The Northern Island Collective arrives in Finland!

The Worldwide Music Expo (WOMEX) is the largest and most diverse gathering for the global music scene. This essential event brings together an exhibition market, conferences, films, and artist showcases.

WOMEX works to support and strengthen global culture by encouraging creativity and music. Its mission is to promote the international music industry and offer a vital platform for connection, inspiration, and open economic and cultural dialogue.

For the Mundial Montréal team, participating in WOMEX each year is a tremendous privilege and a golden opportunity to exchange with the world’s biggest players to reimagine the future of music!

The Northern Island Collective at WOMEX 

The organizations Mundial Montréal, Small Word Music, FolQuébec, International Indigenous Music Summit, Sunfest, Folk Canada and Cinars are once again uniting at WOMEX under the banner of the Northern Turtle Island Collective (NTI). Through professional networking activities and artist showcases, the NTI continues its essential mission: to forge and strengthen ties between Canada, Quebec, and the international stage, thereby offering enriching experiences to artists and key professionals in the global music industry.

The NTI Collective stands

From Wednesday, October 22, to Sunday, October 26, find us daily at booths 2.68 (CINARS), 2.69 (Mundial Montréal / FolQuébec), 2.70 (Small World Music / IIMS), and 2.71 (Folk Canada / Sunfest).

In addition to the activities presented below, the collective invites you to its daily Networking Cocktails, from Thursday to Saturday starting at 5:30 p.m at their stands.

1 – Gathering session for Canadians  and Quebecers

Canadian and Quebecer delegates, the Northern Turtle Island Collective (NTI) invites you to meet on Thursday, October 23, from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. at the NTI booths. Come and share a delicious and comforting breakfast. It’s the perfect opportunity to take a moment to pause, build connections, and get WOMEX off to a great start!

📍 Stands NTI  (2.68, 2.69, 2.70 and 2.71) 
🗓️ Thursday, October 23, 2025
⏰ 10:00 a.m.

RSVP (Canadian and Quebecer delegates only)

2 – B2BBQ and Showcases

The NTI Collective invites you to its annual welcome barbecue on Tuesday evening before the hustle and bustle of WOMEX begins. This is the ideal opportunity for the Canadian and Quebec delegations to network, share strategies, and build connections with international colleagues in a warm and relaxed atmosphere.

Join us at Ravintola Telakka starting at 5:00 p.m. to share some grilled food and good company. The evening will continue at 6:00 p.m. with a series of showcases featuring several artists: Sara Ajnnak, Daughters of Donbas, Sophie Lukacs, Honeypaw, Briga, Omega Mighty, and Kelly Bado.

📍 Ravintola Telakka
🗓️ Tuesday, October 21, 2025
⏰ 5:00 p.m.

RSVP

3 –Northern Connections Showcases featuring Quebec Artists

Join the collective on Friday, October 24, for the “Northern Connections” showcases, featuring two consecutive performances on the Temere Hall stage: KAZDOURA and PIQSIQ

Kazdoura, founded by Leen Hamo and John Abou Chacra, draws on its Syrian and Lebanese roots to blend traditional Arabic music and original compositions with psychedelic, jazz, funk, pop, and trip-hop influences. Their new album Ghoyoum (March 2025) and recent releases have met with great online success, and they have performed internationally, including at Womex and APAP.

📍 Tampere Hall – Small Auditorium
🗓️ Friday, October 24, 2025
⏰  9:45 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.

PIQSIQ is an Inuit throat singing duo formed by sisters Tiffany Ayalik and Inuksuk Mackay. Based in Nunavut and raised in Yellowknife, they blend traditional chants with new compositions, exploring the enchanting beauty of the North and the universal question: “What is the meaning of life?” With several albums to their name and film scores, including Uiksaringitara: Wrong Husband by Zacharias Kunuk, PIQSIQ delivers unique performances where improvisation and tradition meet in every show.

📍 Tampere Hall – Small Auditorium
🗓️ Friday, October 24, 2025
⏰  11:15 p.m. to 12:00 a.m.

4 –Kizaba in official showcase

Don’t miss it: KIZABA in official showcase at WOMEX 2025!

On April 12, 2025, Lionel KIZABA released his new album, “Future Village,” an Afrofuturist project blending electronic modernity with Congolese roots. Following Kizavibe, this album opens a new artistic chapter. He will begin a Canadian tour at the Place des Arts in Montreal on September 13, with dates at POP Montréal, the Folk Canada Show, and in Ontario. On October 17, he will release a four-track mini-EP with a music video, before performing at WOMEX 2025. In 2026, KIZABA will embark on an international tour, with stops in the United States, South America, and Africa, punctuated by a creative residency in Abidjan.

📍 Torni Stage (Paja Kongressi, Ratapihankatu 43, 33100 Tampere)
🗓️ Saturday, September 25, 2025
⏰ 12:30 a.m. to  01:15 a.m.

Will you be at WOMEX?

Jessica Blain-Descormier, Executive Director of Mundial Montréal, Eli Levinson Head of Music Programming, and Maude St-Amand Courcy, Head of the Professional Programming, will be on site! Come and meet them to connect and exchange.

Jessica Blain-Descormier | jessica@mundiamontreal.com
Eli Levinson | eli@mundialmontreal.com
Maude St-Amand Courcy | maude@mundialmontreal.com

We would like to warmly thank our public and institutional partners, who make this project possible: the Government of Canada, through la Fondation Musicaction, FACTOR, and the Embassy of Canada to Finland; the Government of Québec, through SODEC and the Délégation générale du Québec in London. We would also like to thank the members of the Northern Turtle Island Collective, Mundial Montréal, Small Word Music, FolQuébec, International Indigenous Music Summit, Sunfest, Folk Canada and Cinars.