sakihiwe news
introducing the sākihiwē festival
Aboriginal Music Manitoba (AMM) is excited to introduce the sākihiwē festival (formerly Aboriginal Music Week) - a three-day music festival set for the third weekend in June that will bring 20 Indigenous artists to five stages in three Winnipeg neighborhoods so that Indigenous families can walk to the concerts.
sākihiwē festival
Date: June 15 - 17, 2018
Location: Treaty One Territory, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Website: sakihiwe.ca | #IndigenousExcellence
The new festival name comes with new dates and a condensed format, giving AMM the ability to increase its impact on Indigenous audiences and artists. The original name was chosen for fundraising purposes and represented a vision for something similar to Canadian Music Week. Since launching the festival in 2009, AMM has reconsidered its priorities and developed its own business model, leading to the decision to relaunch under a new name.
"We decided to move from August to June so that we could connect with more families," explains AMM chairperson Alan Greyeyes. "Most kids are still in school in June, and many of the larger powwows don't draw Indigenous families out of the city until July or August. We also believe that being closer to APTN's Indigenous Day Live creates additional excitement for the city and strengthens Winnipeg's reputation as the Indigenous music hub of Turtle Island."
AMM received the name "sākihiwē" from Sundance Chief David Blacksmith during a ceremony on February 21, 2018. It means "to love" in Cree, and the organization has been instructed to use Standard Roman Orthography (SRO) to write the name. SRO has no capital letters, and AMM has also adopted this format for its website and social media posts.
The festival will begin with a sweat lodge ceremony on June 14 to welcome visiting artists and set a positive foundation. A ticketed concert is scheduled for June 15 at the Good Will Social Club, followed by concerts at Central Park and Turtle Island Neighborhood Centre from 12:00 PM to 8:00 PM on Saturday. A co-presentation with Jazz Winnipeg at Old Market Square will take place later that evening. Everything wraps up on Sunday with concerts at Magnus Eliason Recreation Centre and Turtle Island Neighborhood Centre from 12:00 PM to 6:00 PM, followed by another co-presentation with Jazz Winnipeg at Old Market Square.
Performers Announced
- Jeremy Dutcher - Wolastoqiyik composer and classically trained operatic tenor
- Quantum Tangle - JUNO Award-winning throat singing/roots duo
- iskwé - Thought-provoking electronic artist
- Mob Bounce - Unceded Coastal hip-hop group
- Desiree Dorion - Award-winning country artist
- Sebastian Gaskin - Rising newcomer
More artists will be announced on May 9, 2018.
Follow These Performers on Spotify
- Jeremy Dutcher: Follow/Listen
- iskwé: Follow/Listen
- Mob Bounce: Follow/Listen
- Quantum Tangle: Follow/Listen
- Desiree Dorion: Follow/Listen
- Sebastian Gaskin: Follow/Listen
Listen to the sākihiwē Festival Playlist on SoundCloud
About Aboriginal Music Manitoba
AMM is a non-profit organization that presents, promotes, and nurtures Indigenous music and culture to build audiences at the community level and beyond. We do this by producing an annual music festival, organizing capacity development projects, highlighting Indigenous music makers and industry professionals, and building bridges between the Indigenous music community and global counterparts.
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