Tutchone song keeper taking to the road

Page 16

The fortunes of singer Jerry Alfred are a classic example of father

knows best.

Currently receiving critical acclaim across country for his debut album

Etsi Show, (Grandfather Song), Alfred's turn to the world of recording

and carrying on a tradition came at the request of his father a few

years ago.

Talking from Whitehorse, a couple of hours south of where he lives but

where his manager Dave Tekovich resides, Jerry Alfred recalls the events

that led to becoming a Tutchone song keeper.

"I got involved in storytelling festivals around '89 and '90 and

enjoyed telling stories a lot.

"My father took notice and in 1991 he was actually 91 years of age. He

himself was a song keeper and was singing songs his grandfather's uncles

had been singing. "These are songs that go back to the 1700s with our

tribe," stated Alfred, who will be appearing in Alberta twice over the

next few months, first at the Dreamspeakers Festival in late May and

then again at the Edmonton Folk Music Festival during the second weekend

of August.

"It was a real honor to be asked to carry on the tradition and dad got

me onto the track," continued the artist who is also a mapper by trade.

"My people are going through land claim settlements and I've been

deeply involved in the politics of that issue," added Alfred, who is

equally comfortable working on those challenges and other band issues as

he is working around-the-clock in a recording studio making demo tapes

of new songs.

"The band the Medicine Beat came together about three years ago and it

was a combination of players and singers for Whitehorse area that just

sort of ended up in the studio together. Eventually Medicine Beat just

got weeded down to five players after we worked together for about three

months," said Alfred, whose biggest musical influence as a young man was

Bob Dylan.

Constantly writing, Alfred and Medicine Beat will be playing songs not

yet recorded when they hit the festival circuit this summer.

"I just wrote a new up-tempo and real happy song about being homeless.

It's from the perspective that you don't have all the responsibilities

and worries that go along with having a home but instead take happiness

into your nephew's and niece's homes and friend's homes and help out,

but while not being a burden on anyone," said the 39-year-old band

member.

Almost everything he's recorded or performed is sung in his Native

language.

"I've written songs in English but it's a lot harder. Many of the

things I want to say just don't seem to translate well."

But anyone who has heard his debut disc will understand the power

behind the music. Any of us who do not know the language can be moved

by Alfred's song and the power in the traditional form of arrangement

that have been teamed with modern technology.

"I was a little worried about what the response would be like to using

certain recording techniques with traditional music. I really started

exploring the use of delays and using it on the drumming but the

feedback has all been positive.

"The demand for the album has been great; it keeps selling out where we

play," concluded Alfred.

If you can't find his Etsi Show album you should be able to pick it up

at his summer festival performances that also include stops at the

Vancouver, Calgary and Winnipeg Folk Festivals and the Quebec City

International Festival in July.