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Music

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Articles

A Controversial Juno Category: Does Award for Aboriginal Album Promote or Pigeonhole First Nations Culture?

By Patrick Langston, March 20, 2012.

Ottawa Citizen

From the article: "There’s a nominee who’s a straight-up country musician. There’s a bluesman. And a duo that blends traditional powwow music with decidedly non-First Nations house music.

So what exactly makes an act eligible for the Junos’ Aboriginal Recording of the Year category?

And considering the history of native peoples in Canada, is having such a category perpetuating apartness? “It’s not a racial category, it’s a musical category,” says Brian Wright-McLeod, a Dakota-Anishnabe and chair of the Junos’ aboriginal category. Eligible styles include all traditional forms, hand drums and traditional flutes, Inuit throat singing, and Métis and other fiddling. Also eligible are fusions of all genres of contemporary music that incorporate the eligible styles and/or reflect the aboriginal experience in Canada through words or music."

Film & Video

Buffy

By John Walker, National Film Board, 2010. (6:16 mins)

Synopsis from the NFB website: Folk music icon Buffy Sainte-Marie became internationally renowned with her protest song "Universal Soldier." In this short documentary, she candidly discusses her hopes, creative vision and songwriting skills, as well as her role as an Aboriginal activist. Still a vibrant artist fifty years into her career, she keeps her eyes set on the future.

Spy Dénommé-Welch

Spy Dénommé-Welch is a multi-disciplinary artist and scholar who has written and produced work for theatre, short film and opera. Spy is the founder and Artistic Director of An Indie(n) Rights Reserve, an independent company that has recently co-produced the innovative, full-length opera Giiwedin. His works have been shown at festivals, theatres, galleries and conferences both in Canada and internationally, and he has been published in journals such as Canadian Journal of Native Education and Canadian Theatre Review. He graduated from the University of Guelph with a B.A.H., earned his M.A. in Interdisciplinary Studies and is now completing his PhD in Education at York University on the topic of Indigenous music, opera and pedagogy.

Dark image of woman weaving with beads and thread

Video: Giiwedin

Libretto and Story by: Spy Dénommé-Welch
Music by: Catherine Magowan & Spy Dénommé-Welch

Written in Anishnaabemowin, French and English, Giiwedin spans multiple centuries and genres, telling the story of Noodin-Kwe’s struggle to protect her ancestral land. Set in Northeastern Ontario, this opera explores early history and its effect on modern-day Canada.

Wab Kinew

From the website: Wab Kinew (pron: WOB ka-NOO) is a one-of-a-kind talent, named by Postmedia News as one of “9 Aboriginal movers and shakers you should know”. He hosted the acclaimed CBC Television series “8th Fire”. His hip-hop has won an Aboriginal Peoples Choice Music Award. His journalism has won an Adrienne Clarkson RTNDA Award, a Gabriel Award and been nominated for a Gemini Award. He has a BA in Economics and is a member of the Midewin.

A Tribe Called Red

In 2008, DJ’s NDN and Bear Witness founded A Tribe Called Red adding two-time Canadian DMC champ, DJ Shub to the crew in 2010. ATCR creates an never before heard sound made up of a wide variety of musical styles ranging from Hip-Hop, Dance Hall, Electronic, and their own mash-up of club and Pow Wow music, known as Pow Wow Step that is quickly gaining respect from all kinds of communities from all around the world.

National Post Article: “We want people to dance, so we use songs that are meant for people to dance to,” he says. “We won’t use sacred songs, such as ‘honour’ or ‘grand entry’ songs, which aren’t even allowed to be recorded. We have way too much respect for the tradition to do that.”

Winnipeg's Most

Winnipeg's Most is a hip hop group made up of the MCs Jon-C (Billy Pierson), Charlie Fettah (Tyler Rogers), and Brooklyn (Jamie Prefontaine). They are based in the city of Winnipeg, Manitoba. Jon-C and Brooklyn are both Aboriginal artists, and the group was recently featured in the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation documentary series 8th fire.

IsKwé

From the website: Committed to giving back to the Native community, IsKwé has focused on promoting positive change and education through facilitating youth workshops with a large focus on music and the arts, as well as supporting various native youth organizations, both in Canada and the USA. In 2008, she was invited to perform at the Democratic National Convention in Denver, CO, for the Native Nations Uniting for Change gala at the Denver Art Museum. In addition, she has performed at such events as Aboriginal Music Week in Winnipeg, MB, NAYA's fundraising gala at the Portland Art Museum, the Canadian Aboriginal Festival in Toronto, ON, the Gathering of Nations in Albuquerque, NM and various music festivals.