Pista’s Paradise: A Journey Through Sound and Unity

In September, Toronto’s underground music scene came alive at Pista’s Paradise, an intimate showcase hosted by Tamil-Canadian artist Lady Pista. Known for blending global sounds with her South Asian roots, Lady Pista curated the night as a safe and inclusive space to experience her unreleased music. Growing up in Scarborough, she drew inspiration from the cultural mosaic around her — and she shared that vision with an eager audience in Toronto.

The night unfolded as a sonic journey through hip hop, Tamil and Bollywood melodies, Arabic rhythms, reggaeton, and dancehall — all seamlessly woven together. The energy in the room was magnetic, as though the audience was being carried through different corners of the world in a single set.

Between performances, Lady Pista reflected on her beginnings, painting a vivid picture of how music first took root in her

Scarborough bedroom:

“I painted my room red. My mom told me red was a bad color, but I loved it. It made me feel safe. I’d sit there for hours on a computer I built myself because we couldn’t afford one. That’s where I started making music — blending Tamil melodies with dancehall. And I realized: if notes from two completely different worlds can fit together, maybe people aren’t that different either.”

That belief in unity echoed throughout the night. Lady Pista was joined by Indian-Canadian bansuri player and vocalist Hasheel Lodhia, Armenian-Canadian saxophonist Shaunt Raffi, and Guyanese-Canadian vocalist Elle De Lyon — each bringing their own textures and sound to the stage. The lineup also featured DJ sets from DJ Enchantika and CHNLMARSHL, expanding the soundscape and embodying her mantra that “everything fit, everything blended.”

Whether it was the airy bansuri dancing around a sax riff or hip hop verses flowing over South Asian percussion, the effect was electrifying. The crowd wasn’t just listening — they were feeling the message: that collaboration across cultures isn’t just possible, it’s powerful.

Pista’s Paradise was an invitation into Lady Pista’s world, where borders blur and music becomes proof of connection. As she continues to prepare for her next chapter, her sound is poised to travel far beyond this city.

Lady Pista is currently working on two upcoming EPs — one a collaborative rap project spotlighting South Asian women worldwide, and the other an exploration of identity, freedom, and community, together capturing the full spectrum of her artistic vision.

Follow Lady Pista on all platforms!

- Instagram

- YouTube

- TikTok

- Spotify

- Apple Music

- SoundCloud