Alberta rappers best in the Aboriginal biz

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Alberta's rapping WARPARTY had a couple of reasons to celebrate at the fourth annual Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards held on Nov. 28 at Toronto's SkyDome. WARPARTY's Exclusive Rez was chosen as the best rap or hip hop album. And the band also took home the best music video award for The Reign.

WARPARTY won the best rap album at the 2001 awards show.

"It gives us so much more drive that the people support and appreciate what we are doing," said WARPARTY's singer/songwriter Rex Smallboy. "It just makes it that much more fun and worthwhile with all the struggles we've had doing this. It brings it to another level."

WARPARTY was formed back in 1995, but it wasn't until late 1999 that they released their first record.

The band also made some history earlier this year as they were the first Native rappers to have a video played on Much Music.

Smallboy said he didn't know what to expect at the Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards. Earlier this year the band had been nominated in two categories at the Prairie Music Awards but came away empty-handed, a huge surprise to the band.

"I didn't know what to think coming out here," Smallboy said. "And I didn't even plan a speech. I just thought whatever happens, happens. But it is important to me, just like the Prairie Music Awards were important to me. It shows some accomplishment and it's got some value to it."

Faron Johns has a tough time explaining his success.

The 49-year-old is the lead singer and songwriter for the Pappy Johns Band, which stole the spotlight by winning four trophies at the fourth annual Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards held on Nov. 28 at Toronto's SkyDome.

Johns was selected as the best male artist at the awards. The Pappy Johns Band also received awards in the best duo/group and best song/single (Blame it on Monday) categories. Band members were honored, in conjunction with Alec Frasier, for being the best producer/engineer for their CD also titled Blame it on Monday.

The Pappy Johns Band had received five nominations at the awards show. The only accolade it didn't end up winning was in the best songwriter category, which was captured by Leela Gilday, a Yellowknife Native, who won three awards, including the best female artist.

"I would have been happy with one," said Johns, a Cayuga Native, who was born in Six Nations but now lives in the state of New York. "It was our first time ever submitting anything to any type of awards show. And we lucked out."

Johns has been singing in various bands throughout southern Ontario and New York for more than 25 years. He finds it tough pinpointing a reason for the success of the Pappy Johns Band, whose roots trace back to 1998.

"It is strange the way things are going," he said. "When I mention there is something about it that is spiritually-guided, I'm not lying when I say that. I've been around a long time and nothing has ever happened like this to me like it is happening now."

Johns said there wasn't one particular award that he was more proud of.

"As far as I'm concerned they're all equal," he said. "They're just like your kids. You're not going to say one is better than the other. You don't. They're all the same."

Johns didn't have to venture far to receive his awards. That's because he was on stage that evening performing as part of the awards night orchestra.

"When they hired me to do the thing with the orchestra, I thought, 'Oh well, maybe I didn't win any awards,'" Johns said. "And I thought this was the consolation prize. But I ended up getting the best of both worlds."

As for Leela Gilday, she didn't have any problems picking her favorite award. It was the one she received for best songwriter.

Gilday, a 27-year-old Dene Nation singer, studied classical music at the University of Alberta. But her first full-length CD titled 'spirit world, solid wood' combines rock, jazz and blues elements.

"I didn't hear my voice reflected in the music I was singing (before)," Gilday said. "So songwriting is th most important part of what I do now. Songwriting means so much to me now and that's why I went into this kind of music."

Gilday also received an award as spirit world, solid wood was selected as the best folk album.

Besides band members and others who worked on her CD, Gilday also credited family members.

"My parents and my grandparents supported me," she said. "It was just like a communal project and everybody stepped up to the plate and said 'Hey Leela, we really support your music career.' So I was ready to hit a home run."

Another group, Bear Creek, also won two awards. The 17-person Ojibway group based in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., was honored for having the best contemporary powwow album and also the best traditional powwow album. Both of those awards were for their work titled Live.

The two other winners in the 13 award categories were the late Art Moosomin and Pam Whitecalf.

Moosomin, a Saskatchewan Native who died recently, was honored posthumously for One More Time, his work that won the best drum songs album.

Whitecalf received her award for the best album cover design for her work on the self-titled CD from Spirit Whistle, a Saskatchewan-based group.

The awards night also featured recipients of awards in three special categories.

Winnipeg's David McLeod was presented with a Music Industry Award for his tireless work to promote Native talent on the airwaves. McLeod is the manager and program director at Native Communication.

For the past dozen years McLeod has helped develop a Native Top 30 play list. He's also created a youth program called Rez Nation, that features Native rap and hip hop artists. He also spearheaded the design of a Web site, which provides Canadian Native music resources.

"It's just recognition of the work I've been able to do with the staff, with the station, with the network and it says you're doing a good job," McLeod said of his award. "But I also realize that there is so much more to do, which I look forward to."

After beig presented with his award, McLeod was asked to remain on stage as the evening's orchestra performed a special tune for him.

Near the midway mark of that performance, McLeod, who was rocking back and forth to the song before, broke out into a full-fledged dance, an act which was an evening highlight for many of those in the audience.

"I kind of heard some distant relatives saying 'You know, Dave, you should be dancing, because that is how you celebrate this award-you dance,'" he said. "It is an honor and something that I needed to celebrate. It felt right and it was good.

"What I did not say in words I hope that in dancing it was something that showed the joy of receiving that award."

Another special accolade was the Lifetime Contribution to Aboriginal Music Award. That award was presented to family members of the late Sidney James Hill, a Mohawk Native from Six Nations who died in 2000.

During his career, Hill influenced and inspired numerous guitar players throughout Ontario and New York.

Meanwhile, the Keeper of Traditions Award was presented to the Ontario's Mnjikaning Singers. The group consisted of Lorraine McRae, Irene Snache and the late Shirley Shilling, who died earlier this year.

The Mnjikaning Singers have maintained their long-standing commitment to preserve and nurture the Ojibway language through song. Over the years they performed at countless concerts and even developed a curriculum for a school board in which Ojibway was taught through songs.