Chuck Copenace

About

For Chuck Copenace, Oshki Manitou is a decidedly personal musical expression, a gift to his family and community, and a means of sharing how ceremonial melodies have changed his musical outlook and united his creativity and spirituality.

Oshki Manitou finds the Winnipeg-based, Ojibway musician expanding dramatically on his previous work as a trumpet player, arranger, and composer, fusing contemporary interpretations of sweat-lodge melodies with jazz and elements of dance and electronica.

“As far back as I remember, I felt I had a distinct musical voice and wasn’t meant to take a typical path as a player, studio musician, or sideman,” Copenace says. That only came into focus after his first sweat lodge, an experience he found painful but incredibly inspirational.

Copenace’s distinctive voice and approach allow him to unify a wide range of styles beautifully in a way that’s honest and innovative in equal measure. “I shy away from traditionalists,” he explains. “When someone says, ‘this isn’t how music should be done’ or ‘if you’re playing this genre of music, this shouldn’t be there.’ That’s always bothered me.”

The result is a collection of eminently groovy, haunting, and, at times, ethereal songs that display Chuck Copenace’s signature voice and substantial skills as an interpreter, composer, and performer as never before. But that’s only part of the equation, he says, citing a larger purpose behind his efforts, for which Oshki Manitou is just a starting point. “I’m committed to sharing my story to help heal and offer support to people, and I want to introduce young people to jazz, but I also want to bring indigenous musicians together. And I think my music can be a platform to further that mission.”

During his career, Copenace has performed widely across Canada, the USA, and internationally. He’s also played with a wide range of Winnipeg artists, made numerous television appearances, garnered play on CBC Radio on shows like Unreserved, and released his 2017 debut, EP 1. More recently, Copenace collaborated with Tom Wilson and iskwē on ‘Blue Moon Drive’ (2020) ‘and Starless Nights’ (2021) and performed with the pair live at the 2020 Indspire Awards.