Latest news with #Watin
Edmonton Journal
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Edmonton Journal
Trad and glam swirl as RKS, Serena Ryder and Aysanabee rock folk fest
Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page. Article content Pouncing and rolling around on stage with legs in the air, Rainbow Surprise Kitten clawed in International Cat Day a few hours early Thursday night with a legendary shake-it-up rock-out in the misty rain. Article content Article content Rain and thunder! Or the fear of it, anyway, was the unofficial pre-opener for the 46 th annual Edmonton Folk Music Festival — tens of thousands of Gallagher Park hill bags heavier with assorted rubber gear and towels on a generally lovely cloudy day that did not encourage free-range beer chugging. More like under-blanket snuggling. Article content Article content Now based in Toronto, he mushroom-gathers prestige indie Juno wins and Polaris noms with his upbeat Elder-channelling, gravel-revving voice full of hope and trying to figure it all out. Relatable, singalong resistance. Article content The set opened with the recorded spoken word Interlude 9 of album Watin, named for the musician's grandfather, explaining words in their language, including 'Nosuk, nosuk magizokege means my grandchildren are growing up,' and 'Ebiisay ketizgo, that means heaven.' Article content Article content The band introduced themselves playing the slow-rising Dream Catcher, the pounder Nomads, followed by the energetic Bringing the Fire. Article content Asking who'd seen them in 2023, Aysanabee waved left and right over the verdant rise of raincoat witnesses. Article content 'We played over there, we played over there,' he said from the big stage under the 46 — a number of encouragement from the divine realm. 'Now we're playing here! Thanks for selling out Thursday — that's you!' Article content Article content Impossible to ignore at Aysanabee's side was singer Lala Noel in her blood-orange-slice earrings, backing up his distinct voice with Dark Side of the Moon, OG Star Trek choral heights and this very infectious smile. Article content Miles Gibbons did a nice job on the looping drums, Dean Aivaliotis on keys, with Nick Tateishi playing guitar, all together through a dozen countries in the last year and change.
The Province
05-08-2025
- Sport
- The Province
Juno-winning Oji-Cree singer Aysanabee plays Burnaby Blues and Roots Festival
The first thing you notice listening to Aysanabee is that huge, powerful voice Aysanabee hails from the Sandy Lake First Nation in northern Ontario. Lindsay Duncan Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page. The first thing you notice listening to Aysanabee is that huge, powerful voice. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Deep, thundering and dripping with emotion, the Oji-Cree singer's pipes explode on songs such as We Were Here from his debut Watin. Long after the last notes of the hit single celebrating Indigenous people's strength and resilience fade, his inspiring delivery and solemn lyrics keep echoing. 'I credit it all to listening to the copy of Bob Marley's Greatest Hits that my brother left for me when he moved to the city,' said Aysanabee, who hails from the Sandy Lake First Nation in northern Ontario. 'At night, we would fire up the generator and I'd listen to it repeatedly. I started out writing reggae songs.' The two-time Juno Award winner just returned from playing a music festival in Tromsø, Norway, before heading back out on the road for festival gigs across the country, including this weekend's Burnaby Blues + Roots Festival. Essential reading for hockey fans who eat, sleep, Canucks, repeat. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'It's been kind of wild that I'm able to be on stage singing under the midnight sun in Northern Norway surrounded by mountains,' he said. 'I see it as a wild privilege to be brought to such places by song. I make sure to take the time to remind myself of how lucky I am.' In the fall, Aysanabee embarks on The Way We're Born Tour headlining in support of his recently released second album, Edge of the Earth. His second album on the Indigenous and women-owned indie label Ishkōdé Records, the nine-song set is another songwriting tour de force from the artist. As his tour winds its way across the country, the new single Gone Baby Gone is serving fans a different sound. His signature atmospheric production is still there, but the track is a straight-up, guitar-driven mid-tempo rocker. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'I write mostly slower songs and love going into the studio to make them sound gigantic, maybe sometimes going a little bit overboard sampling the sound of a late-night snack of a bag of chips,' he said. 'Live used to be where I felt the most natural, but I can enjoy both sides now. Gone Baby Gone is definitely more driving, probably because I was listening to a lot of Sam Fender when I wrote it and loving the steady rock beat.' In concert, the role of recreating those varied sonic swaths falls to guitarist Nick Tateishi, percussionist Miles Gibbons, pianist Dean Aivaliotis and backup singer Lala Noel. Aysanabee says that it's a big change from all the solo shows he was performing during the pandemic. His initial fan base came to his debut album Watin via those solo concerts, but he felt like he wanted to do something bigger moving forward. Just as he was considering how to expand his show, the band came to him. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'I was playing an acoustic set at the El Mocambo, and Nick and Miles had seen me and came over and said 'If you ever want some backing musicians, we'd be into it.' So I called them,' he said. 'Lala's voice is all over my other recordings right back to the beginning, and we've been working and writing together since. Dean came later, and I'm humbled to have them making it super fun and sound super massive.' Noting it's always more fun to do things together, he also thinks having a band can be a better way to reach first-time listeners. 'If I'm playing solo for the first time to people who haven't maybe heard me before and I'm doing everything I can and it isn't happening. It's pretty lonely up there,' he said. 'Luckily, that doesn't happen too often. But having the other people up there means you can play off each other and use that group energy to get to the audience, or at least have fun together.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. As to finding himself frequenting blues festivals around the world, Aysanabee says he is very comfortable being cast in that genre. His music is a kind of contemporary Indigenous blues, particularly on Watin. Edge of the World opens up new directions. 'Watin had a lot of deliberate bluesy vocal vibes and elements of gospel, which made sense for the record,' he said. 'Branching out with the new album being classified as alternative music wasn't something I was sure I liked at first. But now I think it's a pretty perfect fit for me.' It's still always interesting to Aysanabee to hear from concert-goers where they heard his music. Noting that the old-school connection via radio has played a really big part in spreading his sound around, he says he is happy when people mention hearing him at Home Depot too. He thinks now is a very fertile time for Indigenous artists to achieve widespread fame. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'I had given up on a career as a musician at the start of the pandemic, figuring that making music was just going to be a lifetime hobby,' he said. 'So I started making music that just mattered to me, and along came Ishkōdé and we made the first record. It came out at the same time the news was reporting on mass graves at residential schools and people were stuck at home and learning, and there was a kind of snowball effect.' Noting that there are so many amazing Indigenous artists making powerful, relevant music right now, keeping the conversation going is more challenging with everything wide-open again. He says albums like Edge of the Earth are there to keep spreading the message of his lived experience. Material for a third album is slowly coming together. The only thing that is certain is that his self-dubbed 'Eurovision tune' recorded with a producer in Sweden last year will not make the record. sderdeyn@ Love concerts, but can't make it to the venue? Stream live shows and events from your couch with VEEPS, a music-first streaming service now operating in Canada. Click here for an introductory offer of 30% off. Explore upcoming concerts and the extensive archive of past performances. 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Vancouver Sun
04-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Vancouver Sun
Juno-winning Oji-Cree singer Aysanabee plays Burnaby Blues and Roots Festival
Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page. The first thing you notice listening to Aysanabee is that huge, powerful voice. Deep, thundering and dripping with emotion, the Oji-Cree singer's pipes explode on songs such as We Were Here from his debut Watin. Long after the last notes of the hit single celebrating Indigenous people's strength and resilience fade, his inspiring delivery and solemn lyrics keep echoing. 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. 'I credit it all to listening to the copy of Bob Marley's Greatest Hits that my brother left for me when he moved to the city,' said Aysanabee , who hails from the Sandy Lake First Nation in northern Ontario. 'At night, we would fire up the generator and I'd listen to it repeatedly. I started out writing reggae songs.' The two-time Juno Award winner just returned from playing a music festival in Tromsø, Norway, before heading back out on the road for festival gigs across the country, including this weekend's Burnaby Blues + Roots Festival . 'It's been kind of wild that I'm able to be on stage singing under the midnight sun in Northern Norway surrounded by mountains,' he said. 'I see it as a wild privilege to be brought to such places by song. I make sure to take the time to remind myself of how lucky I am.' In the fall, Aysanabee embarks on The Way We're Born Tour headlining in support of his recently released second album, Edge of the Earth. His second album on the Indigenous and women-owned indie label Ishkōdé Records, the nine-song set is another songwriting tour de force from the artist. As his tour winds its way across the country, the new single Gone Baby Gone is serving fans a different sound. His signature atmospheric production is still there, but the track is a straight-up, guitar-driven mid-tempo rocker. 'I write mostly slower songs and love going into the studio to make them sound gigantic, maybe sometimes going a little bit overboard sampling the sound of a late-night snack of a bag of chips,' he said. 'Live used to be where I felt the most natural, but I can enjoy both sides now. Gone Baby Gone is definitely more driving, probably because I was listening to a lot of Sam Fender when I wrote it and loving the steady rock beat.' In concert, the role of recreating those varied sonic swaths falls to guitarist Nick Tateishi, percussionist Miles Gibbons, pianist Dean Aivaliotis and backup singer Lala Noel. Aysanabee says that it's a big change from all the solo shows he was performing during the pandemic. His initial fan base came to his debut album Watin via those solo concerts, but he felt like he wanted to do something bigger moving forward. Just as he was considering how to expand his show, the band came to him. 'I was playing an acoustic set at the El Mocambo, and Nick and Miles had seen me and came over and said 'If you ever want some backing musicians, we'd be into it.' So I called them,' he said. 'Lala's voice is all over my other recordings right back to the beginning, and we've been working and writing together since. Dean came later, and I'm humbled to have them making it super fun and sound super massive.' Noting it's always more fun to do things together, he also thinks having a band can be a better way to reach first-time listeners. 'If I'm playing solo for the first time to people who haven't maybe heard me before and I'm doing everything I can and it isn't happening. It's pretty lonely up there,' he said. 'Luckily, that doesn't happen too often. But having the other people up there means you can play off each other and use that group energy to get to the audience, or at least have fun together.' As to finding himself frequenting blues festivals around the world, Aysanabee says he is very comfortable being cast in that genre. His music is a kind of contemporary Indigenous blues, particularly on Watin. Edge of the World opens up new directions. 'Watin had a lot of deliberate bluesy vocal vibes and elements of gospel, which made sense for the record,' he said. 'Branching out with the new album being classified as alternative music wasn't something I was sure I liked at first. But now I think it's a pretty perfect fit for me.' It's still always interesting to Aysanabee to hear from concert-goers where they heard his music. Noting that the old-school connection via radio has played a really big part in spreading his sound around, he says he is happy when people mention hearing him at Home Depot too. He thinks now is a very fertile time for Indigenous artists to achieve widespread fame. 'I had given up on a career as a musician at the start of the pandemic, figuring that making music was just going to be a lifetime hobby,' he said. 'So I started making music that just mattered to me, and along came Ishkōdé and we made the first record. It came out at the same time the news was reporting on mass graves at residential schools and people were stuck at home and learning, and there was a kind of snowball effect.' Noting that there are so many amazing Indigenous artists making powerful, relevant music right now, keeping the conversation going is more challenging with everything wide-open again. He says albums like Edge of the Earth are there to keep spreading the message of his lived experience. Material for a third album is slowly coming together. The only thing that is certain is that his self-dubbed 'Eurovision tune' recorded with a producer in Sweden last year will not make the record. sderdeyn@ Love concerts, but can't make it to the venue? Stream live shows and events from your couch with VEEPS, a music-first streaming service now operating in Canada. Click here for an introductory offer of 30% off. Explore upcoming concerts and the extensive archive of past performances.
CBC
20-06-2025
- Entertainment
- CBC
Aysanabee is back with a new sound
Today, Aysanabee drops his sophomore album, Edge Of The Earth. The Indigenous singer-songwriter burst onto the scene in 2022 with Watin, an album that was inspired by his grandfather's stories and won him two Juno Awards. On Commotion, host Elamin Abdelmahmoud speaks with music journalist Emilie Hanskamp, Anishinaabe scholar Riley Yesno and Anishinaabe/Mohawk writer and producer Kim Wheeler about Aysanabee's new album and how it differs from his first one. We've included some highlights below, edited for length and clarity. For the full discussion about new albums from both Bambii and Haim, listen and follow Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud on your favourite podcast player. WATCH | Today's episode on YouTube: Elamin: Kim, do you want to tell the story of the first record? Because I feel like Watin kind of came out of nowhere and then just took the music scene by storm a little bit. Kim: Yeah, absolutely. He made this incredible record where he sat down and he had conversations with his grandfather. And it was during COVID and he recorded those conversations. Then he used them to weave a story throughout his first album, Watin, which is named after his grandfather. And actually, Aysanabee is also named after his grandfather. He took his grandfather's name [instead of] his colonial name, which is Evan, but now he performs as Aysanabee. Yeah, it was such an incredible album. That was the album that got him shortlisted for Polaris. And when you have an album like that, every single album afterwards, you anticipate, right? You're like, "What's he gonna do next? What's he going to do next?" And then with this album, he's given us a new sound. Elamin: This idea of making a record that is entirely around his grandfather's story, his grandfather's experience in residential schools, that forms the narrative framework of that record. When you get to this new album, Emily, is there a conceptual framework to this record? Or is he like, "Man, let's talk about love?" Emily: If his first album was his grandfather's story, his second was more so a breakup album, which is about you, but it's largely about a relationship, maybe the other person who you were in that relationship. I think this album [is] most inward and about himself. You think of [the words] "edge of the earth," you kind of picture yourself at the edge of this cliff, your toes hanging over, you think of these leaps of faith that you take, and I think it's taking stock of the leaps he's taken, the losses that have been both for and against his will, the people he's lost. There's a song about losing his grandfather, there are songs about heartbreak and relationships falling apart, there are songs about love. So I really think it is actually his most personal in terms of how inward it is. I think conceptually that's where he's landing here. WATCH | "Home" Live at Orange Lounge: Elamin: Riley, when you listen to this record, what's the aspect that's most jumping out at you? Riley: I went and read the write-up that you did, Emily, in The Star, about him [Aysanabee], and he mentions in it to you that he took inspiration in his earliest years from Bob Marley and all of these things. I started to smile because when I lived on the rez, we had just cassette tapes all over the place. And a fun fact is that every Native I've ever met loves Johnny Cash, they love Bob Marley, they love that timbre of the voice. I can hear that in the way that he [Aysanabee] sings and you can hear it on this album. And so while it's not necessarily as explicitly "about Indigenous topics," like residential schools with his grandfather in the first one, to me it is so Native still in that connection to the music that Native people love. And I really feel that when I listen to it.
