When Ayra Starr and Rema graced the 2025 Global Citizen Festival stage, the air buzzed with something that felt bigger than just afrobeats. A sound once defined by West African dancefloors has now expanded across continents, shapeshifting into afro-R&B, afro-pop, alté, afro-soul and whatever hyphenate conjured by the hands on the microphone. It’s not an all encompassing term for music out of Africa, as Tyla cheekily noted in her 2024 MTV Awards acceptance speech. Afrobeats is a musical passport with no expiry date.
Amongst other strong indicators since Wizkid’s collab with Drake on ‘One Dance’ and Ayra Starr’s opening for Coldplay during their Toronto tour stop this summer, Canada has appended a big red maple stamp on that travel document.
Below, we spotlight six artists currently shaping the growing Canadian afrobeats scene, performing at sold-out festivals to EP listening parties and packed-out lounges.
Nonso Amadi
Rising to prominence with his successful single ‘Tonight’ followed closely by soulful features like ‘System Fail’, Nonso easily leads the Canadian afrobeats conversation. Based in Kitchener, ON, the singer-producer has built a lane that fuses Afrobeats and RnB, marrying vulnerability with groove.
Nonso’s music doesn’t yell for attention; it pulls you in and if you’ve caught one of his live sets this year, you know it’s only a matter of time before he headlines a global tour of his own.
His 2025 has been nothing short of a sprint: a crowd-pleasing set at Afrovibes Festival organized by Digimillenials in his home base, and an electrifying performance at Grill for the Hills in Toronto this September.
He recently released “Dive In,” a smooth, introspective single that teases the emotional depth of his forthcoming EP To Cry a Flood.
Sewa
Toronto’s Sewa has a voice that floats above the beat. Her warm, expressive style is a blend of Afrobeats, soul, and jazz that makes for a fine fixture in the city’s fast-growing Afro-diasporic scene. This February, she opened for the legendary Asa at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre, even sharing the stage for a duet that left the crowd in awe and earned her Asa’s public admiration.
Sewa’s 2025 has been nothing short of meteoric. She released two singles, “Asiko” and “Lagos Lovin”, and took home the Best New Solo Artist award at the Mississauga Music Awards. Her next stop? The Lula Lounge on October 26, where she’ll likely turn the venue into a Lagos-Toronto love story.
Taene
A rising star in the heart of the GTA, Taene is energy in human form. Her performances are part concert, part cultural exchange which is solid proof that North American crowds are hungry for live afrobeats energy. This year, she opened for Chike on his Boo of the North Canadian tour, and brought fire to the MOD Club headlining their Nigeria Independence Edition show.
Her single “Bak2Bak” showcases her blend of swagger and melodic control, while her upcoming EP See You at the Top (previewed during a listening party at Dopamine Lounge) cements her as one of the city’s most promising Afrobeats voices. If you’re not following her yet, you’re late but she’ll forgive you once you catch her live.
Poncho YBF
On the other side of the country, Poncho (aka Poncho YBF) is turning British Columbia into a new hub for the genre. Hailing from Vancouver Island, he’s been steadily building a loyal following through energetic, rhythm-driven performances. In 2025, he performed at the Common Ground Festival in Langford Station and headlined the Eventide Music Series finale at Centennial Square which is a rare feat for an independent Afro-Canadian artist.
Poncho’s music is sun-kissed and crowd-ready. This Ghanaian serves afrobeats filtered through the lens of the Pacific Northwest. His lyrics bounce between celebration and reflection, mirroring the dual identity of a generation raised between continents.
Amstag
Amstag might not be a household name yet, but on the festival circuit, his name carries weight. This year alone, he performed at Cranium Festival 2025 in Ogilvy Square and Afro Festival Ottawa, earning nods for his exquisite live shows and genre-blending sound.
His upcoming single “Ressur,” featuring Gift Eber, is expected to drop before year’s end and insiders in Ottawa’s music scene are already calling it a sleeper hit in the making.
His music is unpolished in the best way; vibrant, unpredictable, and soaked in street-level realism. If Nonso is the architect, Amstag is the agitator and the Canadian afrobeats movement needs both.
Tome
No conversation about afrobeats in Canada is complete without mentioning Tome, whose trajectory has been pure fireworks. The Juno Award–winning artist blends afrobeats, R&B, and pop with the confidence of someone who knows she’s redefining the map. Her 2025 single “Mumu” dropped in August to glowing reviews, balancing sass and vulnerability in a way that feels refreshingly modern.
Tome’s success proves that Canadian-based afrobeats is an evolving sound with international credibility. She’s the kind of artist whose career forces both Canadian and African industries to rethink what “local” even means.
Whether it’s Sewa serenading at Lula Lounge, Taene turning up at Dopamine Lounge, or Nonso Amadi tugging heartstrings at an open-air festival, these artists are pushing the boundaries of what afrobeats can be.
The Canadian afrobeats scene is no longer emerging; it has arrived. So pay close attention; the next global star might just be brewing right here in the North.
