Video

TALKING STICK VIDEO SERIES
featuring Martin Desjarlais
Wednesday, October 21, 2020
www.indigenousmusic.ca

Season two of the Talking Stick video series is set to premiere this month, featuring live performances of original new music by First Nation, Metis, and Inuit artists along with on-camera mini interviews. Produced through the Indigenous Music Development Program at Manitoba Music, the four-episode series kicks off its monthly run on September 21 via Facebook and YouTube.

ABOUT TALKING STICK

Talking Stick shines a spotlight on emerging artists and new music from the local Indigenous music community. It also offers the artists a chance to add professional-filmed videos to their own marketing toolkits, which can be critical for career advancement and accessing new markets in a business that relies on exceptional live video more than ever.

Singer and hand drummer Darryl Buck launches the new season on September 21. Coming up: country act Martin Desjarlais on October 21, singer/songwriter Violet Vopni on November 21, and JUNO-nominated artist Tracy Bone on December 21.

Produced with Kejic Productions, a Winnipeg-based company owned and operated by Cree/Ojibway producer and director Erica Daniels, Talking Stick was filmed on location at the Winnipeg Art Gallery.

IMDP was launched in 2004 to help First Nation, Metis, and Inuit people develop sustainable careers in the music industry. The program delivers projects and services that respond to the needs of the industry as identified by a steering committee. The IMDP is supported by the Province of Manitoba and Manitoba Film & Music.

ABOUT THE PERFORMER

Born into a musical family, Desjarlais is a proud Metis man from Manitoba. His first step into the world of music came at 12-years-old when he discovered he had a knack for the drums. From there he spent most of his teenage years playing lead snare drum in renowned cadet pipe bands and strummed his guitar every chance he could.

As he entered his twenties, Desjarlais began marching to the beat of his own drum discovering he also had a voice that needed to be heard. A fan of classic country music, he fell naturally into that genre and won first place at the long running 2009 Westbrook Inn “Star Search” talent competition. He’s gone on to enter a handful of talent shows around Manitoba including the 2012 NCI Jam. Recently Desjarlais was chosen to be showcased as part of Festival du Voyageur 2020 and also headlined as part of the Manitoba Metis Federation's The Beat Goes On live concert series.

Now in his thirties, Desjarlais is a proud father to his two sons, 5-year-old son Sampson and one-year-old Marrick. He’s also a husband, a truck driver for The City of Winnipeg and the drummer for Rocket 88 and a fill in drummer for other local Winnipeg bands.

In his evolution as a man, Desjarlais is stepping into the world of writing his own music and hopes to release his first EP in 2020.