Ontario acts chosen for CD

Fifteen independent Aboriginal acts from across the country will be featured on the latest Dig Your Roots CD compilation. Representing Ontario on the disc will be the roots and blues duo Digging Roots from Barrie, the award-winning blues musicians of the Pappy Johns Band from Ohsweken and Toronto's Graeme Jonez, whose songs fuse storytelling with folk/rock melodies.

The artists selected to represent the Atlantic region on the compilation disc are Rez Villain from Bedford, N.S., Shirley Montague from Norris Point, Nfld. and Richard M. Gloade from Fredericton, N.B.

Artists from the Quebec/North region include Tagaq from Cambridge Bay, Nunavut, Jef Tremblay et les Elements from Quebec City and Sinuupa from Kuujjuag, Que.

Representing the Prairie/North region are Eekwol from Muskoday First Nation, Sask., Leela Gilday from Yellowknife and Winnipeg's X-STATUS. Rounding out the lineup are three artists from the Pacific/North region-Sandy Scofield from Vancouver, Ed Peekeekoot from Crofton, B.C. and Elaine Jakesta from Watson Lake, Yukon.

Dig Your Roots-Aboriginal is the fifth CD compilation in the series, a project of the National Campus and Community Radio Association. The goal of Dig Your Roots is to promote Canadian artists who specialize in musical genres that are under-represented in the commercial radio sector.

The CD was released on May 29. A series of concerts featuring the selected artists will take place in five locations across the country form June 17 to 29. Each of the shows will be broadcast live nationally on participating campus and community radio stations.

Ontario's featured artists will perform their live broadcast show on June 29 at the grad lounge at the University of Guelph's university centre from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m.

To find out where and when the other concerts will take place, go to www.DigYourRoots.ca.