sept 17 - sept 23, 2020
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arts & culture
9
Moving at a different frequency
How TOVA changed lanes and made waves isaac adeoluwa atayero contributer On June 1, student musician TOVA took to Instagram to thank his followers and supporters for getting his debut single “Fleeting’’ (feat. Tami) to 3,500 streams on Spotify. It was a moment of reflection for the singer and a true testament to the difference a year can make. This time last year, the persona TOVA wasn’t in existence. In fact, everyone referred to TOVA with a different name – his given name, Victor Adeolu Oriola. Oriola was about to enter his third year as a Psychology major at the university and had been occupying the role of student body president of University of Regina’s Student’s Union for a couple months after a landslide victory. There were many things on the mind of the new URSU executive but music making was not one of them. “This time last year I was focused on having a successful term as URSU President and navigating the welcome week events,” Oriola said. The focus definitely paid off because Oriola truly did have a successful term. Whether it was tackling food insecurity in the student population by increasing the number of times the URSU Pantry and URSU breakfast took place, employing the services of a Sexual Health Outreach Coordinator or even implementing a summer U-Pass, Oriola and team gave their constituents their best. Sometimes, however, the best
is not enough. This was the case when Oriola lost the presidential race for a second term earlier this year to Gurjinder Singh Lehal. After giving so much of himself to a job that he cared so much about, Oriola had to find a way to find a new normal in his new reality. It was time for him to start a new journey with an old friend, music. “The result of the election allowed me to focus on new projects that excite me and allowed me to reinvent myself,” he said. “Being surrounded by a lot of talented musicians that are continually striving to improve motivated me to be brave and try something I could immerse myself and channel my energy.” Enter TOVA. Everything about Oriola’s journey as an artist has been marked with intentionality and elevation. His debut single, “Fleeting” (feat. Tami), was released on May 15 to much acclaim as the same students who used to share his election campaign posters began to share the artwork for his new song. It was a weird time for everyone. “The music and the self expression that comes with it marked a shift from the perception that people otherwise have of me,” Oriola said. “That, by itself, is fairly dramatic in its own right and did not necessarily require any additional effort to delineate the difference between the two facets of my life.” While TOVA’s music was well received, he joined artists all over the world in figuring out how to promote new material during a
pandemic and a time of social unrest. “While there are more important issues to be addressed than the publication of music, it is also important for us as a society to have stories portraying Black people outside of the lens of victims fighting against unjust systems,” he said. “While we should call attention to these unjust systems, it is also important for us to create a space for Black expression.” Following the events which occurred at the time of the release, TOVA took a break from promoting “Fleeting” and worked to draw attention to social issues. He performed a cover of Cynthia Erivo’s “Stand Up” at the Black Lives Matter protest in Regina with a group of musicians and continued to advocate for BIPOC lives everywhere. During this time, however, he was also putting the finishing touches on his upcoming debut EP and his latest record, “Frequency” (feat. Zweii). Creating during this time was essential to the singer/songwriter because for him it is essential to show that “there is space for Black people to succeed – to tell stories in which they are protagonists and removed from the conventional framing where they are often portrayed as people that things happen to. We need to tell stories of people doing cool and awesome things too.” TOVA has indeed been doing awesome things. “Frequency,” which was released on August 28, has already amassed over 2,500
Isaac Adeoluwa Atayero
Victor Adeolu Oriola has reinvented himself as TOVA
listens across all streaming platforms. He performed a four song set at Regina’s oldest music venue, The Exchange, and has had his music played on 91.3FM CJTR and CBC Radio One Saskatoon. While all these accomplishments are remarkable in their own right, it is his work ethic that truly stands out as exceptional. His frequent collaborator and A-list mixing engineer, Walter Ernest, describes watching TOVA make music at Blue Door Recording as nothing short of genius. “Not only is he an exceptional vocalist, he can hear entire orchestrations, complex rhythms and layers of harmonies in his
head,” Ernest said. “His ability to bring together a room full of talented musicians to bring his vision to life is admirable. All this cannot be mentioned without saying how good of a friend and colleague he is to everyone in his path.” As TOVA enters his final year at the U of R, he has quite a journey to look back on. Switching gears and evolving with such ease in little to no time is no easy feat but TOVA has been able to do with an air of sophistication, grace and poise. Although it is impossible to tell what TOVA will be up to in a year, one thing is for sure, he will continue to live his truth at his own frequency.
Nothing short of the best: The Lancaster Taphouse Big news for Regina’s Lancaster Taphouse! joseph holoein arts writer Since 2013, The Lancaster has been providing the Queen City with the very best. With a freshly revised menu following their COVID closure and award-winning chef Joel Williams at the helm, this place should be your next visit. The Lancaster is located in Harbour Landing along Gordon Road. It is a welcoming restaurant with a great layout for socializing. There’s an elevated section near the windows with chairs, and while this spot is great for casual dining it would also work perfectly for a job interview or semi-casual meeting. There’s a mix of chairs and booths, and the large booths are always a highlight for when you go with friends. The bar area is also a great space with televisions and 13 local beer taps. Clearly, the taphouse Draws inspiration from the British Isles and beyond. “We feature a traditional pub menu based on the classic traditions of the Irish, Scottish, English, German and North American public houses,” said Tim
Rogers, one of the owners. While many of these inspirations are grounded with their roots in historical Europe, The Lancaster puts an original spin on the concept by supporting local. “The Lancaster is local,” said Rogers. “From as much locally sourced product as we can, to being proudly part of the local sports, arts, and music community.” There are a number of ways to get the best experience out of visiting the The Lancaster, but my personal advice is to bring friends, order the ale pretzels, and try a flight or “plank” of beers. It’s a great way to experience the unique flavours of some of Saskatchewan’s most talented breweries. The prices are relatively cheap for the quality, and in the past (though this has been temporarily suspended), Happy Hour was always a highlight. Executive chef Joel Williams was born and raised in Regina and holds 24 years of professional experience. “[He trained] with some of this city and province’s top chefs along the way,” said Rogers “Joel is the creative culinary force be-
hind both the Lancaster and the Capitol Restaurant and Bar, which we unfortunately had to close due to COVID.” During the shutdown, however, Williams and Rogers worked on rebuilding their classic menu. “All this time gave us the freedom to really deep dive and carefully craft this new menu that we are so proud of,” said Rogers. Still, COVID hasn’t been easy on this local institution. “[Lancaster’s is] currently av-
eraging about 25 per cent of normal sales at this time,” said Rogers. “We are fortunate to live in a city, province, and country who have all provided and continue to provide help to see us through this time.” And they are also taking precautions to keep the staff and in-person diners safe. Right now, the tables are placed at a minimum of two metres apart and there is a six-customer-per-table limit. All members of staff wear
masks and sanitize their hands, and the bar - a high-contact area - is behind plexiglass. They have also made digital menus available to reduce unnecessary contact. When I asked about any exciting future plans, Rogers said that big things are coming. “We are incredibly excited to announce ... that The Lancaster will be opening its second location downtown this fall!” Now, that’s some news we can toast to!
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The Lancaster features 13 local beers on tap.
