Our Pick - Scofield tackles tough issues on new CD

Artist-Sandy Scofield
Album-Nikawiy Askiy
Song-Raining in Vancouver
Label- Independent
Producer-Sandy Scofield and Shael Wrinch

Since the release of her first independent album, Dirty Water, in 1994, Sandy Scofield has been a musical force to be reckoned with. . In 2000, her second album, Riel's Road, won the awards for best alternative album and best single for beat the drum at the Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards (CAMA) and earned her a Juno nomination. In 2003, she released Ketwam, which won Scofield the award for outstanding Aboriginal recording at the Western Canadian Music Awards, and for best folk album and best producer/engineer at that year's CAMAs.
Scofield is continuing her winning ways with her latest album, Nikawiy Askiy. On Nov. 28, she was named best songwriter-Aboriginal at the Canadian Folk Music Awards.
Nikawiy Askiy, which means "my mother earth" in Cree, is a breath of fresh consciousness. The album is a powerful compilation of environmental and socially conscious themes sung with hip-hop, blues, rock and electronic influences.
Scofield's songs are loaded with great themes that conjure a sense of awareness and sensitivity to the issues going on with Aboriginal people today. She sings about the environment and she is not afraid to touch upon issues such as suicide, which she sings about in the song Faith. Scofield also honours other Aboriginal talents in the music industry on her album, including Kinnie Starr, Os12, Eekwol, Manik and Green Tara, who all join her to perform tracks on the CD. Scofield's music is a refreshing take on today's contemporary issues with a strong spiritual message from the "old ones" to have faith and take care of mother earth.