Toronto’s In-Kloo-Siv Voices Will Host Their Inaugural Pride Concert On Sunday June 4

A new gospel and RnB choir is hosting “We Like to Party – with Pride!” this weekend. The celebration of joy, harmony, diversity, also features award-winning vocalist James Bailey…

By Jenna Marie Pinard

The first weekend of Pride Month is here and what better way to celebrate than with music, community and inclusivity- three core values of In-Kloo-Siv Voices, a new Toronto-based gospel and RnB choir whose purpose is to celebrate diversity and inclusion through the joy of singing. The choir is hosting their Inaugural Pride Concert this Sunday, June 4 at TCE on Sterling, with two show times: 2pm and 7pm. 

In-Kloo-Siv Voices is more than just a choir. “We are a family,” says founding member and artistic director Jacen Duncan. “We Like to Party… With Pride!” is the title of their concert and it is named with a specific purpose: to celebrate harmony, to gather as a community, and to unabashedly bask in queer joy.

The concert will feature special guest vocalist James Baley, a Juno award winning music creator and multi-disciplinary artist. “It’s so important to me that we highlight and celebrate queer black artists here in Toronto,” says Jacen, “We are beyond excited and honoured to have James Baley singing and collaborating with us.  It’s a dream come true.”

In-Kloo-Siv Voices has one mission: To transcend barriers of race, religion, gender identity and sexual orientation through music. In-Kloo-Siv’s Director of Operations, Kaitlin Lane, says that their goal is to “create a brave space to be a welcoming, inclusive environment where members can feel valued and supported.” 

Although the choir prides itself on being queer-run and a brave space for the LGBTQ+ community, not all members identify as queer. Andrea Burton, a chorister and long-time supporter of director Jacen’s dream of creating this choir, believes that one shows allyship and support by doing what Rihanna said at the NAACP Image Awards: “Pull-up,” “Pull-up when people are suffering. Pull-up when people in your community are spewing hate. Pull-up when In-Kloo-Siv Voices is putting on their Pride Concert!”

Tickets for In-Koo-Siv’s Pride concert are going fast, so make sure to get yours today. Oh, and bring the tissues – tears of joy and euphoria are a likely possibility. 

In-Kloo-Siv Voices’ inaugural Pride concert will take place this Sunday, June 4 at TCE on Sterling, 213 Sterling Road, Unit 107B in Toronto. Tickets are $30 each. To purchase tickets, visit visit www.eventbrite.ca. For more information on In-Kloo-Siv Voices visit www.inkloosivvoices.ca.