Article Origin
Page 11
Review
Young Northern Voices
Various
BushLeague Records
The compilation of 21 children's songs that were performed by grade 5 to grade 12 students was produced with the assistance of Metis singer Don Freed and engineered by Del Ryan. The project began in the spring of 1993 with the blessings of the Northern Lights School Division and the La Ronge First Nation in Northern Saskatchewan.
Having never performed with children before, Freed developed a formula to fully involve the students in all levels of the creative process of song writing. Each child was asked to put an idea down on paper, then they would collectively select which one would be chosen and further discussions and development took place. A major or minor key would be selected, and then the rhythms and rhymes would be added. In a short period of time, a song would be developed.
"Hearing the songs being sung in the school yard made it all very worthwhile," said Freed.
The many topics involve sense of morals combined with sheer fun: Grizelda's Gross Manners, I'm So CoolNot!, Water-skiing On the Churchill River, Joe's Ugly Cat. The collection also incorporates cultural identity with Creeboks, Song For the Elders and Kokom Makes Me Cupcakes. There are also issue-based songs that deal with the harsh realities of life in Stop the Tragedy, or hopefulness in Give Your Life Some Truth.
While the bulk of the material is sung in English, Cree has been used in some of the lyrics to further enhance a greater sense of identity. This collection is enjoyed by the young and the young-at-heart at home or in the class room. Young Northern Voices can be ordered directly from BushLeague Recoreds, P.O. Box 571, Saskatoon, Sask. S7K 2L3. Tel. (306)652-4234, Fax: (306)652-8377.
Another interesting compilation of child recording talent is a cassette by Child's Voice called Children of Earth. The three young poets from northern Saskatchewan, Song, Sage and Starr Ratt, recite the poetry of their father, Jonh Trudell. They receive musical support form Trudell's band Bad Dog and the traditional singing talents of Quiltman.
Some of the poems have already been recorded on Trudell's first cassette, Tribal Voice, to his most recent RykoDisc release, Johnny Damas and Me, while others were specifically written for this project. Although some of the material may seem a bit sophisticated for pre-adolescent youths to grasp, the conviction and understanding are clearly conveyed in their voices as the material is recited in a captivatingly surreal way.
The trio have toured with their father in a group of their own along with Quiltman's son, Tiwani who provided traditional singing and drumming. It's a hopeful sign that segments of First Nation youth are combining aspects of traditional culture and the arts in such dynamic ways of expression. The cassette is available on Trudell's Peace Company label.
Jim Pepper: Remembrance
Tutu, 1994.
For many First Nations people who were never made aware of the tremendous talent or the creative but tragic legacy of jazz saxophonist Jim Pepper, who passed away in 1992, Remembrance is a good starting point to learn from. The live concert recording from a jazz festival held in Germany was released two years after Pepper's death. It represents a musical odyssey of his career with original compositions from his first 1971 album to never-before-released pieces that appear on this final tribute CD.
The sheer power of his talent and raw energy for which he became known underlines Remembrance as one of the tightest live recordings in the Native and jazz music scenes. The 11-track CD provides more than 70 minutes of non-stop jazz and traditional Native music, a combination that made Jim Pepper popular both in North America and Europe. With a history of more than 14 recordings, one cannot help wonder why he was not more well known on this side of the ocean.
His first album, Pepper's Pow-Wow, was a fusion of Country and Western, traditional Native chants nd jazz. His sister and father were also featured musicians on the album along with some of the more notable jazz musicians of the time. Remembrance contains a few reworked selections from the '71 vinyl" Now War Dance, Ya Na Ho and his trade-mark hit song Witchi Tai To.
Brian Wright-McLeod is a Dakota/Anishnabe activist and radio programmer at CKLN 88.1 fm in Toronto where he hosts a two-hour Native issues and music program Heart of the Earth. If you wish to send your recordings for airplay and possible review write him c/o CKLN, 380 Victoria St., Toronto, Ont. M5B 1W7 (416)595-1477.
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