‘Wonderful tribute’: music video unveiled to celebrate London’s Bicentennial

A music video has been unveiled to celebrate London's Bicentennial. Brent Lale reports.

A new music video celebrating London’s bicentennial has been unveiled.

“It’s our gift to the City of London,” said Mario Circelli, founder of the Forest City London Music Awards (FCLMA) and a co-producer of the video.

“It’s a wonderful tribute to our music makers, past and present, and our way of encouraging folks to continue to make music right here in London, Ont.”

The production is titled 200 Years of Forest City: Music, Community and Legacy and was presented by the FCLMA, Simple Reflections for Artists (SRFA) and the Digital Creative Arts Centre.

The video features the song The Forest City by SRFA.

“This song is going to talk about how we come to unite, how we celebrate together through every season,” said Dario Novoa of SRFA.

“No matter where you are during the year, it will talk about the transition and about what it’s been like for Londoners over the last 200 years. We want to make this a better place for the next generation.”

The video was released in front of a large crowd at Museum London on Saturday, March 28, 2026.

“We were able to connect the dots and pay homage to the first music makers on this land — the Indigenous people — and even Mother Nature before them,” said Circelli.

“We then skip ahead to Guy Lombardo and the first pop stars of Canada from London, Ont., and stitch it all together right to the present day.”

SRFA is a group of musicians from various backgrounds who have settled in London.

“We have people from Nigeria, from Asia, from Europe and from Latin America,” said Novoa, who came to London from El Salvador 36 years ago.

“It’s about stitching and bringing everybody together. We’re like an empty canvas, and we’re all here to create. It’s a beautiful thing.”

The video can be viewed on the FCLMA website and on its social media platforms.