The final video for Starry Skies Opened Eyes trilogy is a collaboration between Diné filmmaker Dylan McLaughlin and Tlingit Unangax̂ artist Silver Jackson.
Read MoreAugust is now among us, cueing us all to rush through our summertime bucket lists. You don't have to do it alone. Check out Wolf Saga's latest 80's infused synth-pop tracks and mixes will be sure to keep you bumping while you do what you gotta do to make the season right.
Read MoreWilliam Prince is storytelling singer/songwriter from Peguis First Nation who sidesteps clichés to provoke thought and facilitate discovery. His baritone vocals pay tribute to his late father and his genuine delivery acknowledges the hundreds of hours he’s spent on stage. Writing songs since the age of thirteen, he produced and played all the instruments on his father Ed Prince’s acclaimed gospel album …it’s Supper Time at the age of fifteen. The two went on to record two more albums, On Christmas Day and Won’t That Be A Morning!, for Arbor Records and Sunshine Records, respectively, in Winnipeg.
A recent alumni of the tri-annual Planet IndigenUS Music Festival, William Prince was named the 2014 Aboriginal Songwriter of the Year at the Indigenous Music Awards. His lead single “The Carny,” from his debut album Earthly Days, had been featured as Manitoba Music’s Download of the Week, and he has been featured in numerous showcases for Manitoba Music, Aboriginal Music Program, and the Winnipeg Folk Festival. Prince is also a veteran to the APTN Aboriginal Day Live stage and his performances still garner rotation on APTN’s Solstice Concert Series.
Prince gained nationwide attention writing music for a CMT reality show and later went on to write songs for Jason Kirkness’ debut album Life On The Road, which scored three top 20 singles on Canadian country radio. To this day, he is still an active member of the First Nations supergroup Indian City. Their albums Supernation and Colors have received international acclaim and numerous Indigenous Music Awards.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=icHiB66oeiQ
"7" is William Prince's first track release since Earthly Days dropped in December 2015. The song is a lovely reminder to graduating native youth to always carry your teachings with you as you make that great leap forward into the next phase of life.
LISTEN: William Prince - "7"
"Earthly Days"and "7" are available now on iTunes and GooglePlay For more visit: www.williamprincemusic.com Check out William Prince on Facebook: facebook.com/williamprincemusic
NDNs on the Airwaves was developed from the need to know more about the recent history of native radio, the current state of native radio, and where native radio is going in the future.
Read MoreFrank Yamma is one of Australia's most significant Indigenous songwriters.
With an ability to cross cultural and musical boundaries, when he sings, you listen and travel with him. An initiated Pitjantjatjara man, Frank sings in his Indigenous language, as well as in English, and his spirit belongs to the heart of Australia - Uluru. Docker River. Ernabella. Central Australia. As Frank says, "Wherever the Pitjantjatjara mob come from."
Over the past five years, the world has been discovering Frank and has seen him perform across Europe and the UK with shows in Latvia, Lithuania, Wales, Ireland, Scotland, Poland, and Switzerland. Frank has undertaken extensive live touring with highlights including the 2012 Cultural Olympiad (UK), Womad (UK), The New Hebridean Festival (Scotland), Festival Bled (Slovenia), Colours of Ostravia (Czech Republic), and most recently setting hearts on fire in Canada at Calgary, Vancouver, and Winnipeg folk festivals. In Canada, he shared the stage with Buffy Saint Marie and The Mekons, as well as performing a coveted spot opening for Joan Baez. In 2014 Frank Yamma represented Australia at WOMEX '14.
Closer to home, Frank also performed at this year's TEDx Sydney in May and won an NIMA award for his latest album Uncle, which features songs of country, protection, heartache, and travel. And songs of love. Not of love lost, but of pure, present-day raw emotion. Uncle shows the continuity of a musician that is hitting his peak with grace and conviction.
Indigenous soulster Frank Yamma will bring his beautiful storytelling back to Canada to play the Lunenburg Folk Harbour Festival on August 5-7, Manitoba Aboriginal Music Week on August 10, Robson Valley Music Festival August 12-14, and he is performing a special, intimate show at Vancouver's Wise Hall on August 11 with Melbourne songstress (and recent Canadian immigrant) Larissa Tandy making a guest appearance.
Frank Yamma - 2016 Canadian Tour Dates:
Keep up with Frank Yamma at frankyamma.com and facebook.com/frankyamma
Emcee Liaizon, Bronze Candidate and DJ Reflekshin have proven time and time again that their music is universally accessible and has the power to start the healing process regarding the social ills we all face through the medium of hip-hop. Whether opening for major acts such as Phife Dawg, Ana Tijoux and Pharoahe Monch or “spreading their medicine” throughout the U.S., Canada and Germany with their rigorous tour schedule, Shining Soul reaffirms hip-hop can be a conduit for positive change, internally and externally.
So after years on the road, Shining Soul is back at it with their new music video titled “The H.E.A.L.I.N.G”. Shot in Washington D.C by El-Shamesh Photography, “The H.E.A.L.I.N.G” is just a glimpse of their long awaited third full-length album Politics Aside.
“The H.E.A.L.I.N.G” promises to be a disclaimer for what's to come and a wake up call for all those sleeping on Arizona's favorite rap trio.
Watch: Shining Soul - "The H.E.A.L.I.N.G."
For more Shining Soul, visit: shiningsoul-music.blogspot.com and shiningsoulmusic.bandcamp.com
"R.E.D.", which features Yasiin Bey, Narcy, and Black Bear, made its world premiere on Ebro's #Beats1Ebro radio show on Apple Music this week.
The single includes powerful verses from legendary hip-hop artist Yasiin Bey (aka the mighty Mos Def) and Iraqi-Canadian MC The Narcicyst (aka Narcy)—dropping fire lyrics over ATCR's "Stadium Pow Wow" beat, and the song is a testament to border-smashing, cross-cultural collaboration and creative connection.
"I think it is the first time in history where you have an African, an Iraqi, and the Indigenous [People] of Canada are on one song", Narcy says. "It feels like the beginning of something new and old, the rebirth after many injustices."
This is just the beginning of a new phase of Tribe "showing the power of our people combined".
https://soundcloud.com/a-tribe-called-red/red-feat-yasiin-bey-narcy-black-bear
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mWZ7u9vl3E
The new video is already creating an instant buzz with its catchy psyc-blues soul sound and empowering messages of ending the violence paradigm through peace and courage…and good music.
“The song 'AK-47' is very personal and emotional for us. Especially in the wake of the recent horrific events in Orlando this last week,” says Raven Kanatakta, one of North America’s finest guitar slingers and the second half of Digging Roots.
The video for "AK-47" was produced by media artist and musician Doug Bedard (aka Plex), whose vision of the song runs the gamut from technicolor dreamscapes and bursting flowers to benevolent warriors adrift in a landscape of grenades and soldiers. The clip also features Sarain Carson-Fox, who burst onto the Canadian media scene as the host of VICEland’s controversial documentary Cut Off following Justin Trudeau’s recent visit to Shoal Lake 40.
As with any epidemic or public health crisis, the appropriate next step is to design an intervention to stop the spread of the disease. This new song is a metaphoric call to arms by Digging Roots; the intervention has begun and they want everyone to join them in a violence-free world, chanting the AK-47 anthem of “Nizoogide’e, Nizoogide’e.”
“There’s an Anishinabek word in the chant at the end of the song that distils it all for me,” says ShoShona. Nizoogide’e means “My heart is a stronghold.”
“'AK-47' is about opening fire on hate, oppression and violence, both lateral and physical. Not with bullets and guns but with the full force of love. Cynics might say that we’re naive but to me it’s the only rational way forward. This song is a proposition that its time to stop oppression and the violence against one another, against ourselves and against the land.”
The song "AK-47" is available on iTunes. Enjoy the new single and crank up the entire For The Light album!
July 23, 2016 - Great Northern Arts Festival, Inuvik, NT
August 4, 2016 - Montreal First Peoples Festival, Montréal, QC
August 5-7, 2016 - Edmonton Folk Festival, Edmonton, AB
August 10, 2016 - TBA, Winnipeg, MB
August 19-21, 2016 - Salmon Arm Roots & Blues Festival, Salmon Arm, BC
For the most complete up-t0-date tour dates please visit diggingrootsmusic.com/tour
Anishinaabe singer-songwriter Nick Sherman has long been an RPM favourite and he's out on tour through Canada this summer, heading out from Ontario to BC and back by end of August. Check the full list of shows below and catch him when you can.
Sherman will be touring in support of his most recent album, Knives & Wildrice, which you can stream right here.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uobG4h6lA8g
July 6 | Toronto, ON - The Central July 7 | Orillia, ON - The Brownstone July 8 | Kitchener, ON - The Boathouse July 9 | Six Nations - 6 Arrows Media July 23-24 | Bella Coola, BC - Bella Coola Music Festival July 26 | Port Alberni, BC - Char's Landing July 27 | Nanaimo, BC - The Nanaimo Bar July 28 | Ucluelet, BC - Black Rock Resort July 29 | Ucluelet, BC - Black Rock Resort July 30 | Vancouver, BC - Skwachays Lodge & Gallery August 5 | Sioux Lookout, ON - The Legion August 12-14 | Ear Falls, ON - Trout Forest Music Festival August 24 | Thunder Bay, ON - Live on the Waterfront
For more details visit www.nicksherman.ca
"I usually play some new songs, I've been adding some spoken word material to my sets every now and then. It's been getting a great response and more motivation for me to get back in the studio," says Sumner.
After recording some new demos back in January, he hopes to be back in the studio by the end of the year.
It's been awhile since Sumner's popular release, Rez Poetry, but fans can look forward to hearing his classic folksy beats. "It's still on the same path", he says. "It still fits outside the box."
Catch up on his new music this summer, as Leonard Sumner tours across Canada.
July 6 - Pacific Rim Arts Fest - Hitacu, BC
July 8-10 - Mariposa Folk Festival - Orillia, ON
July 24-26 - Dawson City Music Fest - Dawson City, YK
July 28 - 2017 Canada Games Countdown - The Forks, Winnipeg, MB
August 12-14 - Interstellar Rodeo - Winnipeg, MB
August 19-21 - Summerfolk Music Fest - Owen Sound, ON
September 2-4 - Shelter Valley Folk Fest - Grafton, ON
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhfBNUI__4c
Check leonardsumner.com for tour updates throughout the summer. He might pop-up in a city near you!
A master pianist, composer and songwriter with a repertoire spanning three decades, Tomson Highway’s music takes inspiration from a wide range of styles, including country, Brazilian samba, jazz and French Canadian folk songs with influences of Cole Porter and Kurt Weill. In addition to his Order of Canada, the JUNO-nominated performer was named one of the 100 most important people in Canadian history by Maclean’s magazine.
And that's just a sampling of the accolades and experience Highway has collected in his life and work so far, while he has criss-crossed the world conducting lectures, readings and musical performances. It's no wonder the SPEAKeasy Collective has produced a night to celebrate him. Songs in the Key of Cree, a one-time musical tribute to Highway, will take the stage for two nights at Hugh's Room in Toronto, Ontario. The retrospective will include performances by Highway with musical director and pianist John Alcorn, saxophonist Marcus Ali, and performers Micah Barnes, Laura Hubert, Teresa Castonguay, Jani Lauzon and Patricia Cano.
Dates: Saturday, December 12 & Sunday, December 13th Show time: 8:30 PM Tickets: $22.50 Advance - $25.00 Door Hughsroom.com / 416.531.6604
We'll be there!
A Tribe Called Red's live show is potent, powerful, and always packed. They have performed for huge crowds around the world, and in summer 2016, finally brought their work to "the audience that matters to them most."
"Our main goal was to be able to connect with our fans that we don't get to connect with face to face so much, particularly our fan-base on reservation who maybe aren't getting to our larger shows," says Bear in the good-looking 5 minute video directed by Jon Riera. Deejay NDN adds, "It's important to go to Indigenous youth now and show that we're real, that we're real people and we're accessible to these youth."
The tour included workshops, q&a with the band, and plenty of photo ops in addition to their high powered performances. It's great to get the insight into The Rez Tour and we hope there are more tours like it to come! As one fan states, "Thank you guys for bringing everyone together."
WATCH: A Tribe Called Red - The Rez Tour Recap
