Hundreds of people turned out in Oshawa this past weekend for three days of culture, art and music at Convergence 2025.
A six-block section of downtown from Centre Street to Mary Street was opened to the community which thronged the streets.
People came out to visit vendors, watch live music and enjoy entertainment like a street side wrestling ring, face painting, art displays and much more.
Music played a significant role in the festival, with three stages set up to showcase a diverse range of artists from the local region and beyond.
More than fifty different musicians, dancers, poets and other artists performed across three stages set up in different parts of the area.
Hip-hop culture steals the show on Day 1
On Friday, Sept. 19, the music kicked off with the ‘R.I.S.E. ‘Til Infinity’ hip-hop showcase.
This immersion in hip-hop culture was organized by RISE Edutainment, a performing arts non-profit from Toronto, alongside Tanika iNsight Circles (Hip Hop Til’ INFINITY), Oshawa Tourism and the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion department at Durham Region.
It featured performances by emcees and DJs along with a mural and graffiti art workshop.
Even when the sun went down, the energy did not. The final round of performances for the night had the audience grooving and chanting with the bars dropping from the stage.
Performers included Tara Lord, Liftid, DJ INthecut, Keysha Freshh, Dan-e-o and DJ: Mel Boogie. Audience members were invited onstage for hip hop trivia and the first day ended with an artist cypher, a four-cornered freestyle.
The main stage doubled as a platform from which artists shared their stories and their cultures.
Upcoming rapper Keysha Freshh, a Juno nominated artist who went to high school in Ajax, moved to Oshawa two years ago.
“I love it here,” she said from the stage, before kicking off her song ‘East End’ with “This is for us!”
Emcee Dan-e-o flowed with old-school lyricism with DJ INthecut on the beat and also spoke about the thoughts behind his sixth album ‘Vigilante’ that addresses “social media misuse, gun violence, anti-Black racism, self-hatred, jealousy and self-doubt.”
The founder of RISE Edutainment, Randell Adjei, is an award-wining entrepreneur and spoken word artist. In 2021, Adjei became Ontario’s first poet laureate.
“At RISE, we use art as a way to really express, create, build community at the end of the day,” he said. “I’ve said this before, but they say on Earth, the richest place is the cemetery, because so often people are afraid to take their dreams and their ideas to life, and they die with them.
So I just want to remind you to remember your ‘why.’”
Community turnout strong on Day 2
On the Main Stage, Oshawa’s Blamethrower and Lear Haven played their hometown under the bright sunshine on Saturday, Sept. 20.
Songwriter BA Johnston entertained what he called the “bank parking lot” audience with his carefree, hilarious and high-energy performance.
Oshawa is clearly a familiar stomping ground for Johnston who received a lot of love for his colourful lyrics, catchy hooks and antics.
Indigenous Anishinaabe songwriter Natasha Fisher took the ‘Anti-Gravity’ stage with her band, performing originals that blended R & B and pop rock with a prominent gritty element.
Fisher describes herself on Instagram as being “on the edgy side of pop music.” Her dynamic performance wove elements of her Indigenous culture with those from popular genres.
Saturday’s headliner band was Valley, a Toronto-based and Juno-nominated alternative rock band that performed on the main stage.
After-parties were hosted by BOND|ST Events featuring solo artist K-OS, and the Atria where the Commune, Superstar Crush and Proof of Dog wrapped up two days of nonstop sonic adventures.