Manito Ahbee Festival Celebrates Indigenous Arts, Culture, and Music

Manito Ahbee is ready to bring celebration Indigenous arts, culture, and music to Winnipeg this month. The annual festival, which runs May 18-22, features live music, one of the largest Pow Wows in North America, family friendly events, and a new free music industry conference component.

Offering a series of specialty workshops for recording artists facilitated by music industry entrepreneurs, the two-day music conference is set to offer participants the opportunity to communicate, collaborate, and work towards developing new markets for their music. Panelists for the inaugural conference include Canada Council for the Arts' Noel Habel, Canyon Records' Stephen Butler, Native American Music Awards' Leon Thompson, touring artist Jaaji, bassist/tour manager/producer MJ Dandeneau, BreakOut West's Johnny Marlow, POP Entertainment & Management's Angie Lamirande, Rockwired Media's Brian Lush, Native Waves Radio's Janet Rogers, and NCI FM's Dave McLeod. The conference also features a keynote from JUNO Award-winning singer/songwriter Susan Aglukark and CBC's Rosanna Deerchild. Events take place at the RBC Convention Centre on May 19 and the Delta Winnipeg Hotel on May 20, with a songwriter's circle at the Pony Corral Downtown on the evening of May 19. Check out the schedule

On May 20, Manito Ahbee will take over the Club Regent Event Centre for the 2016 Celebrate Indigenous Music Concert. Featuring performances from Aglukark along with 2016 Western Canadian Music Awards double nominee William Prince, rock outfit Dee Erin Band, plus sets from Rescued By Dragonflyz, Twin Flames, Jaaji, Fawn Wood, and the Stoney Park Drum Group, the show highlighters performances from Indigenous Music Awards nominees from the last 10 decade.

Other events taking place during the Manito Ahbee Festival include an International Pow Wow, art expo, youth education day, marketplace and trade show, square dancing and jigging competition, and more.

Check out manitoahbee.com for all the details.