Duane Forrest tells it like it is with his latest single Tell Me — premiering exclusively on Tinnitist.
Set against a deceptively sunny backdrop of sweetly soulful tropically tinged pop, the Toronto singer-songwriter’s latest single voices some hard truths about racial inequality in today’s world.
“Tell Me is a song birthed out of frustration,” he shares. “Frustration of this ongoing situation with being black — all the racism, systemic micro-aggressions, etc. I have been seeing messages from folks I am connected to the last few months that disturb me. So I wanted to speak to that. ‘Tell me you know that everything’s different when you’re living black’ is the chorus of the song and I want that to ring home.”
Speaking from the heart is nothing new for Forrest. Blending jazz, reggae, bossa nova, soul and smooth vocals, his unique sound draws on his experiences traveling the world, falling in love, and finding wonder in the joys and sorrows of a common human experience.
He first gained attention in 2017 with the Fringe Festival musical theatre production Climb, based on his concept album of the same name. His forthcoming double jazz and fusion album builds on themes of love, heartbreak, BLM and self-discovery, reflecting musically Duane’s growth as an artist and human being. Aside from his innate drive to create beautiful things, Duane also has a passion for arts education. In 2011 he founded Genesis Community of the Arts, a registered Canadian charity offering music and arts education to marginalized children and youth in Toronto and Central America.
Listen to Tell Me above, hear more from Duane Forrest below, and keep up with him on his website, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
