Lakusta releases Crow-child disc

Terry Lusty, Sweetgrass Writer, EDMONTON



Terry Lusty, Sweetgrass Writer, EDMONTON

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On Feb. 6, Edmontonians had the opportunity to sit back, relax and enjoy the original songs and music of Canadian folk music artist Dennis Lakusta, who is Metis orginally from Edmonton, but now lives in Victoria.

Performing before a packed house at Edmonton's Full Moon Folk Club in the Riverdale Hall, Lakusta introduced the audience to a few choice cuts from his new and third CD, Crow-child. One of the songs, "The Warrior's Song," talks about one of Canada's most historic personalities, the Metis leader Louis Riel.

The feature song on the CD, "Crow-child," speaks a lot to his past, he said. It also weaves in a bit of First Nation chanting, something that permeates through various other compositions by this songwriter.

As a young man who spent most of his life in and out of foster care, he did not get to meet his mom until he was 16. Lakusta set off on his own after quiting school at age 17. He wound up spending a lot of time in British Columbia beautiful Nicola Valley and managed to acquire his first guitar, a Raven, when he was 23. It cost $25 from the San Francisco Pawn Shop in Vancouver, he said.

While he was not playing guitar, Lakusta worked as a bridge builder for the railroad and also as a warehouseman.

When Lakusta took his first fling at music, it was country which is reflected in his folk renditions of today. Around 1970, he made the cross-over to folk which is better suited to the material he pens and which often mirrors his soul, he said.

Then there are songs of friends. The song "Megan," which tells of a girl who thinks she's a bird, William who thinks he's a black bear, and Brad, an old coyote trickster, and others. There are songs of the land and environment such as "Let The River Run."

Other songs reflect everyday life and philosophies as well as those of his Aboriginal heritage and traditions.

For Lakusta, his gig at the Full Moon was one of his very first of the circuit tour which began at Calgary. He then plays in Saskatoon, Pincher Creek, Fernie, Nelson, Vancouver, Victoria and then Nanaimo in British Columbia.

Upon completion of the tour, Lakusta intends to return to work at his art. Lakusta dabbles in caustic art, which is colored and transparent wax applied heavily to a board base and generally abstract creations marketed by Jostar Interiors of Edmonton.

Sometime, around early May, he intends to make tracks to eastern Canada to promote his new CD, Crow-child. His first CD's are entitled Songs for the Changing Wind and Run With You. After March 1, all three of his CDs will be available through Southside Sound in Edmonton.