In a bid to “marry” Valentine’s day and Black History Month, Ottawa events curation group Pieces of Us is showcasing The Colour of Love on Feb. 29. This evening of intimate artistic performances aims to celebrate love and the Black community.
Pieces of Us regularly host performance events divided into seasons and episodes, encouraging artists of all mediums to explore a selected theme. The Colour of Love will kick off the third Pieces of Us season and highlight the Black community’s relationship with self-love, Black culture and love for others.
“Although colour is so often used as a means to define us, love is what allows us to move beyond it,” The Colour of Love’s description reads.
Patrick Blackman, a Pieces of Us founder, said the theme of love is relatable and representative of freedom.
“I think Black History Month is a time of reflection […] and love is a unifying theme,” Blackman said. “It’s one of the few things that we have that will help us overcome the differences in society.”
Blackman said attendees can expect to reflect on the performances and step away from the “superficial world.”
“We want [the artists] to speak to their lived experience to encourage connection,” Blackman said. “When you hear something being verbalized, it makes you want to contextualize your life.”
Naomie Inarukundo, a first-time performer with Pieces of Us, will recite her poetry at the event. Whether in her journal or notes app, she said she focuses on writing about her feelings, fears and insecurities. Sometimes she freestyles her poems “like a rapper” as a confidence booster.
“I feel like anything I do represents Black love,” Inarukundo said. “Even the way I love and receive love is through Black culture. There’s always going to be that expression of culture no matter what I do.”
Inarukundo said the space and the community are full of supportive creatives. After Pieces of Us reached out to her, she said she immediately clicked with The Colour of Love’s message.
“I feel understood. This is Black art that I’m making, this is about me and us,” she said. “I put into words what everybody else feels. It’s pretty powerful stuff.”
“I understand [love] as such a range of emotions, a range of experiences.”
Renee Cunningham, a recent University of Ottawa graduate and singer-songwriter, said her passion for music started in childhood with a Barbie doll and an NSYNC CD. The CD only included “This I Promise You,” which Cunningham said she played “over and over again.”
Her R&B music focuses on love and boundaries. Singing at The Colour of Love will be one of her first performances since the pandemic.
“I have always wanted to do a performance that celebrates Black History Month,” she said. “[Pieces of Us] creates a space where creators can showcase their art in a way that’s liberating and has so much support.”
Cunningham said her performance will focus on her interpretation of self-love through a Black lens. She said she struggled with self-love growing up, being one of few Black children in her neighbourhood, where she often compared herself to others.
“In the Black community, we’re constantly being judged [and] constantly being made to feel we deserve the bare minimum when that’s not the truth,” Cunningham said.
To Cunningham, love should be displayed through actions and be at the forefront of people’s minds, rather than hate and negativity.
“The world would be a much better place,” she said.
The Colour of Love will take place at Club SAW on Feb. 29. Tickets are available on Eventbrite.
Featured graphic by Alisha Velji/the Charlatan.
