A Winnipeg choir dedicated to BIPOC voices is looking for new singers to add to its roster as it prepares for its first full season of singing. The Roots in Harmony Choir formed earlier this year with the intention of addressing something that director Mwansa Mwansa first observed when singing in choirs as a kid. “I always felt like there was something missing from perhaps the repertoire or the space,” she said in an interview on Morning Light. “I wanted to create community. I wanted a space where BIPOC singers could feel safe, could feel like their stories are heard, could feel like they have friends and could feel like we could really bond together as a community and get into the music of it all.” .embed-container { position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; } .embed-container iframe, .embed-container object, .embed-container embed { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; } The repertoire that Mwansa chooses for the ensemble is meant to help create that community. From traditional African pieces to jazz numbers to R&B covers, the group is setting out to share repertoire that is personal to them and helps to foster relationships within the choir and to give them a distinctive voice in Winnipeg’s choral landscape. This bond between members in the Roots in Harmony Choir is something that Mwansa is already seeing taking shape in the rehearsal room. “I think something truly magical does happen in our rehearsals,” she smiles. “I’ve been privy to some of our members just sharing with me that it’s the best part of their week. We check in with each other at the beginning of rehearsal. We have monthly get-togethers every month – whether it’s bowling or karaoke, we’ll try to get together as a group. And then, we do this thing at the end of rehearsal – we call it ‘sing out’ where some random choir member will start singing a song and then we all just jump in on random harmonies.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Roots in Harmony | Winnipeg’s BIPOC Choir (@rootsinharmonychoir) As the choir begins their season in a few weeks with engagements at the University of Manitoba in conjunction with their Black Students Association and concerts on the books in November and December, Mwansa reflects on what being a part of this environment would have meant to her when she was an aspiring choral singer. “I think I just would have felt at home, just a lot more comfortable, just a lot more safe,” she says. “And I think that also transcends into other areas of your life as well. If you’re feeling like you’ve got community in one spot, maybe you’ll feel like you’ve got community in another spot and all of that is super important.” To learn more about the Roots in Harmony Choir and to inquire about participating in the ensemble, singers are encouraged to visit their website or check them out on social media.