Musical artists represent Canada to the world

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A handful of Native Canadian performers will be heading to Germany this fall, representing Canada at Worldwide Music Expo (WOMEX) 2000 in Berlin Oct. 19 to 22. The international music expo is the world's largest event dedicated to world, roots, folk, ethnic, traditional and local music.

Five artists and groups from across Canada have been chosen by the Canada Council for the Arts to represent the country at the international music showcase. The performers will be taking part in the WOMEX 2000 Native To Canada showcase, organized by the Canada Council to help Canadian Aboriginal artists launch their international careers. The showcase will take place Oct. 20 at the House of World Cultures, with the artists performing before an international audience of broadcasters, managers, event programmers, artistic directors, presenters, agents and recording company representatives.

The Native To Canada showcase marks the first time the Canada Council has sponsored such an event outside of Canada, and the first time WOMEX has set aside an entire evening for showcasing Canadian Aboriginal performers.

Taking part in the showcase will be Calvin Vollrath, The Whitefish Jrs., Kanenhi:io, Willie Dunn, and Lucie Idlout.

Calvin Vollrath is a Metis fiddler from St. Paul, Alta. Vollrath has composed more than 250 songs and recorded more than 30 albums. He also teaches the fiddle, produces recordings by other Canadian fiddlers, and leads workshops both in Canada and in the U.S.

The Whitefish Jrs. are a drum group from the Big River Band near Prince Albert, Sask. The group, comprised of 10 members from one family, is headed up by lead singer Harvey Dreaver. The group sings in a traditional First Nations style, and is renowned for its vocal strength. The group has won many honors, including being declared World Class Singing Champions at the All Nations Gathering in Albuquerque, New Mexico in 1994.

Kanenhi:io is a musical group made up of women representing seven different nations. Based in the Wahra Mohawk Territory in Ontario, the group performs both traditional chants and original songs. Kanenhi:io's CD was nominated in the best contemporary/traditional CD category at the 1999 Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards.

Willie Dunn has been performing for more than 30 years, and is considered to be one of the pioneers in Aboriginal music. The singer, songwriter and musician, who lives in Ottawa, is known for his contemporary ballads about the history, life and concerns of Aboriginal people.

Lucie Idlout is an Inuk singer and songwriter from Iqaluit. Idlout's first concert performance was during National Aboriginal Day celebrations at the Museum of Civilization in Ottawa in 1998. Since then, she has performed at a number of festivals both in Canada and abroad, and has written, scored and produced two projects for the Inuit Broadcasting Corporation.