FEATURED ARTISTS

MALIK ELASSAL | hOST

Malik Elassal is a Lebanese-Canadian actor, writer, and comedian from north east Calgary. In the past few years, Malik won Top Comic in his home city of Calgary, recorded sets for television at the Winnipeg Comedy Festival and CBC's New Wave of Standup, and performed the titular track of the Just For Laughs originals album ‘Yeehaw Hell Yeah’.

In 2022, he was named one of the New Faces at Just For Laughs in Montreal and returned to the festival in 2023 to perform on a Gala and as a part of the prestigious "Just For The Culture" Show where he was a stand out.

NEMAHSIS | Featured Artist

Nemahsis is a Palestinian-Canadian singer-songwriter whose songs explore themes of escape, self-acceptance, denial, and redemption.

She released her debut single, “What If I Took It Off for You?” in 2021. The song recounts the experience of being exploited by a global campaign without compensation, which was presented as an ‘opportunity for the community.’

Just three years later, Nemah continues to find an audience in mass. Her songs reflect the times and provide a soundtrack that contextualizes the human experience. With her recent single, “Stick of Gum,” pegged as one of Spotify’s best songs of 2024, Nemah continues to allude to her much-anticipated debut album, which is set for release in the fall.

MUNA ABDULLAHI | Featured Artist

Muna Abdulahi is a first-generation Somali-American, Black, Muslim, and an award-winning internationally recognized spoken word poet based in Minneapolis.

In 2018, Muna achieved notable success by ranking 8th in the Women of the World Poetry Slam Competition and is a three-time Minnesota Grand Slam Poetry Champion.

Muna's poetry delves into themes of belonging and identity, highlighting narratives that are often overlooked or silenced.

Beyond poetry, she gained widespread recognition as a contestant on Netflix's social strategy reality game show, "The Mole." She captivated audiences worldwide with her story, skills, and dynamic presence.

hassan phills | Host

Hassan Phills is funny. A stand up comedian emerging from the cultural mosaic of Toronto, Canada - Hassan’s point of view is insightful, relatable, and self-aware. Born to Jamaican and Djiboutian parents in one of North America’s most populous cities, Hassan Phils conversational brand of humor is steeped in anecdotal stories of growing up as someone between worlds while being firmly rooted in himself. 

Traveling across 11 countries (and counting) has only furthered Hassan’s studies into the human condition - the various idiosyncrasies we have as people and the common experiences we share as we navigate family, faith, love, ambition, and life in general. Having performed as a comic in the UK, Canada, and into the United States - Hassan Phills took a leap of faith in 2022 when he booked, promoted and produced his own tour, “That’s Crazy”, across Canada.

A resounding success, part of the young comic’s formula in growing a dedicated and loyal audience has been that he is very intentional in choosing his stops and the environments he convenes his shows. Cultivating new spaces for people to enjoy a night out of comedy and community, Hassan is planting seeds everywhere he goes. Those seeds have taken root as 2023 will now see round two of the “That’s Crazy” experience, this time with 15 cities across the country booked for Q3 and Q4 of the year! This will include his Toronto “Just For Laughs” festival debut where he will co-headline on two nights. 

A man who welcomes collaboration, this DIY entrepreneur and entertainer is building a career with real legacy and staying power - and he’s having a lot of fun doing it.

Karim Jabbari | Featured Artist

Karim Jabbari is a world-renowned calligraphy and light artist. The love he has for light and letters is fueled by his passion to incorporate ancient elements into modern design. The main focus of his art is to build bridges between cultures and civilizations through calligraphy. He uses modern techniques while preserving the essence of classical forms and styles. 

NARCY | Featured Artist

Yassin Alsalman, commonly known as NARCY, is an Iraqi Multi Media Artist, Rapper, Producer, award winning Video Director and University Professor. He is a published author and a celebrated pioneer of Arab Hip-Hop. Also known as the GOATAR, Narcy is staunchly independent, fiercely for the people, and passionate about fashion. He currently resides in Montréal, teaching the only Hip-Hop courses at Concordia University and running his bookshop Maktaba @maktaba.bookshop with his partner and wife. He is currently on the eve of releasing his self-titled record, YASSIN.

yusra ali | featured artist

Yusra Ali is currently a nursing student studying at the University of Alberta (UofA). She has achieved recognition by winning various regional poetry competitions in Edmonton, including the national Poetry in Voice "People's Choice" award in 2022. Her profound love for poetry is deeply rooted in her ethnic background and Muslim identity. This passion was ignited when she was given the opportunity to hold a microphone and address an audience in the sixth-grade. One of her primary objectives, which she seeks to achieve through her poetry, is to raise awareness about the various issues encountered within her Black-Muslim community and to empower those in her midst. Today, Yusra is excited to present one of her favorite spoken word pieces. She firmly believes that, at times, a poem can be more captivating and thought-provoking than even the most exquisitely captured image. Words possess a unique power, allowing them to transcend visual aesthetics and reach the deepest corners of the human heart and mind. Through her performance today, Yusra aspires to evoke emotions, inspire change, and foster a deeper understanding of the complex challenges faced by people in our society.