Traditional music rocks the house in TO

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It may have been the rock groups that scooped up the lion's share of the awards going at the Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards show Nov. 26 in Toronto, but it was the traditional group performances that rocked the audience that evening.

Alberta's Grammy-award winning Northern Cree Singers blew the roof off the John Bassett Theatre with a brilliant performance of two songs, including the hand drum favorite Lovesick Blues. Northern Cree left the theatre with two awards, best powwow contemporary for Rezonate and best hand drum album for Honoring Singers and Songmakers. The group's second win was dedicated to a 29-year-old member of the group who had recently suffered a stroke at the drum and who "the Creator saw fit to give him his strength back."

You haven't heard jig music until you've heard JigBand out of Manitoba. Their enthusiastic performance led into a virtuoso performance by Manitoba's Clint Dutiaume who won in the best fiddle album category for his CD Fiddle Extravaganza. Dutiaume played a mean mandolin that night, as well as guitar and fiddle. He had the audience on side from the first slide of his bow across the strings.

The award show was launched with a prayer song from Angaangaq, an Inuk from Greenland whose name means The Man Who Looks Like his Uncle. Angaangaq's powerful voice resonated against a large northern-style hand drum held up to the side of his face as he sang. His blessing reverberated throughout the theatre and set the tone for an evening of outstanding performances by the likes of Mike Gouchie, Wayne Lavallee, and Susan Aglukark, who dedicated her award as best female artist to the Alberta students she worked with this year in her Healing Season project.

The handsome co-star of Hollywood's blockbuster film Windtalkers, Adam Beach, presented Aglukark with her award.

Vancouver singer Kinnie Starr presented the best male artist award to Gouchie, who also won in the best country album category for his CD One of a Kind.

In his second acceptance speech of the night, Gouchie thanked his mom and dad and dedicated the win to his grandmother who passed away the week before. Gouchie said she suffered from Alzheimer's, but kept a picture of him on her fridge so she could remember him.

Best album of the year went to Wayne Lavallee for Green Dress. He was doubly-blessed in November with the win and the birth of a baby. He thanked the community for their "huge support" of the album.

Eagle and Hawk cleaned up at the awards show with wins in the best songwriter, best song single and best rock album categories.

Best producer/engineer went to Danny Schur for his work on Healing Jane. Jane Cartrand, the inspiration behind the CD, was presented with the Keeper of Tradition award.

Other awards went to The Wolf Pack (Blind Man River) in the best group or duo category, Spirit of the Nations (Spirit of the Nations) for best instrumental album, the Pappy Johns Band for best blues album (Full Circle with Murray Porter), Team Rezoffical in the best rap or hip hop album category (The Foundation) and Taima in the best folk album and best album design categories. New this year was an award for best Aboriginal music radio program, which went to Elaine Bomberry for the Aboriginal Music Experience (Part II Rez Blues). The Lifetime Contribution to Aboriginal Music Award went to Errol Ranville who thanked his big brother and mentor Brian and the C-Weed fans of 39 years. The Music Industry Award went to Ness Michaels of Sweetgrass Records and Beartraxx.com.

As far as awards ceremonies go, there were the usual complaints about the length of show-too long-and the less-than-witty scripted banter of the award show hosts.

Lorne Cardinal, who is best known for the role of Constable Davis in the CTV sitcom Corner Gas, played dumb-but-loveable puppy to actor/singer Cheri Maracle's prickly diva persona. Too bad because the night before at a set of performances that included blues guitarist Derek Millr with the band Jacques and the Shakey Boys, and the Marc Nadjiwan Trio at Toronto's Tranzac Club, the two really let their hair down; emcee Cardinal as his goofy fun-loving self and Maracle as lead singer of the jazz band The Showbiz Indians.

Those complaints aside, the awards show was an unpretentious celebration of Aboriginal musical talent that oozed pure energy and enthusiasm with every performance and honest gratitude with every award winner.

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