Latest news with #Oji-Cree
Vancouver Sun
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Vancouver Sun
Edmonton Folk Music Festival lineup: Allison Russell, Rainbow Kitten Surprise, Taj Mahal join The Roots and Mt. Joy
With swirling hip-hop legends The Roots and fuzzy-feelings L.A. rockers Mt. Joy already out of the bag as Saturday and Sunday's headliners — bam! — the rest of the Edmonton Folk Music Festival's lineup has been revealed! The 46 th annual love-in running Aug. 7-10 on Gallagher Park hill is bursting with international deep-cut delights to shining local talent, aglow with soul, folk, rock, country, Afrobeats, blues and more. Nearly 60 more acts just dropped, including North Carolina alt-rock Rainbow Kitten Surprise topping Thursday night after Juno-winning Oji-Cree singer-songwriter Aysanabee and the lovable be-hatted powerhouse Serena Ryder open the fest up — tunes starting Thursday at 6:35 p.m. Get top headlines and gossip from the world of celebrity and entertainment. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sun Spots will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Friday night's main stage 9:05 p.m. on is Gen X singer-songwriter Stephen Wilson Jr. — self-identified as 'Death Cab for Country' — and the return of the multi-style, roots Grammy-winning Allison Russell, last here in 2022. Amid the whirl of Saturday sessions, east L.A.'s Las Cafeterias will pepper up the main stage at 2 p.m. with Chicano rhythm and zapateado dancing. Then, Saturday night, the cultural call-and-response slides in with 83-year-old bluesman Taj Mahal at 6:45; indie pop DJ and model Goldie Boutilier also out of L.A. up next; back from last year, public defender and powerhouse soul/R&B belter Danielle Ponder; bringing us of course to 2025's big-name booking: Philadelphia's The Roots. World-travelling Democratic Republic of Congo ensemble Jupiter & Okwess start things off centre stage at 2 Sunday afternoon, then shifting gears, it's the Seattle folk-rock of Richy Mitch & the Coal Miners at 6:50. This is followed by an American-Australian roots jam with John Butler, then Mt. Joy and the Sunday-night lantern parade, then cue Four Strong Winds. The Roots were something else at Calgary Folk Fest last year, and I'd say you don't want to miss the electrified blues guitar and drumming of Cedric Burnside — but longtime festival producer Terry Wickham is happy to offer his deep cuts and must-sees. 'Watch out for Jesse Welles,' says Wickham. 'He's got a big online presence, very political. He talks about what America's like right now, all of that. 'Riley Walker and Bill McKay, two great guitarists — so I think that's going to be a sleeper hit.' Wickham adds the psychedelic soul of Monophonics to the list, noting Willi Carlisle's also a lot of fun. 'Ian Ngo is a great songwriter in the country vein, so he's going to be really strong. Māmā Mihirangi & the Māreikura are going to be exciting — a lot of looping and that kind of stuff,' Wickham notes. 'And Calvin Vollrath, we're not going cheap, so we're bringing him in with a five-piece.' As far as general operations go, no big announcements this year — more food trucks, some extra shade, that sort of thing — though we did get a bit doomy talking about worst-case scenarios if fire season forced a cancellation due to air-quality safety. 'A couple of rainfalls this week were good,' says Wickham. 'The farmers need rain, the gardens need rain — it just makes the place look better. But I don't think that's going to have any impact on August. 'We're in for a dry spell coming up, so we'll see if things start to spark up. 'I mean, wildfire smoke is an existential threat to all the festivals outdoors.' That consideration aside, costs have also been reliably rising, especially headliner fees. 'It's doubled or quadrupled, post pandemic,' notes the producer of the non-profit festival. 'Dynamic pricing, excess demand, etc. And it won't stop until people stop buying tickets at crazy prices.' This makes it especially noteworthy that ticket and pass prices this year are holding steady, no increases. 'We could go up and people would grumble,' says Wickham, but I'm so tired of inflation everywhere, that at least one place, for one year, we can hold the line.' He notes the folk fest will always continue to do what it can, and that 'money is not everything to all the artists. 'They do look for special places to play,' says Wickham, noting Ben Harper once said it was his favourite. 'And I did hear two band members from The National talking and saying, 'Which is your favourite, here or Red Rocks?' So that kind of thing is nice to hear.' Bringing it home, the local acts include AV & the Inner City, St. Albert's Current Swell, Nîpisîy, Secondhand Dreamcar and let's note Shaela Miller's country music by way of Lethbridge. School of Song will also highlight local talent Asiah Holm, Halfway Home, Sam Steffen and Tayler Grace, and the Nikamowin indigenous programming will spotlight even more locals by the fest's central tipi. 'There's a lot of great talent out there,' says Wickham. 'I said yes to a lot of people who have been knocking on the door for a few years. 'About 60 per cent of the artists have never played here before. We haven't been too nostalgic. So I feel good.' Pre-GST and fees, adult personal weekend passes (25-64) are $234, single tickets Thursday or Friday are $109, and Saturday or Sunday $115. Seniors 65-79 are $179 for a Personal Pass, $56 for single days, and 80+ get in for free. U-25 (18-24) is $189 for a Personal Pass. And for youth 12-17, $117 for a Personal Pass, $42 for a single day, with children 11 and under free. All passes and single days go on sale at 10 a.m. Saturday, June 7, online only at . Now, please enjoy the full list of 2025 EFMF acts! AHI Allison Russell AV & the Inner City Aysanabee BALTHVS Blackburn Brothers Blue Moon Marquee Burnstick Calvin Vollrath Cedric Burnside Charlie Cunningham Current Swell Danielle Ponder De Temps Antan Dervish Dry Bones Elizabeth Moen Goldie Boutilier Haley Heynderickx Ian Noe Jeffrey Martin Jennifer Castle Jesse Roper Jesse Welles John Butler Julianna Riolino Jupiter & Okwess Ken Pomeroy Kíla Kim Churchill Las Cafeteras Madi Diaz Māmā Mihirangi & the Māreikura Mama's Broke Marcus Trummer Martyn Joseph Mary Gauthier Melissa Carper Monophonics Mt. Joy Nîpisîy Rainbow Kitten Surprise Richy Mitch & The Coal Miners Ryley Walker & Bill MacKay School of Song: Asiah Holm , Halfway Home , Sam Steffen , Tayler Grace Secondhand Dreamcar Serena Ryder Shaela Miller Steph Strings Stephen Wilson Jr. Taj Mahal Talisk The Roots The Sensational Barnes Brothers The Slocan Ramblers Wesli Willi Carlisle Yasmin Williams fgriwkowsky@ @ Bookmark our website and support our journalism: Don't miss the news you need to know — add and to your bookmarks and sign up for our newsletters here. You can also support our journalism by becoming a digital subscriber. Subscribers gain unlimited access to The Edmonton Journal, Edmonton Sun, National Post and 13 other Canadian news sites. Support us by subscribing today: The Edmonton Journal | The Edmonton Sun.
CBC
11-03-2025
- Health
- CBC
First safe sobering beds open in Thunder Bay, Ont., for those intoxicated by alcohol or drugs
Social Sharing People who are intoxicated by alcohol or drugs in Thunder Bay, Ont., now have access to a space where they can rest and recover without judgment. The community's first seven safe sobering beds opened on Monday at 500 Oliver Rd. The program, run by St. Joseph's Care Group, is the first of its kind in the northwestern Ontario city, which has the highest opioid-related death rate in the province. The provincial government announced nearly $3 million for the program in September 2024. The beds are open to anyone 16 and older that is under the influence of alcohol or other substances and does not require the level of care provided at an emergency department or in St. Joseph's withdrawal management program. The program is entirely voluntary, and is hoped to divert people from ending up in police custody or the emergency department, instead, giving them a more appropriate place to access support. "We're really hoping to be able to create a safe space in our community to be able to take those calls that are less acute, where somebody doesn't require that full medical intervention of emergency services," said Andrea Docherty, vice president of clinical and community health at St. Joseph's Care Group. Developing a safe sobering program in the city was among the key recommendations made during a joint coroner's inquest into the deaths of two Oji-Cree men in 2022 — Roland McKay and Don Mamakwa. Both died while in police custody in Thunder Bay. Mamakwa, 44, was a member of Kasabonika First Nation. He died in 2014 after being arrested on the suspicion of public intoxication. His autopsy said his cause of death was ketoacidosis, a serious complication of Type 2 diabetes, alcohol use disorder and sepsis (when the body's response to an infection damages its own tissues). McKay, 50, was Mamakwa's uncle and a member of Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug First Nation. He died in 2017 while in police custody; it was determined he died of natural causes. More than 30 organizations worked together to create a safe sobering model that would work in Thunder Bay. "It's a local solution for our local needs, and so we're really grateful for all of that hard work and support," Docherty said. People can stay in the beds for up to 24 hours at a time. The average stay is between four and eight hours. "Today, we are closing a gap in addictions services," said Janine Black, president and CEO of St. Joseph's Care Group. "These spaces represent our collective responsibility to people in crisis, offering the support needed without defaulting to emergency rooms or jail cells, which were never meant to be the front lines of addiction care." Connecting clients to other services St. Joseph's Care Group operates several mental health and addictions services in the community. In the fall, it moved its 25 detox beds from the Balmoral Centre on Sibley Drive to the Crossroads Centre at Oliver Road to allow renovations to take place. By the summer, the goal is to permanently move the Crossroads Centre pre and post-treatment recovery program to Sibley Drive to make room for both the safe sobering bed program and withdrawal management program at Oliver Road. Once construction is complete, an additional eight safe sobering beds are hoped to be up and running by late spring or early summer, said Docherty. "All our programs are voluntary but we're really hopeful that once someone's feeling a little bit better, we can introduce withdrawal management right across the hall and support them if they're interested," she said. Several new staff have been hired to facilitate the safe sobering bed program, including nurses, addictions counsellors, Indigenous health counsellors and peer support workers. Another key aspect of the program is creating a culturally-safe space. N'doo'owe Binesi, St. Joseph's Care Group's Indigenous health division, will provide traditional healing, system navigation, counselling and connection to Elders and ceremony as well. While they expect most referrals will be made by police or the hospital, individuals can reach out to St. Joseph's Care Group directly on behalf of themselves or a loved one to access one of the beds, Docherty said. "We're really hoping that this will be a warm, welcoming introduction to other services within our system," Docherty said.
CBC
23-02-2025
- Entertainment
- CBC
How words from Aysanabee's late grandfather are opening doors for some N.S. musicians
As musician Aysanabee stood on stage at last year's Junos in Halifax accepting the award for alternative album of the year, a memory of the final conversation he had with his late grandfather was on his mind. It was May 2023. The Oji-Cree singer-songwriter's grandfather told him, "Do the things you say you're gonna do." The comment stuck with Aysanabee and as he gave thanks at the awards show to the people who opened doors for him, he made a pledge. "I'm going to try and take those hinges off and bring you all with me," he said. Fast forward to today and he's on his first headlining tour, which will see him play shows in Eastern Canada over the next month, including seven in Nova Scotia. To open doors for other musicians, he's having different Indigenous artists open the shows, as well as promoting them on his social media channels. Aysanabee said he also wants to be a resource to the openers and answer any questions they have. "I just want to foster a music community where it's just kind of healthy and people are trying to uplift each other," said Aysanabee, who lives in Toronto, but is originally from Sandy Lake First Nation in Ontario. How to apply To apply, he's asking people to email a performance video, which could even just be someone recording themselves on their phone, as well as say what shows they'd like to open and write a paragraph about why they make music. Even if the opening slots are booked up, Aysanabee said he wants people to contact him as there may be opportunities in the future. Mi'kmaw musician DeeDee Austin, who lives in Fall River, N.S., but is a member of the Abegweit First Nation, is opening four shows in Nova Scotia and P.E.I. "I feel personally that there's so many Indigenous artists that get kind of just swept under the rug, so for Aysanabee to kind of help us break out from under the rug and kind of showcase us and turn us on to his audience, it's really honourable," said the pop musician. Austin said she noticed many of the openers would be considered up and comers, so they need as much publicity as they can get. She's looking forward to the shows. "Whenever you get an opportunity to open up for any artist, you kind of bring both communities together," she said. "And in fact, you get to kind of turn each other on to your audiences and you get to showcase each other to your music and your art." Emma Stevens, a Mi'kmaw musician from Eskasoni First Nation, is the opener for the Glace Bay, N.S., show. She hopes the opportunity allows her to reach a broader audience beyond the East Coast base she's established. "Hopefully, I can bring him some of my audience and he can bring me some of his audience and it'll be a blast," said the folk-country-pop musician. How Dan Mangan helped inspire Aysanabee's idea Aysanabee is encouraging people to show up early and not miss the opening acts. Otherwise, he cautioned there are some things people will miss out on. "That's as far as I can go into that," he said. For Aysanabee, the idea to showcase the openers is also rooted in experiences he had opening for other musicians, such as Dan Mangan and Allison Russell. In the case of a fall 2023 tour with Mangan, Aysanabee remembers worrying about how he would have to drive overnight and through the day to get to gigs. But the worries were moot because Mangan invited Aysanabee to travel on the tour bus. "He's like, 'No, man. You're part of the team … just pay it forward down the road,'" said Aysanabee.
CBC
11-02-2025
- Entertainment
- CBC
Oji-Cree rapper joins Nelly Furtado onstage for Invictus Games performance
An Oji-Cree rapper from Garden Hill First Nation in northern Manitoba performed alongside Nelly Furtado for a crowd of around 40,000 people at the star-studded opening ceremony of the Invictus Games in Vancouver. The opening ceremony of the games for injured military and service personnel also featured artists Katy Perry, Roxane Bruneau, Noah Kahan, and Coldplay's Chris Martin. Matthew Monias, who goes by Mattmac, got his first taste of writing and recording music when the N'we Jinan program came to his community in 2017. Monias co-wrote Help You See, a song written and recorded by youth in Garden Hill First Nation through the N'we Jinan program — and it was through that song that he caught the attention of Furtado. He said it was through that project that Furtado first heard about him. "She was like … 'I remember hearing your song on CBC Radio.'" Furtado later asked Monias to perform alongside her at the 2017 National Indigenous Peoples Day celebration at The Forks in Winnipeg. Monias has gone on to win several awards, including the 2022 Canada's Walk of Fame RBC emerging art grand prize, and the 2023 CBC Music Searchlight grand prize. Monias said he's still pinching himself that so much has happened in the last few years. "I had some goals and affirmations for myself; I didn't think it would be this quick," said Monias. At the Invictus Games opening ceremony, the duo performed a medley of Furtado's song Powerless and Mattmac's song Rez. Overcoming obstacles Being from a fly-in community, Monias has had to work extra hard to get his music out to the world, and being born blind means he's had to use a lot of adaptive technology to learn how to produce and write music. "Coming from a fly-in, remote community and just to see all this stuff happening, to see all the accolades is cool," said Monias. "It's been a great time so far." Garden Hill Chief Dino Flett said his community is proud of everything Monias has accomplished. "I've seen him through most of his life where he had challenges," said Flett. "He never stops on what he tries to do." Flett said Monias has a "keep going kind of attitude" that helps him overcome obstacles. It's that attitude, Flett said, that's inspiring other youth from Garden Hill to follow their dreams. "They say they want to follow his steps," said Flett.
