DJ Kookum and Sierra Baker / Missy D, presented by Coastal Jazz and Granville Island's Winter Jazz Festival

Kookum is an Indigenous DJ and videographer from the Alexis Nakota Sioux Nation, and Cold Lake First Nations, their maternal Denesuline traditional territory. Based in Vancouver, Kookum has been making a name for themself across the country and here at home. Kookum is an open format DJ but grew up listening to EDM and Hip Hop music. With club residencies, one-off gigs, and through work as the official DJ for Snotty Nose Rez Kids, this diverse mix diva slays on the decks and always keeps it hype, fresh, and unpredictable. In addition to DJing, Kookum works as a video editor and music supervisor for a children’s television series entitled Coyote Science, facilitates videography and DJ workshops, operates sound and lighting for community dance parties, and works as a DJ mentor at a weekly youth drop-in program called The Hip Hop Drop. Sierra Tasi Baker is an award-winning Squamish Nation, Coast Salish, Kwakwaka’wakw, Tlingit, Haida, and Hungarian designer, community consultant, entrepreneur, artist, and storyteller. Sierra is a trained contemporary dancer with over 12 years of experience in the performing arts. Sierra began performing as a professional fire and circus performance artist in 2013, starting the process of combining circus arts and contemporary dance with Coastal values, material culture, and protocols. Sierra is one of the choreographers for Butterflies in Spirit, an Indigenous dance group that raises awareness for Murdered and Missing Indigenous Womxn started by #MMIW activist Lorelei Williams. Sierra has a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Design from the University of British Columbia and a Master’s in Sustainable Urbanism from University College London (UK). In addition to her movement work she also recently served as a consultant and curator for Vancouver Mural Festival. _________ Missy D is a bilingual emcee born and raised around the Motherland of Rwanda, Cote d'Ivoire, and Zimbabwe. She's been rapping since she was 11 years old in both French and English, and represents a blend of African cultures in her life-force and in her music, fusing hiphop, rap, and R&B with what she calls Rap & Soul. You will hear influences like MC Solaar, Diams, Erykah Badu, India Arie, J. Cole, Missy Elliott, and Lauryn Hill echoing through her voice, which has taken her to SXSW, Juno Fest, and numerous other national festivals. She has performed with the likes of Busty and the Bass, Maestro Fresh Wes, Jully Black, Nomadic Massive, Sons of Kemet, Mr. Eazi, Snotty Nose Rez Kids, and The Sorority. In March 2020, Missy D dropped her second EP entitled Yes Mama, which followed her journey through grief— a topic that is especially relevant given its launch at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. With her stellar band, featuring Vinay Lobo guitar, Dave Taylor bass, and Ian Cardona drums, she embraces diversity across instruments, musical genres, and most of all, people!