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Aboriginal Music Week 2012: The week in review
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Five nights of outstanding performances and amazing collaborations came to a close in the early morning hours of Sunday, November 4, 2012. All told, 5,576 people took in performances by First Nation, Inuit, Métis, Native American, and Indigenous artists from across the continent at the fourth annual Aboriginal Music Week festival.
Festival highlights:
- Tanya Tagaq delivered an extremely moving performance that brought the innovator to tears on stage at Opening Night
- 2,056 trick-or-treaters attended the Safe Halloween on October 31
- Cris Derksen performed a bunch of new songs at the West End Cultural Centre on November 1
- Keith Secola, Murray Porter, Samantha Crain, Gabriel Ayala, and a number of other artists lead an all-star jam at Open Mic on November 1
- Zuzuka Poderosa, accompanied by Kush Arora, took our audience by storm with her unique brand of baile funk music
- A Tribe Called Red proved once again that they're one of the biggest acts in the Native music community, filling The Electric Pow Wow by 11pm on November 2
- Tanya Tagaq joined A Tribe Called Red on stage for a live collaboration at the Electric Pow Wow on November 2
- Digital Drum.ca streamed A Tribe Called Red's full set on their website for audiences around the world to see
- Murray Porter performed for a packed house at the Windsor Hotel after bringing 4,500+ people to their feet at the Aboriginal Peoples Choice Music Awards
- Stevie Salas showed Winnipeg why he's often reffered to as one of the 50 greatest guitar players of all time during his set at the Saturday Night 49er
- A total of 420 tickets were donated to the Eagle’s Nest Resource & Recreation Program, the North End Arts Centre at Ndinawemaaganag Endaawaad, the Aboriginal Arts Training & Mentorship Program at the Manitoba Theatre for Young People, the Elmwood Community Resource Centre, Ka Ni Kanichihk, the Portage la Prairie Friendship Centre, the North End Community Renewal Corporation, the Change Ur Tune program at the Indigenous Leadership Development Institute, the Circle of Courage program, the Broadway Neighbourhood Centre, Aboriginal Youth Opportunities, the Aboriginal Student Centre at the University of Manitoba, and the Aboriginal Student Council at the University of Winnipeg
- DJ Shub, Moe Clark, and Cris Derksen delivered a total of six workshops for youth at the Manito Ahbee Festival's Youth Gathering, the Indian & Métis Friendship Centre during Safe Halloween, the North End Arts Centre at Ndinawemaaganag Endaawaad, and AE Wright Community School
- Multiple copies of the Aboriginal Music Week 2012 festival sampler CD were sent to 31 Aboriginal radio stations in Canada and five Native American radio stations in the US so they could add the songs to their playlists and give away CDs to listeners
"We created a space for some really great moments in Aboriginal music history," says festival chairperson Alan Greyeyes. "Tanya Tagaq performed with A Tribe Called Red, Keith Secola had five or six other singers performing "Indian Car" with him, and I think quite a few of the bands did some recording together during the festival. The whole week was great and I'm excited to start implementing our plans for Aboriginal Music Week 2013."
Aboriginal Music Week 2013 is set for August 16 - 21 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada . The festival will include outdoor stages and nightclub concerts. The Call for Submissions is currently available online with a December 19, 2012 deadline.
Aboriginal Music Week 2012 featured five nights, 12 concerts, and 34 bands. It ran October 30 - November 4 in Winnipeg and was produced by Aboriginal Music Manitoba. The organization would like to thank the Department of Canadian Heritage, the Canada Council for the Arts, the SOCAN Foundation, Manitoba Culture, Heritage and Tourism, the Winnipeg Arts Council, Manitoba Public Insurance, 99.9 BOB FM / Bell Media, the Assiniboine Credit Union, Digital Drum.ca, Red Works Studio, CBC Radio One and CBC Music, Streetz FM, NCI FM, SAY Magazine, Grassroots News, Native Peoples Magazine, and Vickar Community Chevrolet for their support of the festival this year.
Audience testimonials:
"The Aboriginal Music Week was an amazing experience. I got to see Cris Derksen, Samantha Crain, Don Amero, Keith Secola, Zuzuka Poderosa, A Tribe Called Red, Silver Jackson, Murray Porter, and many others, all in one place at one time, which is a very unique and special thing. The diversity of the music styles is notable and important to highlight. It deconstructs the stereotypes about Native American music without even trying." - Jessica R. Metcalfe
"I have the entire A Tribe Called Red album on my phone and I love it. The fact that they played new remixes and what not in addition to music I already enjoy kept it fresh and entertaining. I really look forward to seeing them perform again." - Kelly Gudjonson
"This was my first year visiting Winnipeg for Aboriginal Music Week and I’m absolutely impressed with the entire experience! As an artist and music enthusiast, I was quite taken by the amount of talent brought together for a week full of musical performances. Among my favorites were Don Amero, Murray Porter, Silver Jackson, and A Tribe Called Red. To see A Tribe Called Red perform, alone, was worth my entire trip. The energy they put out is beyond anything I’ve ever experienced before. I returned back to Arizona inspired by the amount of energy and talent that went into this year’s events. I’m already looking forward to returning next year!" - Andrea Preston
"Aboriginal Music Week is always one of my favourite times of the year and I look forward to seeing the artists that come in from all directions. My favourite shows this year were the Electric Pow Wow and the 49er. It was amazing to see Brazilian Zuzuka Poderosa wow the crowd along with DJ Kush Aurora and as always A Tribe Called Red had something for everyone in their musical onslaught. The 49er saw Apache guitar legend Stevie Salas jamming alongside an amazing trio comprised of the worldly Jara Harris and Manitoba's Michel Brueyere. I am already excited for next year's roster of returning artists and new recruits." - Brett Huson
