and/or the two competition winners “Red Sky River” written by Sean Fulton, and “Phoenix Rising” written by Anika Carrier. Lyrics and demos for both songs may be found here.

SPECIFICATIONS: Each artist may submit up to two (2) original art pieces for consideration as 300 ppi jpegs. The final should be reproducable up to 12″ x 12″ (12” square plus 0.125” bleeds), CMYK, at 300ppi. However, entries may be submitted in RGB format and, if selected, the artist will work with an advisor to colour correct for print.

The selected artwork must meet these specifications, but the artist may otherwise determine their chosen medium and format. Use of conventional art mediums and mixed media are encouraged, as well as concepts that are open-to-interpretation and can appeal to a wide audience. Use of popular comic or anime genres are not sought for this call. The artist will also submit a one paragraph rationale (maximum of 150 words), explaining their process and how their submission connects to the songs provided.

Please, DO NOT include your name or signature on the art works and rationales since the final selection will be completed by an independent panel.

The winner will be announced at the upcoming Bent River Records Artist Spotlight on March 28th, on social media, and contacted individually.

PRIZE: $750.00 honorarium

DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS: 12:00 pm MST on April 12, 2024.

SUBMISSION LINK: https://forms.gle/BPHQD7R3LSqhsSWx7

TERMS & CONDITIONS: The author will retain all intellectual property, and BRR will only have the right to use the artwork for a limited run of CDs, vinyl, and/or digital release.

Adjudication will be completed by a panel of jurors selected by BRR, and will contain members of the Faculty of Fine Arts and Communication and representatives of BRR. The anonymity of entrants will be maintained; judges will not know the identity of the artists they are evaluating until after adjudication is complete.

Bent River Records values, promotes and prioritizes diversity, equity and inclusion in all of its work. We recognize the systemic barriers that have led to many artists being underrepresented and will continue to do work to amplify and uplift voices that reflect Edmonton’s diverse communities. We are committed to fostering an inclusive culture that represents diverse backgrounds.

Please contact bentriverrecords@macewan.ca if you have any questions.