Indigenous Musicians

 Indigenous Musicians. 

We have all heard of Robbie Robertson and his time in The Band (have you seen the Last Waltz? I don't think anyone there remembers it). And who doesn't enjoy "Somewhere Down the Crazy River"? And then there is Redbone. This band is somewhat lesser-known, but I bet if you click the link you will recognize the song "Come and Get Your Love". And let's not forget everyone's Mother-In-Law's favorite Tom Jackson and his "Huron Carol".

There are so many Indigenous artists right now that should be recognized and have a much larger audience.



One of my favourite songs, and has been for a while is "Wasted" by William Prince. The first time I heard the song was while watching the New Year's Eve special on CBC. Prince was born in Selkirk, Manitoba, and later moved with his family to the Peguis First Nation as a child. Prince has won two Junos, a Canadian Folk music Award, and the 2020 SOCAN songwriting prize for his song "The Spark". 


The word "legend" gets thrown around a lot. But I think in this case, the word is warranted. Buffy Sainte-Marie is a singer-songwriter, musician, an Oscar-nominated composer, and an activist. Her most popular songs (that she performs) are probably "Universal Soldier" and her cover of a song I have featured before "The Circle Game". In 1983, Sainte-Marie became the first Indigenous person to win an Oscar for her song "Up Where We Belong", which was performed in the movie "An Officer and a Gentleman" by Joe Cocker and Jennifer Warren. After being blacklisted from American radio, Sainte-Marie became even more heavily involved in the Native American Movement, and in 1997 she founded the Cradleboard Teaching Project, which is a curriculum devoted to better understanding Indigenous people. 


Susan Aglukark released the song "O Siem" in 1995. It quickly became the first international hit by an Inuk performer. She mixes traditional folk music of the Inuit people with more pop-like songs to create her sound. Other than writing and performing, Aglukark has become involved with writing workshops for Attawapiskat First Nation and making Canadians aware of the food crisis for residents in the north. She is also a speaker for the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Woman and Girls organization. She has also spoken publicly about sex abuse within her community.
 
Many corporations have made it a mission to bring the voices of many cultures that don't always get the spotlight. And Spotify (despite its other problems) has released an Indigenous Canadian playlist. This one is curated by Susan Aglukark. Check it out. 

Shopping Corner

Hiawatha and the Peacemaker (By Robbie Robertson)


Buffy Sainte-Marie: The Authorized Biography



Una Hana?: What is This? (By Susan Aglukark)











Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Momma's Boy

Image
 My son is technically an adult. I mean he is 18 and in the Navy. So I guess he can be called a grown-up. He left for basic training in September and wound up halfway across the country. After graduation, he was sent even further away. I guess I wouldn't call him a Momma's boy in the traditional sense. He is far too independent for that. He makes his own decisions and while I may be consulted from time to time, I wouldn't say he needs me to make decisions.  I do miss him terribly though.  The good news is that he is back for Christmas. A whole month! The bad news is that I have to share him with his friends and other members of my family. Including his girlfriend. And I am having a bit of a hard time with it. Not with her, she is a lovely person and she loves him very much. She makes him happy, and I am glad that he has her to talk to about the things he can't talk to me about.  Here is the rub. I am having problems sharing him. He has been home for three days. And s...
Read more

Changes, or how I never thought I would miss the last guy.

Image
 My word it has been a while.  Over the time I have not been here many things have changed, as they tend to do. And the other things that haven't changed are the ones that will bring you down.  Now, you know I can't resist talking at least a little about politics. So let's get that out of the way.  Alberta, we are on the cliff. As of July 1, 2022 (according to Google) our province's population was 4,543, 111. That is a lot of people. Through the magic of politics, 42000 people elected our current leader, on their sixth shot at it.  I am sure you know about our current leader. How can you go anywhere without hearing about her next try at speaking her truth into existence and then backtracking on what she said like a three year with red hands telling you that they aren't the one who got red paint all over your walls? I never thought I would be able to say anything positive about our last leader, but at least Kenbabe never seemed to be actively trying to tear our p...
Read more

Deep Breaths

Image
 This time of year is always so busy.  Parties, shopping, kid performances, trying to stay warm and sane.  Everything is happening at the same time.  Which is somewhat contradictory. To me anyway.  It's cold, it's dark, and my basic instinct is telling me to stay home and hide from the people who don't live here.  This is a rough time of year for many people. Even if you remove the financial constraints to throw yourself into debt and make sure that all the people you love know how much you love them through the magic of material goods. That is if you have loved ones. If you don't everywhere you turn you are reminded that everyone has a happy family. Except you. Then your brain, the liar, starts to tell you all the things wrong with you and why you don't have a family. Or why you aren't good enough for your family, if you have one.  On top of all of the pressure we place on ourselves, there are social pressures. Invitations, expectations, work parties,...
Read more