The 33rd Annual Gathering of Nations pow wow is set for April 28 - 30 and there are a host of nightclub and event promoters set to win over some of 80,000 estimated visitors making their way to Albuquerque, New Mexico this year. Check the listings below for your unofficial guide to Native night life before, during, and after the worlds biggest competition pow wow.
Singer/songwriter Don Amero, competition drum group Black Bear, critically acclaimed poet Shane Koyczan, country artist Armond Duck Chief, folk music legend Buffy Sainte-Marie, rock star Derek Miller, and innovative cellist Cris Derksen are among the performers announced for JUNOFest 2016 in Calgary, Alberta. The annual music festival is set for March 31 - April 2 and it will feature concerts at 22 venues throughout the city.
Aboriginal Music Manitoba (AMM) is excited to announce that it's moving the Aboriginal Music Week festival up a week in 2016 and the dates will be August 9 - 13. The move will give the festival the ability to book more of the touring artists who make their way east from BC on the festival circuit each summer.
The Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS) announced on October 1 that the JUNO Awards is now accepting submissions for Aboriginal Album of the Year (sponsored by Aboriginal Peoples Television Network). The early bird submission deadline is 5:00 p.m. EST on October 23, 2015. The final submission deadline is 5:00 p.m. EST on November 13, 2015.
Aboriginal Music Manitoba will be producing the eighth annual Aboriginal Music Week in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada next summer and the organization is currently accepting applications from First Nation, Inuit, Métis, Native American, and Indigenous recording artists for performance spots. The festival is set for August 9 - 13, 2016 and the organization has five big community celebrations, four lunch hour concerts, two networking events for artists, an open mic, and a closing night party planned.
Peguis First Nation's William Prince unveiled a live performance video for "Bloom" today. The single will appear on his debut album later this year and the video is a part of Manitoba Music's AMP Sessions series.
Turtle Mountain's Mic Jordan released the music video for "#DearNativeYouth" today. The visuals and track precede the September debut of The Last Stand Mixtape, which brings together works by Frank Waln, Inez Jasper, Mic Jordan, and many others, in an effort to inspire and empower Native youth through spoken word, hip-hop, and collaborations therein.
After seven years of producing Aboriginal Music Week, we're still learning about event production and we're still testing marketing ideas. Even though we're not experts in this field, we're ready to share some of our insights, practices, and lessons learned with the hopes that our relatives across the continent can side step some of the mistakes and challenges that we've had to overcome.
Aboriginal Music Week is a pretty special event and we've rounded up a number of great features and posts about the festival. If you weren't able to join us for one or more of the ten concerts we produced, please check the links below for part of the story.
Singer/songwriter Logan Staats, traditional hand drum singers Oogimah Ikwewok, female emcee T-Rhyme, and rapper Mic Jordan will be at three of our four community celebrations delivering 60 minute workshops about their music along with their experience as Indigenous folks in the music industry for any and all youth who are interested.