The national artist-development program brings together mentorship, creative collaboration, industry education, and community-building for South Asian music creators
(TORONTO, ON) – September 25, 2026 – The South Asian Music Accelerator (SAMA) has announced the 10 music creators selected for its 2026 cohort, bringing together artists from Vancouver, Surrey, Kitchener, Brampton, Toronto, Milton, and Ottawa working across the country on Punjabi music, Tamil music, R&B, soul, hip-hop, pop, and electronic production.
Running October 18 to 24 at various studios and ArtHaus spaces across Toronto, SAMA is a national artist-development program created to support South Asian artists, songwriters, and producers as they build sustainable careers in music. The program combines workshops, mentorship, collaborative songwriting and production sessions, live-performance development, business education, marketing and brand strategy, financial literacy, wellness, and industry relationship-building across Canada’s music sector.
Now entering its second year, SAMA was created to build a dedicated space for South Asian music creators to develop their craft while gaining access to the knowledge, relationships, and professional networks that support long-term careers. Its model connects artists with established professionals and a peer network intended to continue beyond the program itself, allowing participants to pursue their creative ambitions without separating them from the stories, sounds, and identities that shape their work.
“South Asian artists are creating across every genre and building audiences around the world, and this year’s cohort reflects just how broad and dynamic that movement has become across genres, languages, regions, and creative practices. SAMA was created because artist development is about much more than making great music. Artists also need access to mentorship, industry knowledge, relationships, and a community that understands the cultural and creative context of their work,” said Sandy Pandya, co-founder of the South Asian Music Accelerator.
Meet the 2026 SAMA Cohort:
- Calcutta Cowboy. Originally from Kolkata and now based in Vancouver, Calcutta Cowboy brings a distinctly South Asian perspective to 1970s-inspired country and folk storytelling, exploring movement, identity, and belonging through his project Brash and Broken. He is set to perform at Lollapalooza India 2027 in Mumbai.
- BA1N$. Kitchener-based BA1N$ is a self-taught Punjabi songwriter, producer, and engineer whose work draws on Canadian upbringing, the Punjabi language, and musical traditions. He has developed much of his catalogue alongside SAMA alumnus JJ Grewal.
- Luksimi Sivaneswaralingam. Scarborough’s Luksimi Sivaneswaralingam blends Carnatic and Western classical training with pop and R&B. An award-winning playback vocalist who has worked with composers including D. Imman and A.R. Rahman, she is now expanding her independent Tamil Canadian catalogue.
- GETCHNAH. Scarborough-raised GETCHNAH is a multidisciplinary rapper, singer, songwriter, choreographer, and director known for high-energy performances and work that centers femme artists and underrepresented stories. Her 2026 debut album, FEMME FOBIA, blends rap, EDM, and South Asian influences.
- dakku. Brampton producer Dakku experiments at the intersection of Punjabi folk, Indian classical music, and modern EDM. His releases “Qawwali Dance Music” and “Punjabi Folk Dubstep” reflect a culturally grounded, forward-looking production approach.
- MERZA. Surrey-based MERZA is an Indo-Canadian singer, songwriter, and composer bringing Punjabi foundations into conversation with R&B, pop, house, and global sounds. His catalogue includes collaborations with Rashmeet Kaur, Simar, and Arsh Heer.
- Supaveen. Toronto-based Supaveen blends Tamil musical identity with R&B, hip-hop, and pop. Working independently, he reports more than 32 million catalogue streams and has built an international audience through releases including “Trippila.”
- Seyon. Toronto-based Seyon is a producer, songwriter, and audio engineer whose credits include Central Cee’s “6 for 6” and “Gangbiz,” NAV’s “BURBS,” and Lil Gotit’s “Don’t Call Me Twin.” His credited work has generated more than 300 million streams across platforms, and he is a co-founder of the independent creative platform YAAM. He also collaborates with fellow 2026 SAMA cohort member Supaveen.
- Armaan. Milton-based Armaan is a Punjabi Canadian singer-songwriter and producer working across R&B, soul, hip-hop, and pop. He began making beats at 13 and is developing an English-language catalogue shaped by Punjabi heritage and Canadian upbringing.
- Simora. Ottawa-based Simora creates atmospheric R&B, alternative soul, and pop rooted in emotional honesty, movement, and transformation. Since releasing her first music in 2025, she has built an immersive catalogue and performed at showcases and festivals in Canada and abroad.
While the artists enter SAMA with different levels of experience, creative practices, and career goals, common priorities emerged across the 2026 cohort: mentorship, meaningful collaboration, stronger marketing and audience-development skills, greater industry access, and the infrastructure required to build careers for the long term. SAMA’s 2026 program is designed to connect those needs with practical learning, creative exchange, and direct relationships throughout the music industry.
For artists who participated in SAMA’s inaugural year, that combination of creative and professional development continued beyond the program itself.
“My experience at SAMA was incredibly positive. I learned not only about the business side of music but also how to develop my creativity through one-on-one mentorship. I also built connections that I know will last well beyond the program.”
– Revay, SAMA 2025 alumna
“You’ll learn a lot, meet a lot of people, and feel like you belong. A lot of the time, we don’t feel that way as South Asian musicians in this industry, and I definitely felt that at SAMA.”
– Ankur Sinha, SAMA 2025 alumnus
About the South Asian Music Accelerator
The South Asian Music Accelerator (SAMA) is a national artist-development program supporting emerging South Asian artists, songwriters, and producers as they build creative skills, industry knowledge, professional relationships, and sustainable careers in music. Produced by ArtHaus Community in partnership with Coalition Music and Canada’s Music Incubator (CMI), SAMA is supported by FACTOR, RBCxMusic, Ontario Creates, the National Arts Centre, and CBC Music. International music executive Ikky serves as the program’s artist ambassador. Learn more at arthausmusic.com/sama.
