Highway 373, Yoza, and Venus Mantrap are among the 16 Aboriginal recording artists who will participate in the Manitoba Aboriginal Music Showcase at the MTS Centre on November 4 & 5 during the Manito Ahbee Festival this year. Each act was subject to a submission process, which required them to submit 2 songs on CD, music related biographies and promotional photos.
The Aboriginal Music Program received 30 strong submissions for this showcase and was convinced by the jury to increase the number of showcase spots from 11 to 16. To facilitate this increase, the showcase was extended from one day during the Manito Ahbee Festival to two days.
The showcase participants range in age, experience and genre with three acts representing northern communities. The participants are:
South Thunderbird
Venus Mantrap
Dead Indians
Rayne
Ryan D’Aoust
Gerry McIvor
JC Campbell
Dominique Reynolds
Don Amero
Sierra Noble
C-Weed Band
Charlie McIvor
Kimberley Dawn
Yoza
Myles Palmquist
Highway 373
The showcase will be promoted to stakeholders in the local music industry and the five artistic directors from the United States who will be participating in the Manito Ahbee...
After 91 submissions, including over 150 recorded songs, the 25 lucky amateur Aboriginal contestants for the 2006 NCI Jam have been announced. “We’re thrilled about the lineup this year,” says Dave McLeod, General Manager of NCI FM. “There’s definitely a fair representation of the Aboriginal communities in Manitoba.”
The 25 contestants are:
AJ Choken, Lake Manitoba
Alister Weenusk, Lynn Lake
Andrea Fosseneuve, Cranberry Portage
Andrew Colomb, Lynn Lake
Beverly Galvin, Keeseekoowenin
Carl Sanderson, Hodgson
Charity Caribou, Pukatawagon
Cheynna Gardner, Eagle Lake, Ontario
Dean McKay, Rolling River
Dean Parthenay, Ebb and Flow
Desiree Chippeway, Vogar
Gaitten Beaulieu, Winnipeg
Holly Young, Kinisota
Horace Cook, Pelican Rapids
Jerry Sereda, Selkirk
Jodie Sanderson, Pine Falls
Joshua Whitford, Selkirk
Julie Wilson, Winnipeg
Kerri McGillvary, Opaskwayak
Krista Rey, St. Claude
Kurt Raven-Hanslip, Lake Manitoba
Sean Ducharme, Grand Rapids
Sherri Shorting, Little Saskatchewan
Stewart Trout, Cross Lake
Waylon Moar, Little Black River
The annual talent contest is now in its 20th year and still going strong. “The Jam is a dream come true,” exclaims McLeod....
The Aboriginal Peoples Choice Music Awards (APCMA) has extended the submission deadline for recording artists to THURSDAY, AUGUST 31, 2006. This means that you still have a couple of weeks to put together your information.
ARTIST SUBMISSIONS
DEADLINE: August 31, 2006
MAILING ADDRESS: Aboriginal Peoples Choice Music Awards
Submissions Lower Level – 376 Donald Street Winnipeg, Manitoba R3B 2J2
The APCMA show is scheduled for Friday, November 3, 2006 at the MTS Centre in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
The APCMA will give voice to Aboriginal music fans around the world as they will be able to vote for their favorite artists in 22 different categories on the APCMA website.
The Rules & Regulations of the APCMA state that songs and/or CDs released in the last two years are eligible and that artists must be Indigenous unless they are submitting for the “Best Aboriginal Music by Non-Aboriginal Artist” category.
The Manitoba Aboriginal Music Host Committee Inc. (MAMHC) unveiled the prototype for the actual Aboriginal Peoples Choice Music Award yesterday during a lunch hour press conference at the Radisson Hotel in downtown Winnipeg. The “hardware”, which stands about a-foot-and-a-half off the ground, will be presented to the recording artists with the most online votes in 23 music categories during an award ceremony on November 3 at the MTS Centre in Winnipeg. “We’re really pleased with the way the awards turned out,” says Manito Ahbee Executive Producer, Errol Ranville. “They’re beautiful and the design definitely carries the spirit of these awards well.”
The Aboriginal Peoples Choice Music Awards will be the first award show to provide Aboriginal music fans with the power to choose the best recording artist or group in each category. By giving the people a voice in the selection process the MAMHC hopes to not only eliminate community politics, but to encourage audiences to take a greater interest in Aboriginal recording artists and their music.
The award show hosts were also announced at the press conference; Lorne Cardinal of Corner Gas fame and the beautiful singer/songwriter...
The Manito Ahbee Festival, to be held this November 2006, features The Aboriginal Peoples Choice Music Awards and International Competition Pow Wow at the MTS Centre. It will also host a youth Education Day, Music Festival and Indigenous Market Place and Trade Show.
The Manito Ahbee Mixer will give our sponsors, committees, arts community, family and friends a chance to meet in anticipation of this spectacular festival.
Tracy Bone, Dead Indians, JC Campbell, X-Status, Dominique Reynolds and Sierra Noble will give the University of Winnipeg (U of W) student body a taste Manitoba’s great Aboriginal music scene this September during Orientation Week. The group is set to perform at the U of W quad for 3 hours on September 8, 2006.
Although the performance is not technically a showcase, it will follow the showcase format and provide each act with the opportunity to present their music to the 9,000-some-odd undergrad students in downtown Winnipeg.
DETAILS
Friday, September 8, 2006
1:30 PM - Dominique Reynolds
2:00 PM - Dead Indians
2:30 PM - Sierra Noble
3:00 PM - Tracy Bone
3:30 PM - JC Campbell
4:00 PM - X-Status
“We’re excited to be working with the Aboriginal Music Program on this show,” says University of Winnipeg Student Association (UWSA) Programming Coordinator, Levi Foy. “I’m sure the students, faculty and staff will love the music and performances.”
Orientation Week at the U of W is one of the most exciting times of the year and the UWSA works hard to organize both entertaining and welcoming events for the new and returning students. This year will include a free...
Aboriginal Performers
Dancers, Singers, Actors, Acrobats, Comedians
Amateurs and Professional welcome!
The National Aboriginal Achievement Foundation is currently seeking performers for the 2007 National Aboriginal Achievement Awards to be held in Edmonton, Alberta at the Jubilee Auditorium.
Please send your Resumes, Headshots, Bios, Demos, Portfolios, Press kits, and Agent/Personal Contact Info to our Toronto office by August 15, 2006. All information will be kept confidential. The National Aboriginal Achievement Foundation will contact successful applicants only.
The National Aboriginal Achievement Awards were created in 1994 to celebrate and promote positive role models to Aboriginal youth. Now entering their 14th year, the Awards have become a Canadian institution. Each year a Gala show is produced by the National Aboriginal Achievement Foundation, recognizing the numerous talents possessed by Aboriginal people in Canada. This annual event is held in a major Canadian city and hosts approximately 2,500 people from the Aboriginal community, corporate and public sectors. The live show is filmed in preparation for the NAAA broadcast. The awards are part of the work of...
Winnipeg’s vibrant music scene will be celebrated at Toronto’s Harbourfront Centre at the end of this month with “From the ‘Peg,” which will feature over 100 Manitoba artists from all disciplines, including plenty of homegrown music.
The Duhks, Christine Fellows, Eagle & Hawk, Mood Ruff, The Waking Eyes, The Weakerthans, Prairie Soul Collective, and the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra will all take the stage July 28-30 at the acclaimed arts centre, which calls Winnipeg “one of Canada’s leading arts communities, lauded for its unique artistic perspective.” As part of the festivities, Torontonians will get a chance to experience a Winnipeg social, featuring with DJ Ol\' Dutch and The Wheatfield Souldiers playing classic Peg City tunes.
In addition to all the fantastic music, the festival will also feature performances by the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, Winnipeg Contemporary Dancers, work from the Winnipeg Film Group and Video Pool, work by performance artists Shawna Dempsey and Lorri Millan, improve from Merry\'s Men, art from contemporary Aboriginal artists couresty of Urban Shaman Gallery, and readings by Chandra Mayor, Ian Ross, Margaret Sweatman, and Charlene...
The Contestant Applications for the 2006 NCI Jam are now available. You can pick up copies at the MARIA office (1-376 Donald Street, Winnipeg) or contact Alan Greyeyes by email (alan@manitobamusic.com) for an electronic copy.
The NCI Jam is an annual talent show for amateur Aboriginal singers from Manitoba. This year marks the Jam\'s 20th anniversary. There are 25 spots available for the show, which will be held at the Centennial Concert Hall in Winnipeg, Manitoba on Saturday, September 2, 2006.
This event ALWAYS sells out, so be sure to get your tickets well in advance.
TICKETS: Available through Ticketmaster
NCI JAM CONTESTANT APPLICATION DETAILS
DEADLINE: Wednesday, August 9, 2006 (3:00 pm)
COST: Free to apply (NOTE: an entry fee of $75 is required if you are chosen as a contestant)
MAILING ADDRESS:
NCI Jam 2006
1507 Inkster Boulevard Winnipeg, Manitoba R2X 1R2
INFO: Ray St. Germain, TEL: 204.772.8255
PRIZES:
FIRST PLACE: $2,5000 plus 100 plays on NCI FM
SECOND PLACE: $1,500 plus 75 plays...
On Friday, November 3rd at the MTS Centre in downtown Winnipeg, music fans will witness history in the making with the inaugural Aboriginal People\'s Choice (APC) Music Awards.
Honouring the best in Aboriginal music, this spectacular gala event will feature performances by the best Aboriginal recording artists from across the continent, playing unforgettable music for fans of all nations. Making this event even more unique is how technology is being used to introduce and share aboriginal music and culture with all Canadians and audiences around the world.
According to Errol Ranville, Executive Producer of the Manito Ahbee Festival and APC Music Awards, this is the first time that online voting will be used for an awards show of this caliber. "It is also a first for the Aboriginal community, where people from every nation - the fans, can participate in selecting their favourite artists. The people will truly decide” he stated.
IBM and Function Four, a Winnipeg-based technology company, are each playing key roles in ensuring that the technology behind the awards runs efficiently and effectively. Providing a full range of technology solutions, both companies have...
Winnipeg label Arbor Records has recently signed Susan Aglukark to its roster. Arbor will release Aglukark\'s latest album, Blood Red Earth, nationally on August 8. The album will be released in the U.S. in October 2006 via Allegro Corporation and will be available for worldwide downloads through IODA, an industry-leading digital distribution company for the global independent music community.
A three-time Juno Award-winning singer/songwriter and Order of Canada recipient, Aglukark already has five albums to her credit. She is considered one of Canada\'s most unique artists and a leading voice in Canadian music, blending the Inuktitut and English languages with contemporary pop music arrangements. Aglukark has performed for numerous dignitaries, including Queen Elizabeth, Prime Ministers Jean Chretien and Brian Mulroney, and Nelson Mandela. Aglukark is also well-known as a workshop facilitator and mentor in the Aboriginal community.
Arbor has been a leader in producing and distributing Aboriginal music throughout Canada and the U.S. since it was started in 1993. Founded by Juno-winnipg producer Brandon Friesen - who also owns 441 Studios - Arbor was recognized as one of...
Gerry McIvor and Aaron Peters & The Mosquitoes will be joining headliners Eagle & Hawk and Derek Miller on Saturday, July 22, 2006 for Rez Fest in Portage La Prairie, Manitoba. This day-long festival has been hosted by the Arrowhead Development Corporation and Long Plain First Nation’s Rez Radio 101.7 FM since 2001 and was originally established to celebrate the station’s first anniversary.
Now in its fifth year, Rez Fest has expanded its mandate and seeks to promote the best Aboriginal music in Canada and introduce new artists to Aboriginal music fans. “We’ve got Juno Award, Canadian Aboriginal Music Award, and Indian Summer Music Award winners this year,” says Tim Daniels, General Manager of the Arrowhead Development Corporation. “I think people are going to come because they’ll be able to see the best music from Aboriginal Canada.”
To support new and emerging artists, Daniels plans to open the stage up between 4:00 pm and 8:00 pm. “If anyone is interested in performing before the show, they can call me or just show up,” he explains. “The only thing is, they’ll still need to buy a ticket to get in.”
In previous years, Rez Fest has featured Aboriginal stars like...
SUBMISSION DEADLINE: NOON, FRIDAY, AUGUST 18, 2006
MARIA is planning the release of Manitoba Roots, a promotional compilation CD, in October of 2006. It will be targeted to the folk, roots, and traditional music industry professionals. The CD will be distributed in Canada to 700 folk festival presenters, managers, labels, and other professionals through the annual Ontario Council of Folk Festivals conference in Ottawa this fall. It will also go to roughly 200 media nation-wide, as well as distributed to key industry present at the North American Folk Alliance Conference to be held in Memphis, TN in February. MARIA gets these CDs into the hands of managers, labels, agents, festivals, publishers, campus and club buyers, radio programmers, publicists, music journalists, as well as many others who can help your career.
YOU MUST BE A MARIA MEMBER TO APPLY. For more information on MARIA membership, email info@manitobamusic.com, or call 975.5190.
To have your track included for consideration, please submit:
· Press kit
· CD with track name, number, and length clearly indicated
· 20-word bio
· Contact information: artist contact name, phone, email, website
·...
Native American Music Awards winner, Eagle & Hawk has received three nominations for its latest release, Life Is... at the Indian Summer Music Awards (ISMA). The group has the opportunity to bring home trophies for Alternative Rock, Classic Rock and Contemporary Instrumental. It will be the third year in a row that the rocker act has earned the respect of the Native American industry folks of the Midwestern states.
The ISMA are held during the Indian Summer Festival in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. This annual event is marketed as the largest Native American festival in North America and draws close to 70,000 visitors to the Summerfest Grounds on the western shore of Lake Michigan each year.
Aboriginal recording artists from Manitoba netted 13 nominations at the ISMA last year. The nominees were: Burnt - Project 1, Eagle & Hawk, Billy Joe Green, Spirit of the Nations, Cal Richard, Rayne DeLaronde, Edward Gamblin, Kimberley Dawn, Little Hawk, Longhouse, Red Shadow Singers, and Sierra Noble. Eagle & Hawk and Spirit of the Nations won in the Alternative Rock and Contemporary Instrumental categories, respectively.
The Aboriginal Music Program was able to access funding from...
Few things say “music industry” more than golfing. You heard us: golfing.
The last two years of MARIA’s golf event, Rockin’ the Greens, have been fantastic and this year’s edition promises to be bigger and better. Come and enjoy an afternoon of fun and frivolity. Not a golfer? Not a problem. MARIA organizes this event to bring its members and friends together to network, have a few laughs and loads of fun. This tournament will be formatted as a Texas scramble (i.e. best ball), which is a fun easy way to play.
The golf event will take place on September 17 at the Wildwood Golf Club (761 North Drive).
Click here to download the sponsorship form.
Click here to download the registration form.
We are looking for prize donations; festival passes, marketing advice, studio time, gift certificates, merchandise. We are open to your suggestions and appreciate your generosity. We are also looking for hole sponsors. If you are interested in donating prizes or becoming a sponsor, contact us at info@manitobamusic.com
or call 975.5190.
Stay tuned for more information. Meanwhile, practice your swing...
TIMES
Registration: 11:30am-12:45pm
Shotgun start: 1:00pm...
JC Campbell, Tracy Bone, the Freebird Band and C-Weed are some of the Aboriginal recording artists that will be entertaining multiple crowds on National Aboriginal Day this year in Winnipeg. Their performances will be part of four different celebrations around the city, hosted by the Manitoba Aboriginal Music Host Committee (Manito Ahbee Festival), Aboriginal Languages of Manitoba, the National Aboriginal Day Selkirk Avenue Committee and a partnership between Strongfront A/V Productions, Terminus1525.ca and NCI FM.
National Aboriginal Day provides all Canadians with an opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate the culture and contributions of First Nations, Inuit and Metis peoples. It’s held each year on June 21, which is also the summer solstice, a significant day for many Aboriginal groups across the country. This annual celebration was first introduced in 1982 by the National Indian Brotherhood (now the Assembly of First Nations) and was entitled the National Aboriginal Solidarity Day, reflecting the civil rights mantra of the group.
The Manitoba Aboriginal Music Host Committee event will be held at the Red River Exhibition Grounds and offers a sneak peak into the...
Winnipeg rock act Eagle & Hawk was honoured at the Native American Music Awards (Nammys), where its album Mother Earth was named Best Pop/Rock Recording. The Nammys, which took place in Florida on June 8, are North American’s most prestigious awards honouring achievements by Aboriginal artists across the globe.
Eagle & Hawk has been riding on a wave of success from both Mother Earth and its latest release, Life Is..., which was nominated for a 2006 JUNO Award for Best Aboriginal Recording. The quintet has won two Indian Summer Music Awards (2004 and 2005), three Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards (2004) and has been recognized by Junos and the Western Canadian Music Awards in the last two years alone.
Eagle & Hawk’s hit “Sundancer” was also up for a Nammy for Song/Single of the Year. Audiences in Florida were treated to a live performance of the nominated song at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. Eagle & Hawk was the only Canadian act to perform at the eighth annual awards show.
Two other local acts were up for Nammys this year, including multiple Canadian Aboriginal Music Award-winning folk artist Little Hawk and the Red Shadow Singers, nominated for Native...
Manitoba’s “Heavy Techno Pow Wow” signature, X-Status has won the honor of representing our province on the new Dig Your Roots – Aboriginal compilation CD. The group’s crunching ode to the resilience of First Nations people, Still Around, is one of 15 tracks on the new disc.
“Of course we’re definitely glad we were selected,” explains X-Status frontman Jesse Green. “We’re always looking to promote nationally and the Dig Your Roots CD will give us national exposure.”
Congratulations are also in order for two of our AMP Camp alumni. Edward Snowball (aka Sinuupa) and Sandy Scofield were also included on the compilation.
The Dig Your Roots – Aboriginal CD features three representatives from a five region split of the country. There is a fantastic range of talent on the disc and a number of genres are represented quite well. The disc includes:
Juno-winning rock act Eagle & Hawk will be making its way to the Native American Music Awards or NAMMYS next month. The group is the only Canadian act scheduled to perform during the show, which will be held at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida on June 8, 2006.
“We’re really excited to go down there for a couple of reasons,” explains bandleader Vince Fontaine. “It gives us an opportunity to play in front of a new audience, access the US market and network.”
The NAMMYS are in their eighth year of operation and according to their official website, the show has been earning a great reputation in the American music industry. Their latest press release includes a quote from the American Federation of Television & Radio Artists, which compares their production value and professionalism to those of the Grammy Awards and American Music Awards.
These sentiments were echoed to Fontaine by an established Native American recording artist who has attended the event in the past. “I spoke with Keith Secola (known for the Native American classic “Indian Car”) and he was saying that the NAMMYS are really picking up momentum,” Fontaine says. “A lot of...
Strongfront Audio/Visual recently picked up shop and moved to some new digs in Winnipeg’s Exchange District. The company, owned and operated by the indestructible rocker Jesse Green, produces video and provides a full range of services to Aboriginal recording artists.
“I’m excited about the business expansion and getting into our new space,” says Green. “We just got about $80,000 in new equipment and we’re looking forward serving the Aboriginal economy across Canada.”
Strongfront has been in operation for the last 5 years. Its video production work includes broadcast, industrial video, and pretty much anything else you can think of. Its sound recording includes full services for Aboriginal blues, country, rock, folk and even hip hop.
The Strongfront brand is currently expanding and now includes a record label. “We plan to record, market and distributed Aboriginal Canada’s top artists,” he says. “Only the best will be released.”
Under Strongfront Records, full albums for Billy Joe Green, JC Campbell and X-Status are in the works along with a demo for hip hop artist, Wab Kinew of Dead Indians and Slangblossom accolades.
MARIA members Billy Joe Green, X-Status and Dead Indians are some of the local artists who will be performing for the Robertson-Wood Family Fundraiser this Friday, May 12, 2006 at the Pyramid Cabaret in Winnipeg. “We’re hoping to raise enough money to bring our two boys with us to Edmonton for our three-year-old daughter’s open heart surgery,” explains Calvin Wood, the event organizers and proactive father. “If we raise more than we need, we’re going to make a donation to the Variety Heart Foundation... they pretty much saved our daughter’s life.”
Wood’s daughter was born with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome, a condition that the American Heart Association states, “...is usually fatal within the first days or months or life unless it's treated” (www.americanheart.org). Treatment for Wood’s daughter’s condition must be handled in phases and the three-year-old has had two surgeries already.
“I think that the recent history of the Anishinabe people includes too many broken families and it’s important for us to keep our families together as much as possible and break that cycle,” explains Anishinabe bluesman Billy Joe Green. “That’s why I want to perform and show my...
AMP Camp was recently profiled in the spring issue of the Spirit of Aboriginal Youth Magazine (SAY). The article is entitled “AMP Camp: Amplify your life!” and it provides an overview of the project. The submission process, workshop topics and music industry veterans who shared their experience and expertise with the group over the course of the week are identified along with the host organizations, MARIA’s Aboriginal Music Program and the Canada Council for the Arts.
“AMP Camp provided 23 Aboriginal recording artists with a chance to participate in songwriting circles, further develop their understanding of music and chord theory and learn how to deal with a number of music industry challenges,” explains Aboriginal Music Program Coordinator Alan Greyeyes. “I’m glad we had the opportunity to share a bit about what happened during the week with SAY Magazine and Aboriginal youth across the country.”
The photos of Don Amero (Manitoba), Leanne Goose (Northwest Territories), Curtis Peeteetuce (Saskatchewan) and Gail Obediah (Ontario) are featured in the article along with testimonials from each of them about their experience at AMP Camp. The AMP Camp group photo is included...
The Dead Indians and Team Rezofficial recently completed a week-long tour of Native American communities in the southwestern United States in late April. In the spirit of hip-hop’s efforts to reclaim socio-economic labels, the tour was titled “The CIB Tour,” standing for Certificate of Indian Blood, a U.S. Government classification for Native American status.
Team Rezofficial performed at all the shows, which included stops in Los Angeles, Tucson, Tempe, Flagstaff, Kayenta, Farmington and Albuquerque, while the Dead Indians left a little piece of Winnipeg’s Westend everywhere but LA. Tom Crier (Team Rezofficial), Wab Kinew (Dead Indians) and Kenny Ross (Dead Indians) also participated in two speaking panels about Native people and hip-hop at the Arizona State University and the Northern Arizona University.
Both groups represented Manitoba and Canada very well, often headlining or marking the high points of each show. “We got a huge fan base down there,” explains Kinew. “We would sensor ourselves at the all ages shows, but all the kids already knew the words and filled them in for each song. It was pretty deadly.”
The tour included one other Canadian act and up...
Winnipeg will be home to a new music awards show celebrating the best in Aboriginal music from Canada, it was announced on April 18. The Manitoba Aboriginal Music Host Committee (MAMHC) announced the creation of the Aboriginal Peoples Choice Music Awards (APCMA) at a press conference. APCMA will take place during Manito Ahbee: A Festival For All Nations on November 3, 2006 at the MTS Centre.
Manito Ahbee runs November 2 to 5 in Winnipeg at the MTS Centre, and consists of five main components – International Competition Pow Wow, Education Day, Music Festival, Indigenous Marketplace & Trade Show, and the Aboriginal Peoples Choice Music Awards.
“We are thrilled to be launching the Aboriginal Peoples Choice Music Awards – the first awards show of its kind – and the opportunity to showcase Aboriginal music to the rest of the world,” sais Errol Ranville, Executive Producer of Manito Ahbee, in a press release.
“The goal of the Aboriginal Peoples Choice Music Awards is to expose Aboriginal recording artists to a national fan base, music industry, and media. Our intent is to give Aboriginal artists increased profile, and bring the artists, industry and fans closer together....
Two local acts are up for trophies at the Native American Music Awards (NAMMY), a U.S. awards show. Juno-winning rock outfit Eagle & Hawk and multiple Canadian Aboriginal Music Award-winning folk artist Little Hawk are both up for awards at the 8th annual celebrations.
Eagle & Hawk, which was nominated for another Juno this year for Best Aboriginal Recording, is up for two NAMMYs, for Best Pop/Rock Recording for its latest effort Mother Earth and Song/Single of the Year for "Sundancer."
Little Hawk, who recently took home two Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards for 1492-1975, is up for the Native Heart award.
The NAMMYs feature a diverse group of over 125 nominees with origins as far as Alaska and Hawaii and New Zealand in 25 categories. NAMMY is a leading membership-based association composed of artists, music industry professionals, and other professionals dedicated to promoting and preserving Aboriginal music through the United States and around the world. The NAMMYs will take place in Florida on June 8.
With planning well underway for Manito Ahbee: A Festival For All Nations, the Manitoba Aboriginal Music Host Committee announced that an inaugural music awards event will take place at the festival.
Manito Ahbee runs November 2 to November 5 in Winnipeg at the MTS Centre, and consists of five main components – International Competition Pow Wow, Education Day, Music Festival, Indigenous Marketplace & Tradeshow, and the new awards program.
“The Manito Ahbee Festival, including the new awards program, will be of a scope that hasn’t been seen in Winnipeg before,” according to the Festival’s Executive Producer Errol Ranville. “We will be taking public awareness and appreciation of Aboriginal music and culture to a whole new level.”
Manito Ahbee is adding the new awards event after the Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards (CAMA) organization in Ontario was unable to bring the CAMAs to Winnipeg in 2006. “With November fast approaching, we are excited to move forward with plans for Manito Ahbee including the new awards program. CAMA has advised us that they need more time to wrestle with the challenges of moving their awards show outside of Toronto, and we respect their decision...
Manitoba acts are bringing home three glass trophies from Halifax. The Duhks, Burnt and Amanda Falk were each triumphant in their respective categories at the non-televised 2006 Juno Gala Dinner and Awards on April 1, making 2006 the best year for Manitoba in more than six years.
Celtic roots darlings The Duhks kept Manitoba\'s folk reputation going this year by picking up Roots and Traditional Album of the Year (Group), which was won by Winnipeg\'s own Wailin\' Jennys last year.
Christian singer/songwriter Amanda Falk, a relative newcomer, won Contemporary Christian/Gospel Album of the Year for her self-titled debut.
Burnt\'s album Hometown was named Aboriginal Recording of the Year over fellow Manitoba competitors bluesman Billy Joe Green and past Juno winning rock act Eagle & Hawk.
Manitoba netted eight nods at this years\' Juno Awards and sent three acts to perform at JunoFest, a two-night music festival featuring over 100 bands.
Other 2006 nominees included composer Robert Turner, acclaimed violinist James Ehnes and blue rock trio The Perpetrators. The televised portion of the 35th Annual Juno Awards will take place on April 2nd in Halifax, Nova Scotia and...
Eight local artists have been nominated for the 2006 JUNO Awards, The Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS) announced on February 15, making this another strong year for the Manitoba music industry. The 35th Annual Juno Awards will take place on April 2 in Halifax, Nova Scotia and will be broadcast nationwide live on CTV.
Internationally-acclaimed Celtic fusion quintet The Duhks is up for Roots and Traditional Album of the Year (Group) for its self-titled release on Sugar Hill Records. The Duhks have been riding a wave of success for the last three years, including a song contribution to Grammy-winning multi-artist compilation Beautiful Dreamer. The band - which took home a 2005 Western Canadian Music Award in October for Outstanding Roots Recording - has been in Nashville recording its third album co-produced by Grammy-winning Gary Paczosa (Dixie Chicks, Allison Krauss, Dolly Parton). Folk trio The Wailin’ Jennys brought home the award last year.
No stranger to the Juno nominations, Brandon violinist James Ehnes is up for Best Classical Album (Solo or Chamber Ensemble) which he brought home in 2003 and 2001. Acclaimed composer Robert Turner, another...
Native American Music Awards winners, Eagle & Hawk have received three nominations for their latest release, Life Is... at the Indian Summer Music Awards (ISMA). The group has the opportunity to bring home trophies for Alternative Rock, Classic Rock and Contemporary Instrumental. It will be the third year in a row that the rockers have earned the respect of the Native American industry folks of the Midwestern states, if they win.
The ISMA are held during the Indian Summer Music Festival in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. This annual event is marketed as the largest Native American festival in North America and draws close to 70,000 of visitors to the Summerfest Grounds on the western shore of Lake Michigan each year.
Aboriginal recording artists from Manitoba netted 13 nominations at the ISMA last year. The nominees were: Burnt - Project 1, Eagle & Hawk, Billy Joe Green, Spirit of the Nations, Cal Richard, Rayne DeLaronde, Edward Gamblin, Kimberley Dawn, Little Hawk, Longhouse, Red Shadow Singers, and Sierra Noble. Eagle & Hawk and Spirit of the Nations won in the Alternative Rock and Contemporary Instrumental categories, respectively.
Winter may be warmer than usual right now, but it\'s nowhere near as nice as the palm trees of Cannes, France. Representatives from Smallman Records, Arbor Records, Balanced Records, C12 Records, Rising Sun Productions and Olesia Records are enjoying the French coast while creating and solidifying new business opportunities. For the 40th year, Cannes plays host to the world’s largest international music market, MIDEM, where about 10,000 music professionals from across the globe converge, network, do business and attend daily conferences. And if the Manitoban delegation wants to get a good night’s sleep, it might want to skip out on MIDEM’s non-stop tradeshow and impressive concerts.
The sheer number of music-related people and businesses in attendance is can be an overwhelming element of MIDEM, but many of this year’s Manitoban participants are experiencing MIDEM for the second or third time. This allows such labels as Smallman to maximize developing business relationships by meeting many of their international contacts in person after extensive electronic dealings. MIDEM has proved key to Manitoba labels in continuing to export local music beyond our Canadian borders...
