'An honour to be chosen': Forest City London Music All-Stars ready to ring in new year

Jag Huligin is not taking his first selection into the Forest City London Music All-Stars (FCLMA) for granted.

Jag Huligin is not taking his first selection into the Forest City London Music All-Stars (FCLMA) for granted.

The London, Ont. rapper will be part of the band which will perform in front of thousands of fans at Victoria Park during the New Year’s Eve celebration.

“It means a lot because I feel like in the hip hop community a lot of us don't get that opportunity to kind of showcase more than just us being rappers,” said Huligin, who will perform hits from his homeland of the Bahamas, as well as Los Angeles.

He continued, “It's my first time playing in front of Victoria Park. I’ve played in front of big crowds, but like it's homegrown. So it feels different. It's an opportunity that I know that I could pass on to other artists and creatives eventually coming down the road.”

Event organizer and lead of the FCLMA Mario Circelli chooses the band each year, and this year brought in Huligin to add a different vibe.

“What we try to do with a project is showcase the diversity of the musicians in London,” said Circelli. “Every once in a while though, we bring in a few new folks but these are all seasoned professionals. These are all musicians from our backyard who would be at home on any stage in the world.”

The free celebration begins at 7 p.m. with a countdown and fireworks for kids at 9 p.m.