Cris Derksen and Kristi Lane Sinclair on 2-Er

Electro-cellist Cris Derksen and smokey-folky Kristi Lane Sinclair are pairing up for the second year in a row on a Canadian tour - The Red Ride 2-Er.

With a kick-off party that took place in Vancouver last night, half-Cree Cris Derksen and Haida Kristi Lane Sinclair are now on their way to Toronto and back bringing their mix of music and style to Banff, Edmonton, Ottawa, Toronto, Winnipeg (as part of 8 Days in May, eh!) and Regina.

In a recent interview with Music CBC, the girls talked travel and touring with Kim Wheeler. Like "What is the one thing you cannot live without on the road?"

Cris: Always pack a swimsuit, you never know when you're gonna be in a hot tub or by a lake, and sometimes wearing your undies in said scenarios just doesn't work! Also, swimming is great for stretching those car muscles after sitting for hours and hours. Kristi: Dry shampoo! Most days we would have to spend the whole day in the car and then perform right after. The ability to go from greasy to glam is a pretty awesome option!

Check out the full interview here: http://music.cbc.ca/#/blogs/2012/5/QA-Cris-Derksen-Kristi-Lane-Sinclair-talk-travel-and-touring

And check out the Red Ride 2-er dates:

May 18 Banff AB. House Show! Tanglewood Cabin,208 Beaver St 7pm $10 May 19 Edmonton AB. The Empress. 9912 – 82 Ave 3pm May 23 Ottawa ON. The Mercury Lounge w/ guest Bear Witness. 56 Byward Market Sq. early show. 7pm-10. $8 May 25 Toronto ON. Red Revue @ The Sister. 1554 Queen St W. 9:30pm May 26 Winnipeg MB. 8 Days of May Eh! Marlborough Hotel Hall. $35 May 28 Regina SK. Artful dodger. Doors 7pm Show 7:30. $15

Event details on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/events/345143342205544/

Red Man Laughing Featuring Wab Kinew

In the most recent, brand spankin' new episode of Red Man Laughing, Ojibway comedian Ryan McMahon interviewed hip-hop artist and CBC journalist Wab Kinew.

Wab Kinew has been making waves in Indigenous music for a decade and more recently in the journalism scene on air and on camera at the CBC.

Our great friend Ryan McMahon had a chance to sit down with Wab for a candid, in-depth interview getting the story on Wab's beginnings in music, journalism and his involvement in the 8th Fire documentary series on CBC.

Shouts out to Ryan and Wab for their great storytelling and sharing in this podcast!

Listen now:

Red Man Laughing - EP#14 The Wab Kinew Interview

Hear the first 13 awesome episodes and download the NDN Comedy app at redmanlaughing.com.

Jerry Sereda Chats with CBC Music

Jerry Sereda is a Métis country-rock artist from Winnipeg, Manitoba, who is aiming to shoot his next video with the help of his devoted fans. CBC Music got the inside scoop.

Jerry Sereda released his second full-length album last fall and has been enjoying success on the National Aboriginal Music Countdown charts and Canadian Country Music charts since. He attributes part of his success to his community in Winnipeg and in is inviting his hometown fans to be part of his next music video.

From music.cbc.ca, Jerry Sereda gives back to his fans with latest video shoot:

Q: What song from your latest album Turn the Country On will you turn into a music video? A: I don't want to give away the name of the song just yet. I like to keep it a bit of a surprise for the people who decide to come out, and take part in the video, and enjoy the show...

Q: Why is it important to have your fans come out and be a part of the video? A: We'd love to have a lot of familiar faces out to the video shoot, and a lot of new ones to create the proper party atmosphere, and to have the proper energy in the room. Plus we're hoping to have this video on CMT, and we'd like to brag a little to the rest of the country and show off the energy and beauty of the great people of Manitoba.

We look forward to seeing it!

Read the full article by Kim Ziervogel here: music.cbc.ca/#/blogs/2012/3/Jerry-Sereda-gives-back-to-his-fans-with-latest-video-shoot.

New Documentary Mini-Series "8th Fire" Premieres on CBC

The new CBC series 8th Fire, hosted by Wab Kinew and featuring Winnipeg's Most amongst many other talented Indians, challenges the relationships between "us" and "them".

Tonight debuts the first episode of 8th Fire, the new, four-part CBC series exploring relationship building between Indigenous and settler society in Canada. Geared towards a much larger, non-Indigenous audience, the first episode is meant to introduce a broad cross-section of Aboriginal peoples to Canada and features rappers Winnipeg's Most, Taiaiake Alfred, and Evan Adams amongst others.

Winnipeg's Most, from Winnipeg, is no stranger to living in diverse communities. The city is known for not only its substantial Native population but also a wide variety of other ethnicities. Over the phone Jon-C states "we are hip-hop artists that are doing something that appeals to everyone, to people in other cities going through similar things." The group cleaned up at the Aboriginal People's Choice Music Awards last November leaving with 6 major recognitions, but they are a mixed group themselves with Jon-C and Brooklyn (both Aboriginal) and Charlie Fettah (Irish).

Jon-C says the group was excited to be approached by CBC to participate in the documentary but they didn't realize the depth of what the show was about culturally until they had completed shooting. "We do US, make music, do shows. So we were just answering with honesty." Winnipeg's Most is honoured to attend the premiere screening party at IMAX Portage Place in Winnipeg tonight, and be able to share their story and their lives. "We came from rapping about the street and somehow we ended up being role-models. It feels good to be looked at as achievers, after coming from a place where under-achievement was expected 100%."

The host of 8th Fire, Wab Kinew (Ojibway from Onigaming First Nation) is an accomplished musician in how own right and became interested in dispelling myths after working on a personal piece for CBC's The National chronicling his father's residential school experience, the impacts in his family and later resolving its effects. Wab states in an article on cbc.ca "The big lesson I had learned, and that I shared with the producers, is that Canadians WILL empathize with Aboriginal people if we let them walk a mile in our moccasins." After going through the process of filming 8TH Fire he reflects "my Aboriginal side and my non-aboriginal side are getting along better than ever."

Featuring a score by Cris Derkson and a wide range of other interesting characters, get the full deal at the comprehensive cbc.ca/doczone/8thfire.

The first episode airs Thursday January 12 at 9 pm on CBC-TV and Friday January 13 at 10 pm ET/PT on CBC News Network.

Watch the 8th Fire preview and below that, check out the 12 minute story CBC's The National aired last night on Winnipeg's Most:

Troubled Past, Promising Future:

CBC's 8th Fire Screening At WAFF

The Winnipeg Aboriginal Film Festival is presenting a preview screening of CBC's new documentary mini-series 8th Fire.

With an original score composed by Cris Derksen, tracks by Winnipeg's Most, and hosted by Wab Kinew, the series focuses on the urgent need to reframe the 500 year old relationship with Indigenous inhabitants and the settler culture in Canada.

8th Fire is scheduled to air on CBC in January 2012, but those in Winnipeg can catch the debut episode this Thursday, November 17th, as a part of the Indigenous In The City program of the Winnipeg Aboriginal Film Festival.

From facebook.com/8thfire, the show is described as:

...a provocative, high-energy journey through Aboriginal country showing you why we urgently need to fix Canada’s 500 year-old relationship with Indigenous peoples, now mired in colonialism, conflict and denial. Our title grows out of the Anishinaabe Seven Fires prophecy that now is the time for Aboriginal peoples and the settler community to come together and build the 8TH FIRE of peace, justice and harmony.

For more details on the screening and the rest of the Winnipeg Aboriginal Film Festival, check out waff.ca/indigenous-in-the-city.

Also check out our post about the meeting of Indigenous hip-hop minds in Winnipeg to form a coalition against negative stereotyping, Winnipeg Indigenous Hip-Hop Coalition: 8th Fire.

Winnipeg Indigenous Hip-Hop Coalition: 8th Fire

Indigenous hip-hop artists in Winnipeg recently gathered to create a coalition against the negative stereotyping of Indigenous rappers. The process will be a part of a new documentary series, 8th Fire, that will air on CBC Television.

Hiphop has faced some negative stereoptyping over the years. From being a fun, dance oriented art form to the corporate labeling of "Gangster Rap", it's hard to hear the term "hip-hop" and not think of the image that is portrayed in mainstream media. The same goes for the Indigenous contingent of hip-hop in North America.

Banding together in the centre of Turtle Island, a group of Indigenous hip-hop artists are aiming to battle the negative stereotyping of the beloved artform. Led by Winnipeg's Most – quite possibly the most popular Indigenous hip-hop act at the moment – members of  Winnipeg's Indigenous hiphop scene met on September 8th, 2011 to talk about the future of Indigenous rap and hip-hop. Specifically, they gathered to discuss the steps they can take to keep themselves unbounded by negative stereotypes and classifications.

This process of coalition building will also be documented by CBC's 8th Fire — a four part TV series set to air on CBC Doc Zone beginning in January 2012 — bringing us into this unique creation of a partnership between artists aspiring to keep the art form pure.

Creating music in a climate of heavy commercialization and over promotion of negative lifestyles, this initiative proves to be a great opportunity for Indigenous hip-hop to resurge and reframe itself for the future, ensuring that it can be sustainable and healthy for all who create and enjoy this particular genre of music.

New Ab-Originals Podcast Episode 65

Suzette Amaya is back with the CBC Ab-Originals Podcast this week with Suzette's Hip-hop, Rap and Urban picks of the week.

This week's playlist includes:

Ostwelve Rapsure Risin' Kasp M.O. and Geothermal MC Blaze Rellik Godson Crown P Lil' Pappie Reddnation

Ab-Originals' podcast is released on Thursdays at 12am Pacific time.