Talent search will spotlight Aboriginal musicians

A project organized by the National Campus and Community Radio Association (NCRA) is giving up-and-coming Aboriginal performing artists a chance to have their music heard.

Dig Your Roots-Aboriginal will showcase the talent of up to 100 Aboriginal artists from across the country, who will have their work featured on the Dig Your Roots Web site. Out of those 100 or so performers, 15 will be selected to appear on CD compilations and to take part in a series of regional concerts that will air live on the NCRA's member radio stations.

"Artists have until Jan. 26, 2006 to get submissions of their work to us," said Melissa Kaestner, national co-ordinator of the NCRA. "The demo can be on a CD, tape, or mini-disc, and all the information the artists need to know is on our Web site at www.digyourroots.ca or by calling toll-free at 866-859-8086. They must also submit a bio and a photo so if they are successful, it will all be posted on the site and a link to their track will be provided as well so folks can listen."

Dig Your Roots began in 2002 and the first year hip hop was featured.

"It is a five-year initiative that takes advantage of commercial broadcasters' contributions to a fund to develop Canadian talent," Kaestner explained. "Every year we've focused on a different genre, such as spoken word, roots and electronic dance, with jazz being the feature in 2007. This year is different in that we're saluting a specific culture and there will be many genres represented within that culture."

One of the reasons for the focus on Aboriginal talent is to dispel the myth that traditional and powwow music are the only genres in which Indigenous artists excel.

"That's not true at all. The range goes from classical, to jazz, to hip hop, and heavy metal so we hope to get submissions from every genre," Kaestner said.

The submissions will be reviewed by an all-Aboriginal jury of experts, including the award-winning, multi-talented Elaine Bomberry and singer-songwriter Wayne Lavallee, both well-known and highly respected in the Aboriginal community. The jury will decide which selections will be featured on the Web site and which will be included on the CD compilation. Finalists will be chosen from each region across the country-B.C./North, Prairies, Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic.

There will be a forum for members of the public to share their opinions about which songs on the Web site should be featured, Kaestner said.

"The public can listen to tracks on the Web site and submit comments so they'll have some input. They aren't actually voting but their participation will be rewarded by their names being entered in a draw for various goods." Some names and comments of respondents will be printed in the CD liners and on the Web site.

Artists selected by the jury won't receive any money in return for their involvement but will get all kinds of local, regional, and national exposure through NCRA's intensive promotional campaign. Those artists selected to be on the CD will receive equal cuts from the admission fee for the regional show they play.

Kaestner, who is a singer and musician in her own right, said the individual artists will receive great exposure in the press releases and sample CDs that will be sent out to media across Canada, and through air time on campus radio.

"The series of live concerts will be held in June and will feature the artists, and it's broadcast coast to coast on our member stations, so it's really exciting," she said.

NCRA's members are located at universities across Canada, and have always been seen as fertile ground for burgeoning independent acts. More than 35 member stations are listed on the project Web site.

"The campus and community stations enjoy promoting local artists and they feel it's part of their mandate. They go a long ways in helping to establish fledgling music careers," Kaestner said.

The project has received good feedback from both the Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal communities. "We're really happy that everyone is behind us on this initiative and together we can bring some good publicity to these up-and-coming talents," she said. "Dig Your Roots is all about developing and promoting new Canadian music from the four corners of this culturally diverse and musically rich country. We encourage everyone to enter a submission and take this opportunity to let Canada hear the unique and wonderful music of our Aboriginal artists. Join with us in exploring our roots as a country and promoting the multicultural facets of our culture."