Qualicum Beach’s Amarii prepares for concert at Hollywood Theatre in Vancouver
Published 5:35 am Saturday, April 25, 2026
Martin Rupprecht is preparing for a show at the Hollywood Theatre on May 1, where he will open for multiple Juno Award-nominee Tyler Shaw.
Known by his stage name Amarii, the hip-hop and pop artist from Qualicum Beach is busy rehearsing for the show in Vancouver and says he’s learned a lot opening for Jamie Fine for three dates last fall.
“It’ll probably be another big crowd. Which is always a tiny bit nerve-wracking,” Rupprecht said. “I feel a little bit more confident than I did going into the last one because that last one I was like kind of new. I didn’t know what to expect.”
He recently returned from Toronto, where he spent three weeks working on new singles and creating 10 new demo tracks.
Writing music is like therapy for Rupprecht and he takes a lot of inspiration from his past experiences, including growing up in foster care. He chose the name Amarii because liked the sound of it and appreciated that it means “eternal.”
With the new tracks he is working on, he’s aiming to be even more vulnerable.
“My last EP The Boy from Nowhere, it was very like ‘here’s my cards like I’ll lay them on the table for you. This the stuff that I’ve been through.’ It explained a lot right off the bat,” Rupprecht said. “If you listen to the whole project like I have a guard up the whole time, if you really hear me.”
In 2024, he signed with the new record label Kolossal Records, founded by Kayla Diamond. Diamond is his main collaborator for producing his music – and he’s recently begun working with Craig McConnell, known for his work with Celine Dione and in film scoring.
He’s grateful to his fans, who he said are a small but “a really cool close-knit group that I’m building,” and gets messages from people who relate to his music and the experience of being in foster care.
“That’s really cool. And just hearing people connect and relate and hopefully I can help some people out there with some of the stuff I say,” he added.
Rupprecht is especially excited to open up for Shaw, who he listened to while growing up.
“He’s been such a staple here in this country and I just I’m super, super blessed and honoured.”
The concert on May 1 is part of Shaw’s Run to You Tour and will include Jenna Doe as well as Rupprecht.
Tickets are available online at tylershawmusic.com/tour/.