From Motown to Modern Pop: Julia Tynes Brings Black Music and Joy to Halifax Public Libraries

This African Heritage Month, we're turning up the volume on Black musicians with the help of a local music legend in her own right, Julia Tynes.

The local pop and soul artist is back with Black Music Legends: Songs That Shaped the Sound, opens a new window— a live musical storytelling experience showcasing Black artists' contributions to the music world—travelling to library branches across the region.

Julia grew up in Cole Harbour, trained at the Randolph College for the Performing Arts in Toronto, and won an African Nova Scotian Music Association (ANSMA) award in 2016 and was nominated for a Music Nova Scotia Award in 2018. Last year alone, she performed 71 shows, including performances at Halifax Public Libraries, opens a new window.

And if you've ever visited one of our branches during a Julia Tynes set, you already know—this isn't your typical library afternoon.

"Right off the bat, you're gonna hear some of the best music of all time," Julia says. "It's magic."

What These Legends Actually Changed

So what does it mean to say these artists shaped the sound? Julia breaks it down through the music itself.

Take Chuck Berry. "Rock 'n' roll basically didn't exist before him," says Julia. "He took blues and country and created something completely original."

And his song Johnny B. Goode still gets people on their feet no matter where Julia plays it. "From the nursing home, Library, airport, schools. When it plays, people move."

Then there's Aretha Franklin, Etta James, and Diana Ross. Julia explains that Aretha and Etta sang with soul, connecting their life stories to every note. Diana Ross brought what Julia calls "a quiet diva energy."

And Motown Records?

"They started their label because there were few Black-owned labels, and Black artists were not getting paid fairly, and they weren't allowed on pop radio," says Julia.

Every generation of artists built on the one before. As Julia puts it: "It's everybody sort of shaping this clay."

"It Wasn't Fair, and They Persevered"

The show is a celebration, but it's also an invitation to look deeper.

"I hope audiences appreciate how hard Black artists worked," says Julia. "It wasn't fair, and they persevered. Let's not take it for granted that there were rooms that they were not allowed in, and that they weren't allowed to wear their natural hair."

In her performance, she shares stories many audiences haven't heard before. Like how Aretha Franklin experienced financial exploitation, and how Whitney Houston didn't wear her natural hair at first and was put in clothes she didn't want to be in. Julia notes that she can relate, having straightened her own hair for every single show until about six years ago.

"I hope audiences are like, 'Oh, I like that song now.' Then, 'Oh, I appreciate the triumph of it,'" says Julia.

A Nova Scotian Voice

Julia's own story has its share of triumph, too.

After years of building her career in Toronto, the pandemic changed everything. She became a mom, moved back to Nova Scotia, and found herself questioning whether she was still an artist.

“I left my band. I left my best friends and music network. I left everything I had worked on for the last twelve years, and I had to start over," says Julia.

Then, while pregnant with her second child, her phone buzzed. ANSMA was asking if she'd do a show at the Halifax airport. "I literally wiped my tears and was like, 'Yes.'"

From there, it snowballed with more performance opportunities, including Glow Gardens, schools, city events, and the Library.

Now she's working on a new album with a sound she describes as "Amy Winehouse, Diana Ross and the Supremes, Motown, just more natural instruments." And her new single is called "Bones."

Why Black Music Legends Matter

Julia has been performing at Halifax Public Libraries for three years—and she loves it. With a background in teaching (English, reading support for kids with dyslexia, and 18 years of gymnastics coaching), she's all about giving audiences something to take home.

“I love a good takeaway," she says. "You're not just up there watching and appreciating me. You have something that’s yours when you go home— information, inspiration, motivation."

"Black music legends matter because we wouldn't have all of the best music in the world without them," adds Julia. "Your music would be boring. Your music would not be fun. Your music would not be funky."

And the story of Black musicians is never over—and includes talent right here at home.

For anyone hoping to discover local Black artists in Nova Scotia, Julia wants them to look. She shouts out Reeny Smith, Keonté Beals, and Kayo. "It's not far, and you'll find someone."

Catch Julia Live

Black Music Legends: Songs That Shaped the Sound is still coming to a branch near you:

• Saturday, February 21 — J.D. Shatford Memorial Public Library (11:00 AM – 12:00 PM)
• Saturday, February 21 — Tantallon Public Library (2:00 – 3:00 PM)
• Saturday, February 28 — Captain William Spry Public Library (2:00 – 3:00 PM)
• Saturday, March 14 — Bedford Public Library (2:00 – 2:45 PM) — March Break!

For even more fun and educational events, like Black Music Legends: Songs That Shaped the Sound, opens a new window, check out our full line up of African Heritage Month 2026 events, opens a new window and programming.