Originally from Detroit, Michigan, Khari Wendell McClelland is an interdisciplinary artist who seamlessly genre-bends within gospel and soul music. He has lived in Canada for over two decades, spending a number of years in Windsor, Ontario before settling down in Vancouver, British Columbia.

McClelland’s love for the arts began young, he played instruments and attended a youth arts camp throughout his childhood. His musical career began in the Vancouver-based gospel trio The Sojourners; formed by blues legend Jim Byrnes, the group made their debut in 2008 with the album Hold On. Through a skillful combination of blues and R&B, they made waves in the Canadian gospel industry. They have received a Western Canadian music award alongside a Juno and Maple Blues Award nomination.

McClelland made his solo debut in 2016 with the album Fleeting Is The Time. Since then, he has performed at musical festivals across Canada and opened for acts such as Lauryn Hill and Andra Day. He is most well known for the project Freedom Singer, where he combines theatre, history and music to create a narrative that encapsulates the journey of freedom seekers who crossed the Underground Railroad. The project is deeply personal to McClelland, whose great-great grandmother, Kizzy, fled slavery in this manner. The research process of Freedom Singer is featured on the CBC program: Absolutely Canadian, where McClelland collected and studied the folk-gospel songs that fugitive slaves brought to Canada alongside producer Jodie Martinson. In a similar vein, in 2019, his We Now Recognize tour honoured Black History Month through an exploration of family and apologies. McClelland performed in six Canadian cities and presented musical storytelling as a strategy reconciliation. Both projects moved attendees and received considerable media coverage.

Currently, McClelland continues to perform and tour across Canada. He applies his knowledge of the arts as a course director at Simon Fraser University and a Creative Facilitator, showing a commitment to his community.