Canadian Aborignal Music Awards handed out

Page 14

The best in Aboriginal music from across Canada was showcased and recognized in Toronto on Nov. 25 as the Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards were handed out.

Saskatchewan was well represented on stage during the awards show. The opening prayer was performed by Edmond Bull of Little Pine, and the first performance of the evening was by fiddle master John Arcand and Donny Parenteau, who played alongside Ryan D'aoust, 16, of Norway House, Man. D'aoust, a left-handed player, would later go on to win for Best Fiddle Album (Southside Of The Strings), which he dedicated it to his late father Stan D'aoust. He was also presented the Galaxie Rising Stars award.

The award ceremony was hosted by Sharing Circle producer Lisa Meeches and Gerry "The Big Bear" Barrett, a radio personality working in Winnipeg.

Two Saskatchewan artists were among the winners at this year's awards. Eekwol from Muskoday First Nation won in the Best Hip Hop category for her CD Apprentice To The Mystery and Blackstone, from Sweetgrass First Nation, won in the Best Powwow Contemporary category for Back In The Day.

The Keeper of Tradition Award was presented to northern Alberta's Allan Beaver. Carl Quinn was recognized as best songwriter for the title song "Ni Ototem" off of his CD Ni Ototem. Asani won Best Female Traditional Roots Album for Rattle & Drum. Northern Cree won Best Hand Drum Album for Sweethearts Shuffle and Painted Horse were very excited about their win for Best Powwow Traditional for Blackfoot Songs. Members of the group had driven 72 hours from Calgary to attend the awards presentation. They were up against powwow powerhouses High Noon and Walking Spirit.

The stand-out performance of the night was by Inuit songbird Tagaq (Tanya Gillis), who takes the traditional throat-singing of the northern people and redefines it with a contemporary surprising twist. Tagaq received a standing "O" for her efforts and a host of new fans. She won in the Best Female Performer category for the album Sinaa, on which the eccentric Bjork collaborates and produces a track. Tagaq has been featured on past Bjork CDs.

"I am dreaming," said Canada's newly-discovered northern diamond. "I put my soul into it," she said of Sinaa. She thanked her family who had travelled from Nunavut to attend the show. The CD Sinaa also won for Best Producer (Juan Hernandez (and Engineer (Jose [Triki] Trincado), and for Best Album Design (Oscar Poza & Montse).

J.C. Campbell performed a ballad from his nominated album Life Up Til Now after losing the nod for Best Country Album to long-time entertainer Hank Horton for Honky Tonk Heartache Blues. Todd Burnell of Sunshine Records, the label that produces Horton's work, said the artist would be "tickled pink" after "struggling away up in northern Manitoba playing weekend gigs," all these years.

Perennial favorite Burnt Project 1 was named Best Group or Duo. Cape Breton's own Forever nabbed Best Rock Album with Something To Dream Of. The group thanked Eskasoni First Nation for flying them to the event. Forever also won for Best Video.

Soft-spoken Little Hawk won Best Folk Album and Best Album for his CD 1492-1975.

Other winners were Kimberley Dawn for Spirit Of Our People in the Best Song Single category and Beatrice Deer in the Best Inuit Cultural Album category for Just Bea. Joanne Shenandoah of New York State won Best International CD for Skywoman.

Diga, a Dogrib musician from Fort Rae, N.W.T., was named Best Male performer. Diga was surprised at the win, saying he had written an acceptance speech but fully expected to use it to light a fire with later. Standing in his flat cap and lumberjack shirt, he thanked Treaty 11, his friends in Yellowknife and the Creator, adding "May his name be revealed some day."

The Music Industry Award went to long-time radio host Brian Wright-McLeod, who missed the announcement and had to be brought on stage later in the program to accept his award.

"Talk about your invisible minority," h said once on stage. Wright-McLeod is the recently published author of the Encyclopedia of Native Music (UBC Press) and its companion CD The Soundtrack Of A People.

Wright-McLeod was not the only no-show when his award was called. Asani too missed their moment in the sun. They later were brought onstage and explained they had been rehearsing a number for the show. Asani played a big part in the evening's entertainment, performing a women's medley with ElizaBeth Hill, Donna Kay and Tagaq, and also presenting the first public performance of the new music awards theme song, Celebrate. The location of the awards will now move each year, with Manitoba hosting in Winnipeg in early November 2006.

Singer, songwriter, musician, playwright, artist, director, and First Nations ambassador Willie Dunn was honored with the Lifetime Contribution to Aboriginal Music Award. Instead of a long, drawn-out speech of acceptance, Dunn preferred to put his feelings of gratitude to music and performed a song for the audience accompanied by guitarist Raven Kanatakta, a fitting end to an emotion-packed evening.