In Photos: Mahalia @ The Garrison

Words and photos by Codey Tanner

If you closed your eyes and just listened to the music, your ears would paint you a picture of a much older person. Mahalia’s voice and lyrics seem much beyond the years of someone still so young. At only 20 years old, she has the stage presence of a seasoned performer. As Mahalia told the crowd - “Every song has a story. I like to tell the stories- if you’ll indulge me…” Lyrics heavy with substance and emotion. Using her powerful voice and multiple instruments, Mahalia hit the stage of The Garrison in Toronto to a crowd of devoted fans.

“This is my first time in Canada!” the English singer revealed to a cheering crowd, with responses of “Welcome!” and “We love you!” from throughout the packed venue. No stranger to the spotlight, Mahalia was writing songs by the age of 8, and was later signed to a major record label by the age of 13. A multi-talented artist, she was cast in Noel Clarke’s 2016 film “Brotherhood.” Her musical career took a big step forward in 2017 with the success of her hit single “Sober.”

Mahalia’s tour continues this weekend at the Afropunk Festival in Brooklyn, NY, and then onward next week with two stops in California.