APJ is thrilled to announce Stacey Kay and Arkells as our musical performances for the Bovet 1822 and Artists for Peace and Justice 2014 Festival Gala this weekend at beautiful Casa Loma, Toronto. Plus, a very special surprise guest!

Stacey Kay is a vibrant, versatile young Canadian singer-songwriter from Slaight Music who will kick off the festivities.  Her first single, the tropically-flavored “Island Girl” features everything from the ukelele to beatboxing. A native of Cambridge, Ontario, Stacey Kay is also a talented improv comedian and public speaker, empowering high school and elementary students by encouraging them to feel good about their body image.

Arkells are an energetic, infectious alternative rock band from Universal Music Canada. These Juno Award winners are always on the road,  were named “Best Live Act” by CBC Radio 3 for their foot stomping, sing-along inducing live performances and hitting top 10 Canadian rock radio hit with ‘Oh, the Boss is Coming!”

After our amazing performers Stacey Kay and Arkells have hit the stage, we’ve got a big name up our sleeve that we can’t wait to release! With past APJ festival headliners like Arcade Fire, K’Naan, Macy Gray, Rufus Wainwright, Michael Bolton, Daniel Lanois, and Eddie Vedder, this year’s surprise guest is sure to get the crowd going!

Have a hunch on who our #APJfest14 headliner is? Tweet at @artistsforpeace with your best guess for a chance to win APJ swag before it hits the shelves! Stay tuned for insider updates from our fifth annual festival gala in Toronto and exclusive content by following us on Twitter and Instagram!

Born in Burlington, Joël Denizot is an Audio Engineering Professor at Audio Institute: We Are the World School of Music and Audio Engineering. A self-taught drummer, guitar player, and musician, Joël has travelled extensively and worked as a stage hand setting up sound and lighting equipment for musical performers such as Elton John, Primus, and Melissa Ethridge. Diving deeper into the science of sound, he studied Electro Acoustics at Montréal’s Concordia University and interned with Cumbancha, a world music record label based in Charlotte, Vermont showcasing to exceptional artists from all over the globe. A year after joining the APJ team in Jacmel, Joël has fallen in love with the country and the people as he shares his passion for music by engaging talented young musicians in the culturally and environmentally rich country that is Haiti. Joël’s work is an inspiring example of international artistic collaboration and the power of arts education.

I’m an artist for:

making people feel.

I’m driven by:

the light I see in the world.

I’m inspired by:

the strength I see in others.

I hope Haiti:

can re-kindle the fire that is the roots of Haitian music, and that more and more Haitian people will work together to help each other, in music and in life.

I believe education can:

open your eyes.

Thanks to our amazing host and friend Donna Karan and everyone at Urban Zen Foundation, we raised funds to cover one hundred and twenty-five scholarships for this school year at this weekend’s Haiti in the Hamptons Summer Carnival.

The event was a huge success – forgoing a traditional ask, we sold our brand spanking new APJ snapback hats, with one hat sponsoring one student scholarship at the Academy for Peace and Justice. Hats peppered the crowd by the end of the night, and the event will generate close to $250,000 in student scholarships, with half pledged last night and half expected to be raised in a Charitybuzz auction commencing this week, featuring items such as a private polo lesson with Nacho Figueras, courtside seats with the Brooklyn Nets, and trip to Haiti with Donna Karan, Petra Nemcova, and Karen Elson.

Haitian RaRa Band DjaRaRa, subject of the documentary “The Other Side of the Water” and leaders in the RaRa movement in New York for over 20 years, welcomed guests as they walked into the event, then made two surprise appearances throughout the night to pump up the crowd.

Donna Karan’s home glowed with warm candlelight highlighted by beautiful artisan crafts from Haiti, all available at the Urban Zen stores. Guests sipped on Don Julio 1942 cocktails and Luc Belaire champagne as they dined on paella around the pool.

DJ Michael Brun, the 21 year old Haitian up-and-comer who closed Coachella’s iconic Sahara tent this year and played mainstage at Miami’s Ultra, closed out the night with a set that included his remix of Maxwell and Alicia Keys’ hit “Fire We Make” as Grammy Award winning Haitian American musician Maxwell joined him at the turntables.

Click here to check out highlights and relive all the fun from this incredible night in the Hamptons with Urban Zen celebrating Haitian culture.

Big thanks to Donna Karan, Urban Zen Foundation, Bovet 1822, Don Julio Tequila, Craft Beer Alliance, Red Hook Brewery, Kona Brewing Company , Wine Awesomeness, Sovereign Brands, and Widmer Brothers for their generous donations in support of education in Haiti.