Ruby Singh is an interdisciplinary artist and facilitator residing on the unceded territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm, Sḵwx̱wú7mesh, and səl̓ílwətaʔɬ/Selilwitulh Nations (Vancouver BC.) As an artist Ruby’s work reflects his upbringing and is a cultural hybrid of musical expressions ranging from groove oriented hip hop beats, to contemporary fusions of classical ragas; remixes of vintage bollywood tunes to ambient creations. He has been nominated for both Leo and Jesse awards for his original compositions for dance, theatre and film productions. Ruby has produced over fourteen albums with emerging artists, including Shane Koyzan’s debut release American Pie and PIQSIQ’s debut album Altering the Timeline. Rup’s solo family oriented project RupLoops has toured internationally and across Canada, logging over 500 performances to date, in schools, theatre’s and festivals to critical acclaim.
Singh's creativity crosses the boundaries of music, poetry, visual art, photography and film. His expressions engage with mythos, memory, identity, justice and fantasy; where the surreal can shatter the boundaries of the real. As a composer and sound designer he has worked with theatre and dance companies across Canada, as well as creating numerous scores for the National Film Board and other independent films to critical acclaim, being nominated for both Leo and Jesse awards. Singh's personal and collaborative works have been presented across Turtle Island, India, Germany and the UK.
Ruby has shared stages with and performed alongside the Wu Tang Clan, Chugge Khan, Rajasthan Josh, Tanya Tagaq, Shane Koyzan, DubFX, Coleman Barks, Aja Monet, Michael Franti, and Talvin Singh. Performance highlights include the Jaipur Literature Festival (Jaipur, India), Winnipeg Folk Festival, Aga Khan Museum (Toronto, Canada), World Body Percussion Festival (Toronto, Canada), Globalqurque (New Mexico, USA), Indian Summer Festival (Vancouver, Canada), Mehndi, Masala, Musti (Toronto, Canada), Stern Grove Festival (San Francisco, USA), Vancouver International Children’s Festival, Vancouver International Storytelling Festival, Vancouver International Jazz Festival, New Forms Festival (Vancouver, Canada), Oregon Country Fair (Eugene, USA), Fete de la Musique (Berlin, Germany), Fusion Festival (Berlin, Germany).
As a facilitator, Ruby’s work meets at the intersection of social justice and the arts. For the past 20 years he has been growing his understanding and leading workshops based in anti-oppression and liberation based practices. He has facilitated and taught programs in universities, public schools, youth prisons, and communities throughout Canada, USA, UK and India. Ruby brings a focused presence, strong leadership skills and a contagious enthusiasm, which effectively engages, inspires and guides participants through his process oriented work.
