The Vancouver 2010 Cultural Olympiad, January 22 to March 21, comprises of 122 ticketed events showcasing rich talent from Canadian and international performing arts and culture. The events come in the form of music, dance, film and theatre to name a few, and promise to deliver something for everyone. Soak up as much as you can!

Day Eight: Introducing the Performers
Meet Raphael Saadiq

You might remember Raphael Saadiq as the frontman for Tony! Toni! Tone!. In 2002, he stepped back onto the scene with a self-titled solo project, mixing old school soul with contemporary R&B. Since then, Saadiq has released five albums. His newest, The Way I see it, was nominated for three Grammys. Reminiscent of the Motown era, this music has a retro groove that makes you want to get up and dance. It sounds as though it could have been produced in the sixties.
Saadiq began, as a child, playing music with local soul groups. Also an early fan of the great Motown musicians, you can hear the influences of Stevie Wonder, The Temptations, and Sam Cooke in his music. It seems the Motown sound has become an inescapable part of his artistry.
In an interview with B&S Magazine, Saadiq explains the direction of his most recent album. “The title ‘The Way I See It’ basically represents me saying ‘This has always been me. This is what I really love, and everything you’ve heard from me before has been based on the roots of this music’.”
You will not want to miss Raphael Saadiq performing at The Orpheum at 8:00pm on March 20th. For Raphael Saadiq tickets, visit Ticketmaster.com or ShowTimeTickets.com.
Raphael Saadiq will be performing with Grammy award winning, soul artist, India Arie.

Find out about other great performers in town for the Olympics below.
January 14th Blogpost: Meet Phoenix
January 15th Blogpost: Meet Steve Earle
January 18th Blogpost: Meet City and Colour
January 19th Blogpost: Meet Feist
January 20th Blogpost: Meet Stars
January 22nd Blogpost: Meet K’naan
January 25th Blogpost: Meet Gomez