VIDEO: Shy-Anne - "Run Run Run"

Shy-Anne Hovorka is back with a brand new single and video for her infectious pop-country tune, "Run Run Run".

From the flowing fringe dress to a forest dreamscape of escape, Shy-Anne sings about heartbreak and hope in this latest hit for the up-and-coming singer.

Shy-Anne is also celebrating other good news. On Friday the singer announced that she had been invited to perform at this year's Aboriginal Peoples' Choice Music Awards, calling it "another huge opportunity and honour". This year's APCMAs will be held in Winnipeg on November 2nd. You can catch the performance live on APTN.

In the meantime, enjoy the video (starring Classic Roots and Cherry Hovorka):

Shy-Anne - "Run Run Run"

Video Doubleheader By HannahC Productions

HannahC Productions hits us with a doubleheader of music videos from Kinnie Starr and Niska Napoleon.

Hannah Clifford aka HannahC is the brains behind HannahC Productions which has released a handful of music videos for artists like Kinnie Starr, Rellik and JB The First Lady. Originally from Prince George B.C., Hannah is a mixed Cree/Russian/Irish woman living now in Vancouver, Edmonton and Northern B.C.

This was a prolific week for Hannah releasing two videos into the Indigenous music culture-sphere. One is for Kinnie Starr's song Go Go See It and is a colourful expression of this fun song. The other is a promotional video for The Whiteflower Tour of Niska Napoleon. This post-tour wrap up takes us into some of the shows and backstage scenes of Niska's recent tour.

Both videos are laced with Hannahs artistic flavour and comedic styling.

If you want to checkout more of HannahCs video work, be sure to go to her YouTube channel: youtube.com/hannahCproductions

Or her Tumblr: hannahcproductions.tumblr.com

Watch Kinnie Starr - "Go Go See It"

Watch Niska Napoleon The White Flower

Don Amero Hits the Road with New Album

On the heels of an APCMA nomination for Best Pop CD, Métis singer-songwriter Don Amero is set to release a new album - Heart On My Sleeve - and launch a Canadian tour to support it.

The title reflects a new direction for Amero in eleven original songs, and two bonus tracks,  that he produced himself in his own Winnipeg studio. Amero Nation Talk in Don Amero's Heart is "On His Sleeve" with New CD:

“I feel like this album is quite a bit different from my previous releases, and in some ways, a brand new start for me,” explains Amero, one of Canada’s rising musical stars. “While I’ve worked with some amazing producers in the past, I just felt it was time to put more of my voice into the recording.”

So Amero went back to where it all began for him six years ago, when he self-produced his debut album. He spent the past several months in his own recording studio tucked away in the back of his community church, working diligently to complete the songs featured on Heart On My Sleeve.

“My thought has always been that as an artist, you need to evolve and grow. With this recording, I’m very happy with where I’ve come from and where I’m going,” he says. “When I listen to the songs, I feel like I’m being more honest than I’ve ever been before, hence the name Heart On My Sleeve.”

The Best Pop CD nod isn't the only APCMA Amero is up for - he also garnered nomination for Male Entertainer of the Year and Best Single. One of the most hard-working musicians in Indian Country, his star is sure to continue rising with Heart On My Sleeve.

Catch Don Amero at one of the Heart on My Sleeve Canadian tour dates:

Thursday September 13th – Toronto ON The Sister @ 9:30pm 1554 Queen Street $10 at the door

Sunday September 16th – Acton ON The Roxy Theatre @ 7:30pm 6 Mill Sreet East $10 at the door

Thursday September 20th – Halifax The Music Room @ 7:30pm 6181 Lady Hammond Road $15 advance / $20 door

Saturday September 22nd – PEI Old Belle River @ 8:00pm 1828 Trans-Canada Highway Tickets TBC

Monday September 24th – Wolfville NS Al Whittle Theatre @ 7:30pm 450 Main Street $10 advance/ $15 door

Wednesday October 10th – Whitehorse YK Old Fire Hall @ 7:30pm 1105 First Avenue $15 advance/ $20 door

Friday October 19th – Brandon MB Lorne Watson Hall @ 8:00pm U of B Music Suite $15 advance/ $20 door

Wednesday October 24th – Winnipeg MB Special concert – details to be announced

Follow facebook.com/donameromusic and twitter.com/donaldamero to keep up to date on the latest news from Don Amero.

NIMA Winners 2012

The National Indigenous Music Awards took place over the weekend in Darwin, Australia. Check out the winning artists here!

The Medics went home with the most awards - three in total - including Album of the Year, New Talent of the Year and Song of the Year.  Gurrumul Yunupingu was named Artist of the Year for the second year in a row, and East Journey claimed NT Film Clip of the Year and the prestigious G.R. Bururrawanga Memorial Award.

For a complete list of winners visit nima.musicnt.com.au/2012/08/the-medics-scoop-national-indigenous-music-awards.

Watch East Journey's winning Ngarrpiya which was filmed around their home country in Yirrkala:

APCMA Nominees 2012

At a press conference in Winnipeg this morning, the 2012 Aboriginal Peoples Choice Music Award nominees were announced. Read the full list of nominees here.

Following a first round of industry votes, the 2012 Aboriginal Peoples Choice Music Awards (APCMA) announced the official nominees and opened the polls to public voting this morning. To vote for your favourite artists, go to aboriginalpeopleschoice.com. Voting closes September 3rd, and the awards take place November 1st and 2nd in Winnipeg.

Congratulations to all the nominees from RPM! They are:

Best Album Cover Design Chippewa Travellers - Love/Zaagidwin Dallas Arcand - Cedar Flute Electronica: Modern Day Warrior Indian City - Supernation Janet Rogers - Got Your Back Lena Recollet - I Am Woman, Kwe Shy-Anne - Interwoven Roots

Best Blues CD Derek Miller - Derek Miller With Double Trouble Gary Farmer And The Troublemakers - Under The Watertower Joel Johnson - Blues Joose Vol. 1 Murray Porter - Songs Lived & Life Played Priscilla’s Revenge - 3rd Gear

Best Country CD Jerry Sereda - Turn The Country On Ron Loutit - Where I Come From Shy-Anne - Interwoven Roots Terri Clark - Roots And Wings Tracy Bone - Woman Of Red

Best Fiddle CD Blain Constant - Listening From Above Dallas Boyer - Music Metis Fiddler Quartet - North West Voyage Nord Ouest Midnite Mist - A Tribute To Bill Bryant Wesley Hardisty - 12:12

Best Flute CD Dallas Arcand - Sacred Sweetgrass Herman Edward - It’s About Time Tony Duncan - Earth Warrior

Best Folk / Acoustic CD Dark Water Rising - Dark Water Rising Dylan Rysstad - Ghost House Ghostkeeper - Ghostkeeper Janet Panic  - Samples Phyllis Sinclair - Dreams Of The Washerwomen

Best Gospel CD Becky Thomas - Sacred Ground Cheryl Bear - A’ba Dean Powder - Living Proof Yvonne St. Germaine  - Tennessee Sky

Best Group Or Duo Cree Confederation C-Weed Band Indian City Northern Cree Priscilla's Revenge

Best Hand Drum Cd Big River Cree - The Old Way Eastern Eagle - Softer Side Fawn Wood - Iskwewak Indigie Femme - Grandmother Earth, Grandfather Sky Nakoa Heavyrunner & Rocky Morin  - Medicine Line

Best Instrumental Cd Curt Young - Northern Equinox Dallas Arcand - Cedar Flute Electronica: Modern Day Warrior Gabriel Ayala - Shades Of Blue Jeari Czapla - Dear Leonardo Rev Hank - Longhorn

Best International Indigenous Artist Adam James Kiran Ahluwahlia Nrg Rising Steele

Best Music Video Beatrice Love - Dirty Game Donny Parenteau - Fiddleback Cris Derksen  - Pow Wow Wow Shy-Anne - Too Young, Too Late Winnipeg’s Most - Winnipeg Boy

Best New Artist Bruthers Of Different Muthers Indian City Jb The First Lady Kristi Lane Sinclair Lena Recollet

Best Pop Cd Don Amero - The Long Way Home Holly Mcnarland  - Run Body Run Indian City - Supernation Lena Recollet - I Am Woman, Kwe Will Belcourt - Epoch

Best Pow Wow Cd - Contemporary Black Bear - Spring Medicine Cree Confederation - Horse Dance - Mistatim Simoowin Northern Cree - Drum Boy - Mistikwaskink Napesis River Cree - River Cree Young Spirit - Live In Hinckley 2011

Best Pow Wow Cd - Traditional Chippewa Travellers - Love/Zaagidwin High Noon - Live In Brandon Mandaree Singers  - Mandaree Revisited Wild Band Of Comanches  - Wild Band Of Comanches Young Bear - Keeping It Old Style

Best Producer/Engineer Donny Parenteau Indian City Leanne Goose Shy-Anne Vince Fontaine

Best Rap / Hip Hop Cd Blu - No Way No How Lightning Cloud - Lightning Cloud Rellik - Mighty Mouth Tha Link - Tha Link Vibez - On My Way

Best Rock Cd Charles “Chucky” Keelan - Chucky ? Federal Lights - Carbon Quinton Moody - Worldwide Services Sinuupa - Culture Shock Tonemah - Mulligan

Single Of The Year Don Amero - Turn These Grey Skies Blue Indian City - Supernation Iskwe - Wandering Murray Porter - Rez Bluez Shy-Anne - The Glue

Aboriginal Songwriter Of The Year Bruthers Of Different Muthers - Speakers Of Tomorrow Donny Parenteau - Play On Holly Mcnarland - Alone’s Just Fine Indian City - Supernation Murray Porter - Is Sorry Enough? Tracy Bone - Woman Of Red

Aboriginal Female Entertainer Of The Year Phyllis Sinclair Shy-Anne Tagaq Terri Clark Tracy Bone

Aboriginal Male Entertainer Of The Year Dallas Boyer Don Amero Jerry Sereda Kasp Murray Porter

Vote now at aboriginalpeopleschoice.com!

Chris Bose Talks Voices of the Valley Nkemcin

Now into its third year, Voices of the Valley Nkemcin kicks off tomorrow, and Chris Bose took some time to talk about the festival with RPM. Featuring musical acts like Blackout Artists, Niska Napoleon, Sister Says, Skookum Soundsystem, and more, combined with traditional and contemporary Indigenous art, this Saturday in Nkemcin promises to be a good time.

RPM: How long has the festival been around?

CB: This is our 3rd year, it got started as part of the 100 anniversary of the Laurier Memorial, a declaration signed by the Chiefs in the Southern Interior and sent to Wilfred Laurier in 1910. I did some memorial poster updates and read that thing about 20 times, sadly, not much has changed.

RPM: Where did the idea for the festival come from?

CB: It grew out of the original celebration in 2010 and my chief of Cooksferry Indian Band, David Walkem asked me if I knew some musicians and artists and would be able to help get something started and organized annually at the location. I said sure and we've been working on it ever since. As it is in the valley, and right where the Nicola river and the Thompson river meet, it's a special place, it's got energy, and it's a beautiful facility and I'm very honoured to be able to help get this festival off the ground. We've got plans for next year and already 2 bands booked. I would like to make it 2 days next year, start on Friday and go Saturday. the Cooksferry Band are sponsoring this event and they've been awesome to work with, it's going seamless and they've been really accommodating.

RPM: Can you please tell us a little bit about the style of tattooing happening at the festival?

CB: That's Dion Kaszas, he's Nlaka'pamux, been studying basketry patterns, and tattoos of our people from wwwwaaaay back in THA day! Our people used to have a lot of tattoos, facial stuff, signifying land, status and other cultural things. He'll be doing traditional style hand poke tattoos, no machines. Unless things change.

RPM: You mention contemporary and traditional Native art on the web poster - what can we expect to see?

CB: That depends on who shows up? There's been a lot of interest from artists, it takes time to develop and grow a festival, and word to get around. I know I'll have some of mixed media art there for sale, prints, cards, posters, and there'll be cd's for sale of pow wow and hand drum stuff. I'm hoping to get some traditional artisans there, beading, basketry, buckskin, and foods. We'll have to wait and see. Next year I'd like to have a poetry slam, a film festival and more!!!

RPM: Are there any particular highlights people going should be looking out for?

CB: A beautiful weekend at Nkemcin, great music, free camping, arts, crafts, food, and a good time in high desert country. We got a great PA and light system, so Skookum Soundsystem should kick it and everyone else will have a good time. There's also an open mic from 5 - 7, so it should be fun and interesting!

DJ Keeps the Fire Burning

Kevin Kicking Woman found solace in music from a childhood of abuse. Now, as a radio DJ, he shares across the airwaves the traditional music that helped him overcome his struggles.

Every Friday morning on Montana's College Radio station KBGA, Kevin Kicking Woman shares the traditional music of Turtle Island with his listeners on his show Greeting the Sun. It's the music that helped see him through a difficult childhood - adopted out of his family at the age of two, Kicking Woman experienced abuse and bullying as he was moved through multiple homes.

From RezNetNews, Volunteer DJ Shares the Power of Native American Music:

...he began to sing Native American songs that gave him strength. Singing became a gateway that allowed him to leave this world and lose himself in the music and the power of the songs.

“When I start singing I praised the spirits that help carry me," he said.

And now he helps others through the power of music as a volunteer DJ at KBGA College Radio at the University of Montana where he has his own show called ‘Greeting the Sun’. Kicking Woman’s show airs every Friday morning from 6-9 a.m.

Kicking Woman has taken his love for music to a post secondary education, with an undergrad in Native American studies and anthropology, he is now completing a master's degree in cultural anthropology in music. He's working towards using that degree to document the traditional songs of the Blackfeet tribe.

His path to a happy, successful life wasn’t an easy one, but it’s one that can be learned from.

His mother left him when he was six months old, leaving his father to raise him. But his father had problems of his own. He eventually was placed into three abusive homes until he was finally old enough to take care of himself. At nine-years-old Kicking Woman had enough. After being knocked out by a shoe that was thrown at him from across the room he turned to prayer for help.

"I sat at the edge of the bed and I began to cry. I asked God to kill them and I was going to kill myself. All of a sudden I got this really warm feeling in my body and it was like a message came to me. It said ‘Look into your heart there’s a fire burning don't let it go out’,” Kicking Woman said.

Read the whole story at RezNetNews and stream KBGA live at kbga.org.

Indian Summer Music Awards 2012 Nominees

More in awards season news - the Indian Summer Music Awards (ISMA) announced their nominees! Check them out here.

The Indian Summer Music Awards take place each year at the Indian Summer Festival on Wilwaukee's lakefront in Wisconsin. The winners of the awards will be announced Saturday September 8th, at a ceremony hosted by Joy Harjo.

Here are the 2012 Indian Summer Music Award nominees:

Blues Song Living The Blues from Just Living The Blues,  Bluedog Everybody’s Got The Blues from The Art of Peace, Michael Jacobs

Contemporary / Modern Instrumental Song What May Come from  String Theory, Joseph Strider Watersong  from Supernation , Vince Fontaine's Indian City Lightning Drum  from Waking From the Roots, Coyote Jump Shades of Blue and Shades of Blue, Gabriel Ayala Into The Sunset from Earth Songs, Douglas Blue Feather and Danny Voris

Country Song Come Home from My Country Song, David St. Germain Beautiful from My Country Song, David St. Germain Runaway from Ali Fontaine,  Ali Fontaine Forever Young from Ali Fontaine,  Ali Fontaine Right Where I Wanna Be from The Long Way Home, Don Amero

Folk Song House of Sand from The Art of Peace, Michael Jacobs La Lupa (The She Wolf) from La Lupa (The She Wolf), Jimmy Lee Young The Rain Gonna Come and This is How the Story Goes, Dustin Lee

HipHop Song Ijinamowin from Visions from One Nation, Flying Down Thunder and Rise Ashen Foolin' Around from Saved by the Bell, REZHOGS Hear My Cry and Hear My Cry, Frank Waln I Miss You from B. of Dakota South Records, Brandis Knudsen Games  from The Hangover, Nightshield

Pop Song Missing You    Just Living The Blues    Bluedog God Bless the Whole World    The Art of Peace    Michael Jacobs Supernation    Supernation    Vince Fontaine's Indian City Sunrise    Supernation    Vince Fontaine's Indian City La Lupa (The She Wolf)    La Lupa (The She Wolf)    Jimmy Lee Young

Rock Song Cross My Heart  from Just Living The Blues, Bluedog Supernation from Supernation, Vince Fontaine's Indian City Stand from Supernation, Vince Fontaine's Indian City That Bottle in Your Hand    A Residential School Story, weaselhead The Hangover from The Hangover, Nightshield

Traditional Native American Drum Song Monkey Meat I from Tribute to the Oldtimers, Pipestone Fancy Trick Song from Warriors in the Mist, Tha Tribe Wanbli from Drum Boy-Mistikwaskihk Napesis, Northern Cree This is It from Horse Dance-Mistatim Simoowin, Cree Confederation Sing With Me  from Dancerz Groove, Northern Cree

For a complete list visit indiansummer.org/music--entertainment/this-years-nominees.aspx.

NIMA 2012 Finalists Announced

The 2012 NIMA finalists were announced this week with the awards ceremony set to take place August 11, 2012, in Darwin, Australia.

The National Indigenous Music Awards (NIMA) celebrate Australia's most outstanding Indigenous musical artists, from "the Top End to Tasmania." Young newcomers The Medics have scored three nominations, with multiple noms also going to Troy Cassar-Daley, Busby Marou, Gurrumul Yunupungu and Impossible Odds.

Here are the highlights of this year's finalists:

National Artist of the Year

• The Black Arm Band
•  Gurrumul Yunupingu
•  Jessica Mauboy
• Busby Marou
• Troy Cassar-Daley

National Album of the Year 

• Ngambala Wiji Li-Wunungu – Together We Are Strong - Shellie Morris and the Borroloola Songwomen
• Winanjjara - Warren H Williams and the Warumungu Songmen
• Foundations - The Medics
• Busby Marou - Busby Marou
• Home - Troy Cassar-Daley

National New Talent of the Year 

• The Medics
• Impossible Odds
• Dewayne Everettsmith

Read the full list of finalists at nima.musicnt.com.au.

Watch the video for National Song of the Year finalist Song of Arnhem Land, by East Journey:

The Black Arm Band Company Holds a Mirror

Australia's The Black Arm Band Company is a music theatre group that reflects and expresses contemporary Aboriginal identity. NPR recently featured the muti-media music company on their work as protest, education and positive action.

From Aboriginal Musicians 'Band' Together To Expose Oppression, on npr.org:

A black arm band is a gesture of mourning around the world. But for aboriginals in Australia it has come to mean something else.

The "black arm band view of history" is a version of history that takes a critical — some would say militant — analysis of Anglo-Australia's mistreatment of indigenous people. Much like American Indians, indigenous Australians — who've lived on their continent for at least 40,000 years — have had their land stolen, treaties broken, and children taken away.

That's exactly what The Black Arm Band sings about. ...it's a kind of all-star protest music supergroup, featuring a rotating roster of Australian indigenous musicians who are all successful in their own right.

...Dan Sultan is a 28-year-old aboriginal rocker who's played with The Black Arm Band from the beginning.

"What The Black Arm Band is trying to do," Sultan says, "is open people up, open peoples' eyes up to the situation, just put a big ole mirror up so people can have a bit of a look at themselves."

Together since 2006, The Black Arm Band Company has produced 5 major productions, their most recent being Dirt Song which explored Aboriginal languages, and features both Indigenous and non-Indigenous performers, as well as international guests. In the below video, About Black Arm Band, member and songwoman Lou Bennett describes their work as "an act of reconciliation, that both black and white can co-exist and worth together to create beautiful, high, excellent art."

More from npr.org:

One of Australia's best known aboriginal singer-songwriters is 57-year-old Archie Roach. His most famous composition is his personal story of what have come to be called the Stolen Children. These are the aboriginal sons and daughters — especially mixed race children — who were forcibly removed from their parents by the Australian government to be raised by white foster families between 1870 and 1970. (Roach was 3 when he was taken away.)

..."We can be our own worst enemy," Roach says. "It's no use, us pointing the finger of blame at anybody else anymore. We gotta point our finger straight back at us. We can't blame colonialism anymore. We gotta get out of it, change our mindset."

It's well worth reading the full transcript, or listening to the 8 minute radio documentary at npr.org/2012/07/04/156204104/aboriginal-musicians-band-together-to-expose-oppression. To learn more about The Black Arm Band Company watch the below.

WATCH: About Black Arm Band

About Black Arm Band from The Black Arm Band on Vimeo.

Artist Call: APTN First Tracks

Each year, APTN First Tracks produces up to six music video for emerging Indigenous artists or groups in Canada. Join the ranks of First Tracks artists like Derek Miller, Joey Stylez, George Leach, Cris Derksen and Kristi Lane Sinclair and apply now.From APTN First Tracks:

APTN is providing an opportunity for up to six emerging Canadian Aboriginal musicians or musical groups to have a music video produced. APTN First Tracks will provide a contribution toward the production of a music video to be filmed in the spring/summer of 2012. All genres of music videos in English, French or any Aboriginal language are accepted and requests may come from Canadian record companies, record producers, managers or artists. The criteria for selected songs will be based on the overall quality of the submission, with consideration given to music, lyrics, quality of performance and production, and market potential. Applicants must submit a master of the song (only one song per artist or group) to be considered. Please refer to the Application Form for a full list of requirements.

To submit your song for consideration download, and complete in full, the APTN First Tracks Application Form before 5:00 PM Central Standard Time on July 31, 2012. Incomplete applications are automatically deemed ineligible. Be sure to read the Rules and Regulations before submitting your application.

Apply now! For more information, visit: aptn.ca/pages/firsttracks.

From the 2011 First Tracks, watch: Cris Derksen - "Pow Wow Wow", directed by Lisa Jackson:

Artist Call: Manifesto and ORIGINS Calling All Native MCs

ORIGINS: Breaking Beats & Boundaries is calling Native MCs to compete for a chance at a paid performance spot at the Manifesto Festival 2012.

Compete on June 30th in front of a panel of industry judges in Toronto, Ontario, for your chance to win the grand prize of paid performance spot at Manifesto 2012!

Submissions can be made online at: themanifesto.ca/submissions/origins.

And then stick around, as the event is being followed by performances from Kinnie Starr, Iskwé and A Tribe Called Red, hosted by Wab Kinew. Get the details on that on Facebook.

Good luck!