RPM co-presents Indigenous showcase series at Gardiner Museum with Sean Conway, Amanda Rheaume, Logan Staats, and Christa Couture

This month we are co-presenting two hot nights of Indigenous music at Toronto's Gardiner Museum! 

The concerts are part of the programming around the current Kent Monkman exhibit and we're thrilled to be part of the mix.

Kent Monkman’s site specific installation at the Gardiner Museum in Toronto, Ontario, entitled The Rise and Fall of Civilization includes a nine-foot cliff structure, taxidermied bison, a statue of Monkman’s two-spirited, trickster alter ego, Miss Chief, and artistically it sits in direct contention with Picasso, primitivism, and modernism.

It's fantastic.

And in conjunction with this presentation, the Gardiner has a series of related programming including these two nights of Indigenous music that we were stoked to curate.

Friday November 7th, you'll see Irish-Ojibwe outlaw-country singer-songwriter Sean Conway and Métis folk/roots singer-songwriter Amanda Rheaume. Both artists will have their bands in tow and RPM's own Jarrett Martineau will host the night.

Friday November 13th, join us for intimate, solo performances by Six Nations bluesy, passionate artist Logan Staats and Cree folk/roots singer-songwriter Christa Couture.  

These concerts are free with half price admission into the Gardiner and start at 7pm both nights! Come early to explore Kent's work and the rest of what the museum has to offer. See you there, Toronto!

November 7th - details on gardinermuseum.on.ca, Facebook event November 13th - details on gardinermuseum.on.ca, Facebook event

Melbourne Indigenous Arts Festival

The Melbourne Indigenous Arts festival is in full swing down under with more than 40 artists gathering to share, celebrate, educate, contribute and inspire.

"Culture is knowledge, and knowledge is survival" Deborah Cheetham writes of the Melbourne Indigenous Arts festival for The Guardian. An Indigenous musician herself she continues:

For us the visual and performing arts have always been the way we know the world and give meaning to everything in it. For more than 1000 generations, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have passed on all knowledge of geography, the sciences, medicine and humanity through the visual and performing arts. No fear of a hard-drive meltdown in traditional culture. As long as you knew the song or the dance or the story, culture would survive.

The festival presents a range of art forms including Indigenous theatre, music, literature, film, cabaret and dance. Bringing their musical talents to the second annual, 12 day celebration are artists Bart Willoughby, Tiriki Onus, Jessica Mauboy, Archie Roach and Cheetham.

"Come and witness first-hand an ancient culture that has always been contemporary to its time, informed and shaped by the knowledge of 1000 generations" Cheetham invites in her list of highlights (get the full report here).

Scope full festival schedule here and watch Bart Willoughby - who performs "We Still Live On" this Wednesday at the festival - now:

VIDEO: Bart Willoughby - "We Have Survived"

Native America North Takes New York

Three of our favourite Indigenous artists will be traveling from their Canadian homes to New York this weekend to perform a showcase at APAP 2013.

The Big Apple will have the pleasure of hearing Don Amero, Digging Roots and Elisapie at a showcase, Native America North, during the APAP 2013 conference. Between the three acts you'll get roots, folk, and pop interpretations of Anishinabe, Mohawk, Inuit, and Métis culture.

If you're in the city Saturday January 12, head to the National Museam of the American Indian from 2-5pm to take it all in - the event is free to the public!

For more info visit aboriginalmusic.ca and get started with the latest video from Don Amero, Turn These Grey Skies Blue:

Kinnie Starr and Cris Derksen: The National Music Centre Artists in Residence

The new Astral Radio Artist-in-Residence program at Calgary's National Music Centre is currently hosting electro-cellist Cris Derksen and hip-hop chanteuse Kinnie Starr for a week of collaboration and experimentation.

The National Music Centre (NMC) kicked off the Astral Radio Artist-in-Residence (A.I.R.) earlier this year with Kurt Swinghammer and last week welcomed Cris Derksen and Kinnie Starr to collaborate, record and perform with the NMC collection - a collection that boasts over 2,000 instruments and artifacts.

From nmc.ca:

The National Music Centre (NMC) and Astral Radio are thrilled to welcome the fifth installment of the NMC Astral Radio Artist-in-Residence program with Toronto’s Kinnie Starr and Vancouver’s Cris Derksen tackling the amazing NMC collection for a week of recording and sonic experimentation...

Together, they are launching their new collaborative project, BEAMS. Sharing a strong interest in landscape and heritage both physically and sonically, they are a perfect match for exploration and creative discovery.

“We are extremely excited to work with the instruments at NMC” says Derksen “to expand on what we’re already doing, but to also delve into a whole new world of experimentation with instruments we’ve only heard about, but never had  the chance to actually play.”

The goal of the residency is for Starr and Derksen to use these new and innovative instruments to collaborate in creating something unique and fresh. “It’s an incredible opportunity to be able to expand the perimeters our tools can take us,” says Derksen “I think KStarr and I are a perfect match – we instantly speak the same language about music and how to take it to the places we want to go, seeking the same path and outcomes.”

We're big fans of both Derksen and Starr here at RPM (in case you hadn't noticed) and are thrilled about this new project. The outcome is sure to be fantastic.

For anyone in the Calgary area, you can attend the performance this Friday December 7th at 8pm. Visit nmc.ca/whats-on/kinnie-starr-and-cris-derksen-in-concert for details.

For more information on the NMC Artist-in-Residence program including how to apply, visit nmc.ca/musicians.

Indigenous Summer Music Festival Guide 2012

It's summer 2012 and RPM has another guide to Indigenous musicians representing at music festivals this year.

It's the first week of summer and festival season has already kicked off in some places, but there are still many to check out all over Turtle Island. We've mined through the festival line-ups and compiled a list of festivals including Indigenous musicians.

Adäka Cultural Festival, Whitehorse, YT, June 22-28 - Murray Porter, Wayne Lavallee, Reddnation

Alianait Arts Festival, Iqaluit, NU, June 29 - July 2nd - Artcirq, William Tagoona, the Métis Fiddler Quartet and more.

Boonstock Music & Arts Festival, Gibsons, AB, June 28 - July 1 - Gutta Musik

Little Lake Music Festival, Peterborough, ON, June 30 - August 25 - Tom Jackson

Ottawa Blues Fest, Ottawa, ON, July 4-15 - A Tribe Called Red

Winnipeg Folk Festival, Winnipeg, MB, July 4-8 - Asani, Ozomatli, Sonia Eidse

Harrison Festival of the Arts, Harrison, BC, July 6-15 - Murray Porter, Inez, Jason Burnstick, Pura Fe, Kalan Wi

Atlin Arts and Music Festival, Atlin, BC, July 6-8 - Don Amero

All Folked up in Montmartre, Montmartre, SK, July 6-8 - Christa Couture, Carol Morin

Mariposa Folk Fest, Orillia, ON, July 6-8 - Florent Vollant, Shane Koyczan and the Short Story Long

Vancouver Island Music Festival, Comox Valley, BC, July 6-8 - Buffy Sainte-Marie, Wab Kinew, Lorenzo

Woody Guthrie Folk Festival, Okemah, OK, July 11-15 - Samantha Crain

Craven Country Jamboree, Qu'Appelle Valley, SK, July 12-15 - Terri Clarke

Homeskillet Festival, Sitka, AK, July 13-14 - Silver Jackson, Strummin' Dog, D-Script

Montana Folk Festival, Butte, MT, July 13-15 - Little Southern Cree, Dallas Chief Eagle

Vancouver Folk Festival, Vancouver, BC, July 13-15 - Leela Gilday, Los Gaiteros de San Jacinto, Alejandra Robles

Folk On The Rocks, Yellowknife, NWT, July 19-22 - Pura Fe, William Greenland, Wesley Hardisty, The Jerry Cans, Timangia Petaulassie & Qauna Mikkigaq, Yellowknives Dene Drummers

Brandon Folk Festival, Brandon, MB, July 19-22 - Kinnie Starr

Dawson City Music Festival, Dawson, YK, July 20-22 - Cris Derksen, Dakhká Khwáan Dancers

Starbelly Jam, Crawford Bay, BC, July 20-22 - Glen Henry Michel Family w/ Sara Cadeau

Discovery Coast Music Festival, Bella Coola, BC, July 20-22 - The Caley Watts Band, Digawolf

LA Skins Fest, LA, CA, July 21 - Beck Black, Cockamammie Jamie, Arigon Starr, Shawn Michael Perry & Only The Brave

Lowell Folk Festival, Lowell, MA, July 27-29 - Jones Benally Family Dancers

MetisFest - Killarny, MB, July 27-29 - Darren Lavallee, Donny Parenteau, JJ Lavallee and Ryan Keplin.

ArtsWells, Wells, BC, August 3-6 - Benny Walker, Christa Couture

Electric Eclectics Festival, Meaford, ON, August 3-5 - Melody McKiver

Edmonton Folk Music Fest, Edmonton, AB, August 9-12 - Joanne Shenandoah, Treme, George Kahumoku Jr.

Lunenburg Folk Harbour Fest, Lunenburg, NS, August 9-12 - Iskwew, Leela Gilday

Edge Of The World Festival, Haida Gwaii, BC, August 10-12 - Road Engine Dreams

TroutFest, Ear Falls, Ontario, August 10-12 - Christa Couture, Shy-Anne Hovorka

Boots and Hearts Music Festival, Bowmanville, ON, August 10-12 - Terri Clarke, Shane Yellowbird, Derek Miller, Crystal Shawanda

Voices Of The Valley Music and Art Festival, Spence's  Bridge, BC August 11 - Skookum Sound System, Blackout Artists, Gitwaalk Jeremy, Niska

Robson Valley Music Festival, Dunster, BC, August 17-19 - Niska

Desert Daze, Spences Bridge, BC, August 17-19 - Christa Couture

Hopscotch Music Festival, Raleigh, NC, September 6-8 - Samantha Crain

If there's any dates we've missed or to be updated let us know and we'll add them to the list.  Happy Festival Season!

The 11th Talking Stick Festival in Vancouver BC

The annual Talking Stick Festival is once again celebrating and showcasing Aboriginal artists across Vancouver from February 20-March 4th. Yes! Two weeks of live music, dance, theatre, powwow, workshops and more will be happening in venues citywide. Created by Full Circle: First Nations Performance, the festival is a unique showcase and forum for contemporary Indigenous artists to share their work. From fullcircleperformance.ca:

Since its inception, the festival has become a place to honour Aboriginal tradition in contemporary forms, the artistic wealth of the people, and the promise of their future in Canada. The festival is a smorgasbord of Aboriginal artistic expression including, but not limited to music, dance, and spoken word and provides a stage for emerging and established artists.

This year, the musical highlights of the festival include Native by Nature: The Aboriginal Music Project with Dave Larocque and Kinnie Starr on February 25th at VCC and, later that night, A Tribe Called Red's Electric Powwow which will be thumping at W2.

Spoken word artists will go head to head on February 22 at Cafe Deux Soleils in From Talking Stick to the Microphone Vol. 2 and Mohawk poet Janet Rogers is presenting on February 28th at the First Nation House of Learning, UBC.

There's also a number of compelling and potentially very useful workshops for artists being presented including How We Define Traditional & Contemporary Practice on February 27th and Grant Writing How-To on February 28th.

I could go on - there's events happening every day for two weeks! For a complete listing of all of the events, visit fullcircleperformance.ca and The 11th Annual Talking Stick Festival on Facebook.

See you there Vancouver!

Indigenous Live Music Picks December 15-18

Winter is rolling into Turtle Island, but the music is still hot. Here are RPM's top 5 Indigenous live music picks for the weekend.

Urban Aboriginal Winter Festival December 13-15  The festival which has included film screenings and hip-hop bingo continues tonight with "Aboriginal Blues Revue" featuring Wayne Lavallee, Murray Porter, Dalannah Gail Bowen and Russel Wallace at W2 Media Café in Vancouver, BC. More info: Urban Aboriginal Winter Festival.

Xmas Fest 3 December 15 - Ali Fontaine, C-Weed, Joey Stylez and others will perform and party in support of the Christmas Cheer Board at the Pyramid Cabaret, Winnipeg, MB. More info: facebook.com.

Amero Little Christmas December 16 - Don Amero, with special guest Jaylene Johnson, celebrates Christmas in support of Agape Table at Ellice Cafe & Theatre in Winnipeg, MB. More info: Amero Little Christmas with very special guest Jaylene Johnson.

Yelawolf December 17 - Catch Yelawolf perform at the Offical Dew Tour after party in Breckenbridge, Colorado. If you're going, be sure to check out Yelawolf's content to win meet & greet pases at facebook.com/yelawolf . More info on the Dew Tour:  breckenridge.com/events/dew-tour.

Hip-Hop for Hunger December 17 - The annual event includes perfromances by Ms. Teaze and Lil' Smokey, raising funds and collecting non-perishable food items for the Calgary Food Bank at Dickens Pub, Calgary, Alberta. More info: Calgary's 3rd Annual Hip Hop for Hunger Food Drive/ Hip Hop Show.

Live Indigenous Music Picks December 8-11

From roots to hip-hop, from the dance floor to the soft seat theatre, here's this weekend's live music picks from RPM.

Krunk 4 the Kidz December 8 - The Lytics, Young Kidd, and White Rhino will be performing at the Republic Nightclub in Winnipeg, MB, raising funds and collecting unwrapped toys and canned goods for the Christmas Cheer board. More info: YOUNG KIDD & THE LYTICS LIVE @ REPUBLIC NITECLUB "KRUNK 4 THE KIDS".

Indigenous December 10 - Enjoy the roots rock of Indigenous at Trouser Mouse in Blue Springs, MO. More info: indigenousmusic.net.

"UNINTERUPTED" Jazz and Blues Review December 9 - The Dusty Roads Band joins the lineup of ten bands taking the sate at the Manitoba Hydro Gallery, Winnipeg, MB. More info: 1st Annual "Uninterupted Blues and Jazz Review".

Lakota Jonez December 10 - Not exactly a live music event, but Lakota Jonez is looking for extras to be in her newest music video. The shoot will take place at Launchpad in Albuquerque, NM. More info:  Lakota Jonez Music Video Shoot Part 3.

Electric Powwow December 10 - It's that time of the month when A Tribe Called Red puts on their one of a kind show at Babylon Nightclub, Ottawa, ON. More info: Electric Powwow.

Art Napolean December 11 -  Enjoy some new tunes and stories from Art in the wonderful Duncan Garage Showroom, Duncan, BC. More info: Art Napoleon Showroom Concert with Rockin' Cowboy Marty Jones.

January Rogers December 11 - Spoken word artist January Rogers will perform in "Mohawk Poetics" at the National Museum of the American Indian, in Washington, D.C. More info: nmai.si.edu.

Indigenous Live Music Picks December 1-7

December is here! Time flies when you're listening to music and there is music happening across Turtle Island this week as much as ever. Here are RPM's top 5 picks for Indigenous live music picks.

Andrea Menard December 2 - Enjoy an evening of Andrea's music at the Blackgoot Crossing Historical Musuem in Siksika, AB. More info: Sparkle with Andrea Menard.

DJ Bear Witness December 2 - Bear Witness will perform at the reception for the 8th annual 50-500 Members Show at Urban Shaman: Contemporary Aboriginal Art in Winnipeg, MB. More info: MEMBERS 50-500 & BEAR WITNESS.

Murray Porter December 2 & 3 - There are two chances to catch Murray perform live this weekend, first on December 2nd at the Red Rock Casino in Richmond, BC - more info: MURRAY PORTER GUESTS WITH INCOGNITO FEATURING NADINE STATES - and second on December 3rd at The Backstage Lounge in Vancouver, BC - more info: MURRAY PORTER & HIS BAND @ BACKSTAGE LOUNGE - ARTS CLUB, GRANVILLE ISLAND.

Conway K/Red Power Squad December  3 - The Vat Pub in Red Deer, AB, will be thumpin' with performances from Conway K/Red Power Squad, Epiphany, Sheena Kaine, Capitole D, JoJo Ryhmes, Prima Facie, Atim, Gumz, and Anasaz. More info: "The Uprising" feat Conway K, Epiphany, Ms.Teaze, Sheena Kaine and more.

Samantha Crain December 2, 6 & 7  - catch Samantha on tour this week at  The Blue Door , Oklahoma City, OK, December 2nd; The Oly Club, Centralia, WA, December 6th; and McMenamins Edge, Troutdale, OR, December 7th. More info: samanthacrain.com.

Indigenous Live Music Picks: November 25-27

Another weekend, another chance to take in some live Indigenous music! Here's our top 6 picks.

Nake Nula Waun November 25 - The hip-hop group perform their first concert on their Rosebud Reservation home since winning the Best Hip-Hop Nammy last month at Sinte Gleska Multipurpose Building in Mission, SD. More info: Nake Nula Waun Live on the RST with Comedian Mylo Smith and Special Guests.

Jerry Sereda November 25 - Jerry celebrates the release of his CD Turn the Country On  at Cowboys Night Club in Winnipeg, MB. More info: Jerry Sereda CD Release Party.

The RED Revue: Pura Fe November 25 - This month's RED Revue, presented by ANDPVA,  features Pura Fe at The Sister (formerly Mitzi's Sister) in Toronto, ON. More info: The RED Revue with Pura Fe.

Santa Fe Indian Market November 26-27 - The winter edition of the Santa Fe Indian Market will feature two performances by Joy Harjo as well as the marketplace, fashion show, artist demonstrations and other events. More info: http://swaia.org/Events/index.html#November.

Donny Parentaeu November 24 - Fresh off his 5 CAMA wins, Donny performs at the Bluebird Cafe, Saskatoon, SK. More info: donnyparenteau.com.

Digging Roots November 26 - Take in a music workshop with the Roots during the pre-show to the Annual Women's Blues Revue at Massey Hall, Toronto, ON. More info:  masseyhall.com.

Indigenous Live Music Picks November 17-20

From Juneau, Alaska, to Toronto, Ontario, to Boise, Idaho, Indigenous live music is making noise all across Turtle Island this weekend. Here's RPM's top ten picks.

Songs of the Land November 16 - Murray Porter, Leanne Goose and Gabriel Ayala perform at the VIFF VanCity Theatre in Vancouver, BC, in support of Full Circle. More info: Songs of the Land A Benefit for Full Circle.

Cris Derksen and Christa Couture November 17-20 - Cris and Christa, along with the band E.S.L., head to Vancouver Island, BC,  for gigs at Logan's Pub, Victoria (November 17th), Char's Landing in Port Alberni (18th), The Garage Showroom in Duncan (19th) and The Waverly in Cumberland (20th). More info: Christa Couture, Cris Derksen & E.S.L. Vancouver Island Tour.

Manitoba Aboriginal Artists Showcase November 17 - Toronto, here is your chance to catch some of Manitoba's finest artists! Manitoba Music's Aboriginal Music Program presents Cassidy Mann, Ali Fontaine, Vince Fontaine with Eagle & Hawk and Lorenzo at The Rivoli, Toronto, ON. More info: Manitoba Aboriginal Artists Showcase.

Fire in the Sky November 17 - Many of Turtle Island's hottest artists will be in Toronto for the Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards this weekend but you can also catch a few of the best at the Hard Rock Cafe in Toronto, ON. Brock Stonefish, Leanne Goose, Pura Fe, Gabriel Ayala, The Johnnys and Jasper will be performing. More info: Fire in the Sky - Hard Rock Cafe Toronto.

The Canadian Aboriginal Festival and Music Awards November 18 - Celebrate the best in Canadian Aboriginal Music at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre on Friday night, and take in the powwow and marketplace over the weekend at the Better Living Centre Exhibition Place, in Toronto, ON. More info: canab.com.

The Travelling Man Mixtape Tour November 17-21 - Wake Self and DJ Young Native are hitting the road together with consecutive stops in Logan, UT, Salt Lake City, UT, Boise, ID, Duangro, CO, and Gallup, NM. More info: The Traveling Man Mixtape Tour.

Silver Jackson November 18-19  - Silver Jackson celebrates the release of his new album with two nights at The Alaskan, Juneau, AK. More info: artistdata.sonicbids.com/silver-jackson.

Electric Powwow November 18 - A Tribe Called Red brings their dance party to El Mocambo in Toronto, ON. More info: Electric Pow Wow in Toronto.

Squamish Nation National Addictions Awareness Week Powwow 2011 November 19-20 - Host drum is Travelling Spirit at Totem Hall, Squamish, BC. More info: Squamish Nation National Addictions Awareness Week Powwow 2011.

The Best of Aboriginal Blues November 19 - Murray Porter, Bitterly Divine and Sean "Blues Puppy" Riquelme perform at The Yale, Vancouver, BC. This will be the last Aboriginal Blues night at The Yale before it closes for a year of upgrades. More info: 'The Best of Aboriginal Blues' at Vancouver's The Yale.

Indigenous Live Music Picks November 10-13

From powwow to electric powwow, this weekend is packed with Indigenous live music events from coast to coast. Here are RPM's picks for the weekend.

Benefit Concert  Thursday November 10 -  A benefit to establish a trust fund for 2 year old Kaiden Anderson who's father Eddie passed away last month. Wab Kinew, JJ Lavallee, D1, Da Skelpa Squad, Unity, Hellnback, Foreign Objekts, and The Mosquitoz will perform at The Pyramid Club in Winnipeg, MB. More info: Benefit Concert for Baby Kaiden Anderson.

Vancouver Indigenous Media Arts Festival (VIMAF) November 10-13 - The inaugural festival takes place at W2 in Vancouver, BC, with films, panel discussions and featured guest speaker Ernie Paniccioli.  DJ Deano performs, and RPM presents select music videos in Indigenous Music Culture Visions, on the 11th. Get the complete festival guide and schedule at vimaf.com and Vancouver Indigenous Media Arts Festival.

Janet Panic November 10 - Janet is the featured artist at this week's Poetry Slam at the Heritage Grill in New Westminster, BC. More info: SLAM CENTRAL Featuring BLYTHE JANET PANIC!. 

CerAmony November 10 - Indigenous rockers CerAmony take the stage at Théâtre Plaza in Montreal, QC. More info: CerAmony Live in Montreal.

Native Rhythms Festival November 11-13 - This 3 day celebration of Indigenous music, especially the Native American flute, takes place in Melbourne, FL, and features Arvel Bird, Robert Mirabal, Mark Holland and others. More information at: nativerhythmsfestival.com.

FSIN "Spirit of Our Nations"  Powwow November 11-13 - The Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations hosts this powwow at the Credit Union Centre in Saskatoon, SK. More info at sicc.sk.ca and 2011 "Spirit of Our Nations" FSIN Cultural Celebration & Powwow.

Derek Miller November 11 - Derek performs at the American Indian Motion Picture Awards Ceremony in San Francisco, CA. More info: americanindianfilminstitute.com.

Sierra Noble November 12 - Dedicating songs to the Daniel Pearl World Music Days, Sierra performs at Barbés, in Brooklyn, NY. More info: Sierra Noble band @ Barbés Brooklyn and danielpearlmusicdays.org.

Electric Powwow November 12 - A Tribe Called Red is back in their hometown for the monthly electric powwow at Babylon in Ottawa, ON. This month features special guest Iskwé. More info: Electric Pow Wow.