Latest news with #Mi'kmaw-inspired
CBC
13-04-2025
- Entertainment
- CBC
Artists pay tribute to rocker Joel Plaskett on surprise covers album
Some of the biggest names in Canadian music are paying homage to Joel Plaskett on a new tribute album that was made in secret — without the Halifax rocker's knowledge. The double album titled Songs from the Gang — A Celebration of Joel Plaskett features covers from 22 artists including Sloan, the Sheepdogs, the Arkells, Mo Kenney, Alan Syliboy and Jenn Grant. It was all kept confidential before being revealed to Plaskett earlier this week at Ditch Records and CDs in Victoria, B.C., where he and his family were visiting. "There was this poster on the wall of this picture of me … and I kind of looked at it and I was like, I don't recognize this poster, and then I saw this vinyl beside it," he told CBC's Information Morning Nova Scotia. "Then we went to a studio out here to listen to the whole thing and just listening to all these folks singing these songs, singing my tunes, a lot of friends, it's really something else. I was laughing and kinda crying at the same time." The tribute was in part an early birthday present for Plaskett, who turns 50 on April 18. He said the artists featured on the album are his friends and colleagues, and to hear it for the first time and have it released within the span of a few days is somewhat mind-boggling. "I can't fully express what it means other than just to say a huge thank you to everybody involved," he said. "It's really something else." Plaskett's career spans more than three decades, beginning in the 1990s with his band Thrush Hermit. He later embarked on an illustrious solo career, releasing 17 albums under his name and with his band the Joel Plaskett Emergency. Known in the industry as a nice guy with a warm heart, Plaskett has in more recent years worn a producer's hat, making records in his studio Fang Recording in Dartmouth, N.S., even working with some of the artists featured on the tribute album. From Alan Syliboy's Mi'kmaw-inspired and drum-driven version of Nowhere With You to the lively harmonies of Reeny Smith, Haliey Smith and Micah Smith on Wishful Thinking, each artist puts their own spin on the Plaskett classics. Legendary rockers Sloan covered I Love This Town, a song oozing with references to Halifax culture, landmarks and inside jokes. The band's Chris Murphy said they hearkened back to the early days of Sloan for their rendition to give it more of a grunge feel. Murphy is a longtime friend of Plaskett and recalls discussing music and life after closing out the bars in Halifax in the 1990s. "He lived in the same neighbourhood as me, so when he started going downtown, he would drive me home and we would have these long conversations that would start at 2:30 in the morning," Murphy told CBC's Q with Tom Power. "Just like a romantic hang talking about nothing at a time when we both had nothing but time. I really romanticize those talks." Plaskett said it was Sloan that first gave Thrush Hermit a boost by bringing them on the road. There's even a nod to Sloan in the song they chose to cover, Plaskett noted, when he sings, "If you saw my band in the early days, then you'll understand why we moved away," referring to Sloan's decision to leave Halifax and move to Toronto later in their career. "To hear them singing it, I mean the whole thing, I'm kind of floored and my heart is really full," he said. "It's an incredible birthday gift."
CBC
21-03-2025
- Entertainment
- CBC
Teen voices Mi'kmaw character in new fantasy video game
15-year-old says she wants others to learn about Mi'kmaw language ⭐️HERE'S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW⭐️ Kun'tewiktuk: A Mi'kmaw Adventure released on March 20. It's a Mi'kmaw-inspired fantasy video game that takes place in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. Bresis Dennis, 15, recorded the voice of the main character. She said she wanted to help share the Mi'kmaw language and culture with the world. Keep reading to find out about the game and how to play. ⬇️⬇️⬇️ Bresis Dennis, 15, knew it was an opportunity she couldn't pass up. When she heard that a video game developer with Green Robot Studios in Sydney, Nova Scotia, was looking for voice actors for a Mi'kmaw-inspired video game, she was nervous to audition. But she felt like she had a responsibility to share her culture and language with the world. And since very few people speak Mi'kmaw, it seemed like the perfect opportunity. 'I know the language, and maybe I could help bring it back a little,' Bresis told CBC Kids News. Now you can hear Bresis in Kun'tewiktuk: A Mi'kmaw Adventure. The fantasy game inspired by Mi'kmaw legends and lore officially dropped on March 20. It was released on Steam for Windows PCs. The story Bresis voices a character named Wasuek, who is a 13-year-old Mi'kmaw girl living in Unama'ki ('Land of the Fog'), which is known today as Cape Breton Island. The game begins after Wasuek realises her brother, U'n, has disappeared. She runs into the forest and meets peaceful, troll-like creatures who tell her that an evil creature took him. They say she must venture into the spirit realm to get him back. The game follows her as she embarks on this quest. Click play to hear Bresis speak Mi'kmaq in the game. ⬇️⬇️⬇️ Preserving the culture Shawn Green is the creator of Kun'tewiktuk: A Mi'kmaw Adventure. He runs Green Robot Studios. Green has spent years working on educational games about the history of Nova Scotia. He said that as he learned more about Mi'kmaw culture, he was inspired to create a game about it. 'Once we did a deeper dive, the stories that we discovered about this wonderful culture were mind-blowing,' Green said. 'The stories are really limitless.' Because Green is not Indigenous, he wanted to ensure that the Mi'kmaw culture was portrayed accurately in the game. So he partnered with Kji-Wikuom Studios, an audio/video engineering studio based in Eskasoni First Nation, Nova Scotia. The studio's creator, Tom Johnson, was focused on creating content that would preserve the Mi'kmaw language for future generations. With the studio's guidance, Green was able to find Mi'kmaw speakers to voice characters' roles in the game. Wasuek shoots a bow and arrow at one of the bosses in the game while fighting him off with help from the spirit world. (Image submitted by Green Robot Studios) Bresis, who is from Eskasoni First Nation, grew up speaking Mi'kmaw as her first language. 'I didn't learn how to speak English until I started going to school,' she said. She attended a Mi'kmaw immersion school in Eskasoni that focused on teaching and revitalizing the Mi'kmaw culture. She said it's unusual for people her age to speak the language. 'Some of the people I went to immersion with are still my best friends, but they don't even remember how to speak it,' she said. PROFILE — Award-winning Mi'kmaw singer-songwriter is only 16 When Bresis's sister saw the Facebook ad for an audition, she encouraged her to apply. Bresis was nervous, but after some convincing from her family, she realized how important it was for her to do this. She said as a kid, she didn't see her culture represented much, so when she heard about the game, she was excited. 'I was like, 'Oh my God, I've been thinking about this since I was younger,' so it was really cool to be a part of it,' she said. She hopes the game will teach kids 'little words to learn' and they will have fun playing it. 'I feel like this game could change some kids' perspective on being Native and stuff,' she said. Bresis Dennis records her lines into a microphone at Kji-Wikuom Studios in Eskissoqnik (Eskasoni), Unama'ki (Cape Breton). (Image submitted by Green Robot Studios) Creating the game Green wanted the voice actors to be as close to their character's age as possible. That's why Bresis was such a great find, he said. 'We heard her voice and it sounded perfect for the role,' Green said. WATCH — N.S. teen finds her voice singing Beatles song in Mi'kmaq Bresis recorded her character's lines in two sessions at Kji-Wikuom Studios, which was only a five-minute walk from her house. Bresis said that being close to home made the whole experience less nerve-wracking. 'I was really nervous and kind of having second thoughts. But when I got there, I realized it wasn't as scary as I thought,' she said. The game begins after the main character, Wasuek, realises her brother, U'n, has disappeared. This image from the game shows U'n in the spirit realm. (Image submitted by Green Robot Studios) She said overall, it was a fun experience and she appreciated that some elders were on site to help her with more complicated words. Bresis said she felt very supported by the elders in her community. And her friends? 'They were hyped,' she said.
