Spectacular night for Pappy Johns Band in Toronto

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Faron Johns has a tough time explaining his success.

The 49-year-old is the lead singer and songwriter for the Pappy Johns Band, which stole the spotlight by winning four trophies at the fourth annual Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards held on Nov. 28 at Toronto's SkyDome.

Johns was selected as the best male artist at the awards. The Pappy Johns Band also received awards in the best duo/group and best song/single (Blame it on Monday) categories. Band members were also honored, in conjunction with Alec Frasier, for being the best producer/engineer for their CD also titled Blame it on Monday.

The Pappy Johns Band had received five nominations at the awards show. The only accolade it didn't win was in the best songwriter category, which was captured by Leela Gilday, from Yellowknife, N.W.T., who won three awards, including the best female artist.

"I would have been happy with one," said Johns, a Cayuga tribe member who was born in Six Nations but now lives in the state of New York. "It was our first time ever submitting anything to any type of awards show. And we lucked out."

Johns has been singing in various bands throughout southern Ontario and New York for more than 25 years. He finds it tough pinpointing a reason for the success of the Pappy Johns Band, whose roots trace back to 1998.

"It is strange the way things are going," he said. "When I mention there is something about it that is spiritually guided, I'm not lying when I say that. I've been around a long time and nothing has ever happened like this to me like it is happening now."

Johns added there wasn't one particular award that he was most proud of.

"As far as I'm concerned they're all equal," he said. "They're just like your kids. You're not going to say one is better than the other. You don't. They're all the same."

Johns didn't have to venture far to receive his awards. That's because he was on stage that evening performing as part of the awards night orchestra.

"When they hired me to do the thing with the orchestra, I thought, oh well, maybe I didn't win any awards," Johns said. "And I thought this was the consolation prize. But I ended up getting the best of both worlds."

Another group, Bear Creek, also won two awards. The 17-person Ojibway group based in Sault Ste. Marie was honored for having the best contemporary powwow album and also the best tradititonal powwow album. Both of those awards were for their work titled Live.

Gilday, a 27-year-old Dene Nation singer, received the best songwriter award her first full-length CD titled spirit world, solid wood that combines rock, jazz and blues elements. Spirit world, solid wood was selected as the best folk album.

Alberta's popular rapping WARPARTY also had a couple of reasons to celebrate on awards night. WARPARTY's Exclusive Rez was chosen as the best rap or hip hop album. And the band also took home the best music video award for The Reign.

The band also made some history earlier this year, as they were the first Native rappers to have a video played on Much Music.

The two other winners in the 13 award categories were the late Art Moosomin and Pam Whitecalf.

Moosomin, a Saskatchewan native who died recently, was honored posthumously for One More Time, which won the best drum songs album.

Whitecalf received her award for the best album cover design for her work on the self-titled CD from Spirit Whistle, a Saskatchewan-based group.

The awards night also featured recipients of awards in three special categories.

A special accolade was the Lifetime Contribution to Aboriginal Music Award. That award was presented to family members of the late Sidney James Hill, a Mohawk from Six Nations who died in 2000.

During his career, Hill influenced and inspired numerous guitar players throughout Ontario and New York.

The Keeper of Traditions Award was presented to Ontario's Mnjikaning Singers. The group consisted of Lorraine McRae, Irene Snache and the late Shirley Shilling, who died earlier thisyear.

The Mnjikaning Singers have maintained their long-standing committment to preserve and nurture the Ojibway language through song. Over the years they performed at countless concerts and even developed a curriculum for a school board in which Ojibway was taught through songs.

Winnipeg's David McLeod was presented with a Music Industry Award for his tireless work to promote Native talent on the airwaves. McLeod is the manager and program director at Native Communication.

For the past dozen years McLeod has helped develop a Native Top 30 play list. He's also created a youth program called Rez Nation, that features Native rap and hip hop artists. He also spearheaded the design of a website, which provides Canadian Native music resources.