Between Little Amal, Treemonisha, and the incredible free concerts at Music Weekend, this year’s Luminato Festival was our most favourite yet.

Last Saturday, photographer Kate Killet biked down to a packed David Pecaut Square to snap Princess Nokia (born Destiny Frasquri), who was a headliner at this year’s fest. 

The New York-born Puerto Rican MC, singer, songwriter, and style icon is known for her raw, high-octane performances, and she lived up to her reputation with a lively show that included spraying the crowd with water and a spontaneous boob flash, accompanied with the message “my body, my choice”.  Everyone cheered her on.

During her set, Princess Nokia brought out the Snotty Nose Rez Kids (who performed earlier that night), and even played Ashnikko’s sexy sapphic single “Slumber Party” on which she features. Following anthems “Tomboy” and “Kitana”, the evening came to a close with the Degrassi: The Next Generation theme song.

Luminato explains how Princess Nokia is much more than a beloved artist, but also a symbol of possibility.

“Her journey to this point began with the loss of her mother and shuffling in-and-out of foster care for half of her life, and progressed as she began to chronicle it all in poetry. Poems transformed into anthems across early mixtapes and projects, including Honeysuckle, Vicki Gotti, and 1992. In 2017 she broke through with 1992 Deluxe [Rough Trade], which NME pegged among “The Albums of the Year,” Noisey graded an “A,” and The Guardian rated 4-outof-5 stars. She went on to sold-out shows, major festivals, directing her own videos, and making calculated moves to be heard even louder—hosting an Apple Music Beats 1 Radio show “The Voice in My Head with Princess Nokia” and co-starring in the high-profile Maison Margiela launch of their Mutiny fragrance.  

She’s a daring and true original who’s inspired millions, including us. Last week’s concert was an unforgettable Toronto night under the stars,  full of electric vibes and restorative energy.