OK Naledi: The Feeling of Free

OK Naledi is a high-energy, Afro-Fusion music group based in Ottawa.

Rooted in Motswana heritage, OK Naledi weaves raw emotion and vibrant sounds into stories of heartbreak, love, queerness, family and adulthood. Their songwriting is deeply personal, shaped by the experience of living in a Western context while carrying the roots and rhythms of southern Africa. OK Naledi blends traditional sub-Saharan guitar lines, warm bassy grooves, and movement-inspiring beats to create a sound that’s both genre-defiant and soul-stirring. Their lyricism is intimate and poetic, offering listeners a space to feel seen, held, and moved.

Since emerging in 2022, OK Naledi has carved a fast-rising path in the Canadian music scene, earning major festival appearances, several award nominations, and provincial arts funding. Their music video “do you feel” was selected for the 2023 Los Angeles Queer Film Festival, and their debut full-length album launched with a sold-out release show at the National Arts Centre.

More than a music project, OK Naledi is a love letter to becoming—an evolving body of work that invites audiences to feel deeply, dance freely, and dream beyond borders. New music is always on the horizon.

Music on the Canal The concert takes place on the Rideau Canal beginning near the NAC, under the Rideau Street Bridge. The musician-packed boat will arrive at Lansdowne Park approximately 45 minutes later and then return back. The sets run approximately 90 minutes.

Tips and tricks for enjoying Music on the Canal We recommend you find a spot along the canal, not at the starting point at the NAC, where you will be able to hear the boat as it approaches and then continues down the canal. Pack a picnic, bring some folding chairs and let the music come to you!

If you want more than a glimpse, you can cycle along to keep up as the boat moves faster than walking pace.