Manitoba Music
Finding our North Star on Canada Day 2023
With the theme Finding our North Star, this year’s Canada Day at The Forks will conclude with a drone show finale that pairs ancestral celestial teachings with cutting-edge drone technology never before seen in Winnipeg.
The drone show entitled Acakos (ah-cha-kos), meaning “star” in Cree, has been curated around the teachings of Elder Wilfred Buck, a member of Opaskwayak Cree Nation. Buck is an internationally known star Knowledge Keeper.
Official programming will begin at noon, capping off with the spectacular drone show at 10:30 PM. Everyone is invited to participate and all activities are free of charge.
LIVE MUSIC
This year’s musical line-up is stacked with local artists, including a number of JUNO-nominated performers like Indian City, Jade Turner, and The 12/21.
The Forks Market stage, programmed in partnership with Manitoba Music, will showcase the amazing talent of:
12:00 PM Darryl Buck
1:00 PM Onna Lou
2:00 PM Tommyphyll
3:00 PM HERA
4:00 PM Lev Snowe
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6:00 PM Jérémie & The Delicious Hounds
7:00 PM Jade Turner
8:00 PM The 12/21
9:00 PM Annika Scott
9:30 PM Indian City
Musical performances will run all afternoon and into the evening.
Annika Scott
"My name is Annika Scott, I am from Cross Lake, Manitoba. I am 19 years old and have been playing guitar and singing since I was 8 years old. I enjoy multiple music genres and I play Guitar in a cover band back home called Chrysalis. I am going out to Brandon University in the fall and taking some music courses, I plan on becoming a professional musician and/or music teacher. Thank you for having me here at The Forks."
Darryl Buck
A Cree/Inninew prominent in indigenous singing, songwriting and very attuned to indigenous culture. Born and raised in Opaskwayak Cree Nation, renowned for being a 2018 Best Hand Drum Album nominee for the album release of HOPE in 2017. Also, a 2021 album release named "Pray For Me" in which cross-genre collaborators took part in the making. Regularly travelling to communities across turtle island and taking part in round dances during the winter months is a proud way of life that is the biggest part in his music.
HERA
Born and raised in the Philippines, Hera Nalam first came to Canada in the year 2011 when she was 16 years of age. In the last 12 years in Canada she has immersed herself in the local creative platforms from music, theatre, film and fashion and is making waves as a true inter-disciplinarian and collaborative artist.
Indian City
Indian City is a Pop/Rock Music Collective based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The group was founded in 2012 by the late Vince Fontaine. Sadly, Vince passed away suddenly in January 2022, shortly after the release of the fourth Indian City album, “Code Red”. With the blessing from his life partner and under the direction of longtime collaborators, the decision was made to keep sharing his music, messages, and ideas to ensure that Vince’s Vision and Legacy would carry on.
A new Indian City emerged in the Spring of 2022, and a new relationship was formed between Warner Music Canada & Indian City and re-released “Code Red” on September 30th, 2022, to coincide with National Truth & Reconciliation Day. “Code Red”, the follow up to their Juno nominated and critically acclaimed 2017 release “Here & Now”, brings some of Canada’s greatest talents to a musical collective akin to Broken Social Scene and global influences, such as Carlos Santana’s Supernatural.
“Code Red” has received several nominations, including Album of the Year and Radio Single of the Year at the 2023 SSIMAs and a 2023 Juno Nomination for Contemporary Indigenous Group of the Year and is a call to celebrate the old truths and timeless values found in Indigenous ideals. The Seven Sacred Teachings of Love, Respect, Courage, Honesty, Wisdom, Humility and Truth are the foundations of the albums’ artistic vision. It walks with a bold statement featuring both Indigenous and Non-Indigenous artists including long time producer CBG, Blue Rodeo’s Jim Cuddy, Chantal Kreviazuk, Don Amero and Jeremy Koz.
Indian City’s unique live fusion of lyrics, music, and personality, express the modern conscience of today’s Indigenous People, and remains to be one of the most respected Indigenous Groups on the planet. Indian City’s roster is always evolving, bringing together Indigenous Superstars and Guests to create not only exceptional albums, but also deliver energy infused performances with their live shows. Indian City has built and sustained the highest level of artistic excellence for over a decade – and shows no signs of slowing down.
Indian City’s permanent members include: Neewa Mason, Jay Bodner, GabrielleFontaine, Pam Davis, Lawrence “Spatch” Mulhall and Rich Reid.
Jade Turner
Canadian Roots-Country artist Jade Turner is an exceptional storyteller and emotive vocalist with an innate ability to make anyone who listens to her music feel as though they too have had the experiences she writes and sings about. A proud member of Misipawistik Cree Nation, Turner was raised in Northern Manitoba with an upbringing rooted in the nature of storytelling. Her exposure to Indigenous artists and Country music paved the way for the artist to take home the Best Country Album at the 2017 Indigenous Music Awards, and the Emerging Artist of the Year award at the 2018 Manitoba Country Music Awards where she has received a whopping 18 nominations. Her lyrics tell personal tales that range from serious topics to satirical, and are delivered with her dynamic vocals that span from gritty and raw, to spirited and energetic. From a career that seemed nearly impossible due to the absence of Indigenous female representation in mainstream music, Turner credits Blues artist Crystal Shawanda as one of her major inspirations, as through Shawanda's presence Turner knew a career in music was possible for her too. In an incredible, full circle musical moment, Turner and Shawanda teamed up to write "Deadweight" - Turners' exceptionally poignant new single about shedding the opinions of others and moving forward with confidence, was released on June 2, 2023
Jérémie & The Delicious Hounds
Put simply, Jérémie & The Delicious Hounds are part of the new generation carrying the torch for classic Soul Music. But their kind of Soul has a distinctive Canadian twist. Hailing from St. Boniface, the old French quarter of Winnipeg, they have cemented their identity as bilingual artists with their first full-length LP Cruel, a 9-song collection of fun-loving songs about amour and heartbreak delivered in both English and French.
However, the language of funk is universal, something the band’s lead singer and guitarist Jérémie Brémault has been demonstrating since his emergence on the Winnipeg music scene in 2013. After winning a local talent competition by relying solely on his natural singing talent, Jérémie started his own eight-piece band, each member hand-picked, and they’ve been tearing up dance floors all across Canada ever since.
The name The Delicious Hounds grew out of their “delicious sound” of smooth melodies, juicy guitar riffs and tasty horn licks. Jérémie’s sultry, smokey voice is accentuated by a brilliant brass section that adds extra autheticity to the overall modern twist on old-school rhythm and beats. On top of it all, Jérémie’s charismatic stage presence never fails to leave audiences swooning.
Starting in 2021, The Hounds put all their energy and focus into making Cruel with veteran Winnipeg producer Murray Pulver (Crash Test Dummies, The Bros. Landreth, Ariel Posen), capturing songs “live off the floor” in vintage Soul style, and as a reflection of the chemistry the band has created through their dedication to playing live anywhere and everwhere. Some of their most notable appearances include performing at Winnipeg’s International Jazz Festival, Winnipeg Blue Bombers halftime shows, Canada Day at The Forks and as a staple headlining act at the annual Festival du Voyageur.
The rest of Canada has equally taken note of the group, particularly the francophone community, which helped them earn a nomination for Francophone Artist of the Year at the 2018 Western Canadian Music Awards, as well as Group of the Year and Discovery of the Year nominations for the 2019 “Gala Trille Or” organized by the Ottawa-based French music organization APCM. From playing in the humble streets of St. Boniface to now playing music festivals and world-class events on the strength of Cruel, Jérémie & The Delicious Hounds are capturing the hearts, souls and dancing shoes of Francophone and English speakers alike in Canada and beyond.
Lev Snowe
Winnipeg born poet-producer & multi-instrumentalist, Lev Snowe finds stillness catching perfect words from the sky, fusing them with earthly guitar, synth, or whatever it takes to preserve tiny moments in time. Flung out like distorted neons across the wistful horizon, Lev’s whimsical tales burst from their home-studio confines, formlessly alive, forever.
Onna Lou
With a degree in Contemporary Writing and Production from world renowned Berklee College of Music and another in Classical Music Composition from Universidad Católica Argentina in Buenos Aires, Onna Lou is an internationally recognized, highly educated musician, and artist who is well known for her heartfelt lyrics, and her ability to blend traditional with contemporary sounds.
She released her chart-topping album, “Diamante” with the support of Canada Council for the Arts. It has just reached its incredible 15th week on the Earshot Charts, having peaked at #1 on three Charts.
She ranks among the 2.1% of female identifying producers in the industry today, who also writes, plays instruments on, and records her own music.
The 12/21
The 12/21 are a Filipino-Canadian power pop punk trio originally formed in Manila, Philippines and now based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. This young, energetic, and performance driven act consists of three talented brothers: Roman Maceda (vox/guitars), and twins Rico Maceda (bass/vox) and Roque Maceda (drums). Business Mirror quotes the band as "bursting with energy, emanating spunk, and quite simply, extremely catchy".
Tommyphyll
Tommyphyll is an independent artist based in Winnipeg Manitoba. Tommyphyll’s sound AFRODIEM, is an effortless fusion of Afrobeats, 80s Synthpop and traditional orchestral arrangements. He has shared the stage with many notable artists, including L.A.X. and UK Afro swing group N.S.G., Ruger and others
With several live shows and music festival appearances throughout his career, his live performances are nothing short of electrifying.
https://tommyphyll.com/