Lorenzo Answers Some "Questions"

Lorenzo has a new intimate and unplugged video out for his song Questions and we got a chance to get him to answer some of our own questions about it.

We found this new video here at RPM by Leonard Sumner aka Lorenzo for his song called Questions which was released recently on Vimeo. Shot by Jordan Molaro in a hotel room unplugged and in one take, I had to ask Lorenzo one question myself before posting this video - "what do you want the people to know about it?"

Here's what Lorenzo had to say:

"I just hope people enjoy it. It came to me after the spring equinox and we had a feast at work. I was listening to a traditional person speaking, and I heard them say 'will there be any questions for you from the creator?' in their speech. It may not have been in that exact phrasing. But something along those lines.

It set off a chain reaction in my mind..

'Will there be questions for me, like I've had questions for you.'

To me it meant when our time is done here, will the Creator ask me questions as to why I made different choices in life. Or why I hadn't embraced or used my gifts and talents completely. I'm sure we've asked why we've faced different obstacles in our lives or felt like we weren't chasing our dreams hard enough.

So after about a week of digesting that phrase, on the night before the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs Youth Secretariat's 'Regional Youth Gathering' (I work for AMC's Youth Secretariat) held in Fisher River Cree Nation, I couldn't sleep. My guitar was calling me, but not my usual guitar. It was a new Fender Acoustic I Picked up from that Future Shop on the Rez in Vancouver. I had stored it in my closet, but something was drawing me to it. Almost like it wanted to write the song. I picked it up and started strumming, and almost immediately there was a chord progression I had never used.

I got familiar with it quickly and grabbed a note-book. The first line was already there, 'Will there be questions for me, like I've had questions for you?' The rest of the lyrics flowed out seamlessly, I just had to write them down. It felt as if I wasn't the one writing them.

It feels like I may not have been the one writing it all, but I was. I think these questions I have asked in the song are things I have been wondering for a long time. Having just been introduced to some different Anishinaabe ceremonies just recently, I haven't been comfortable enough in my own spirituality to ask them. But after having been through some sweats and other ceremonies, I feel comfortable enough to do so now.

I grew up in a very Christian reserve, and for a long time had conflicting thoughts about religion which lead me to have conflicting thoughts on spirituality as a whole.

Some of the lyrics of the song reflect that mentality.

'Will I see a sign of clarity, for all those moments in the fog?'

But even since I wrote the song, I feel a little bit like I've grown from it. I understand that people all have their own idea of The Creator, or God. If that's making them a better person in their time here, nobody should have any say in what they want to believe.

Just want to add, Miigwetch for everyone who listened to the song.

Also a special thanks to Jordan Molaro at Interactive Design for shooting and uploading the video."

Watch "Questions" by Lorenzo:

Questions by Lorenzo from Interactive Design on Vimeo.