Bubble Gum is the new irresistibly joyful video from Pamyua.
Bubble Gum is a drumsong off of Pamyua's double album SideA/SideB. The album is a collection of Inuit drumsongs primarily sung in the Yup’ik and Cup’ik language from Southwestern Alaska. Interestingly disc 1 of SideA/SideB features drumsongs performed traditionally with only vocals and drumming where as disc 2features the same songs but with different world music arrangements, offering a new way to enjoy and approach Inuit music.
This playful and infectious video was filmed in Unalakleet by the Anchorage-based film collected Electric Igloo Creative, Bumble Gum was made thanks to a successful Kickstarter campaign. Congrats to everyone involved!
An RPM YouTube Playlist of the APMCA 2012 nominees for Aboriginal Female Entertainer Of The Year. Hoka.
Here's another RPM YouTube Playlist focusing on the nominees for the 2012 Aboriginal People's Choice Awards category of Aboriginal Female Entertainer Of The Year. This list includes some of our most powerful female forces in today's Indigenous music culture. Enjoy.
In honor of Indigenous Peoples' Day 2012, these Dartmouth University students had a message to share to mark the "discovery of Christopher Columbus."
Savage Media, the collective behind the short video published on Oct 7th of this year, is comprised of a group of students attending Dartmouth University. Inspired by sketch comedy collective The 1491s during a visit earlier this year to their school, these students are currently running a fundraising campaign to get their vision realized.
As Colorlines noted, in this inspiring clip, "Native students from Dartmouth College respond to The Spanish Requirement of 1513—in which Spain declared that it was ordained by God to take possession of what is known today as the Americas—with their own 'Requiremento of 2012'.”
We love seeing our young people stand up and represent themselves on our own terms—and for reminding us to celebrate that we are, indeed, still here...and still "savage and alive"!
For more information on their campaign, check them out on Facebook: RealSavageMedia.
For now, we here at RPM hope that everyone on Turtle Island has had an enjoyable, energizing, and family-filled long weekend, and the opportunity to think about what this holiday represents.
We have an RPM YouTube playlist of the 2012 Aboriginal People's Choice Awards nominees for Best Music Video.
We've once again reached this chilly part of the year where we choose our favorites in the Aboriginal People's Choice Awards, and this year packs a great selection in all categories. Today we'll look at the nominees for Best Music Video in the 2012 APCMAs.
2012 APCMA nominated drummers Northern Cree and the Cree Confederation are slated for best duo or group of the year at this years awards show, coming up November 1-2nd, 2012.
Just deadly, these guys. Northern Cree have been rocking the powwow since 1982, keeping the fire going for generations of Indigenous peoples to come.
"More than 20 years of power and raw energy... taking traditional Aboriginal music to the next level..."
They've obviously been leaving them wanting more on the trail as can be seen on Twitter:
When I get anxiety my heart beats louder and stronger than northern cree #nativerthanyou
If you didn't know about Samantha Crain, you should. Here's a video from Samantha, produced by Be Nice To Your Kids for you to get acquainted.
After a solid couple months of touring across Turtle Island, including dates from Phoenix to San Francisco to Denver, Shawnee based singer songwriter Samantha Crain will be heading up over the border for an appearance at Aboriginal Music Week 2012 in Winnipeg, MB to perform alongside cellist Cris Derksen. Not a show to be missed!
So while you wait for the end of October to catch your chance to see Samantha while she's in Canada, here's something to keep your musical tastes diverse and filled with talent. #Boom.
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):
Maori Soul Singer Songwriter Maisey Rika recently released a video for her song Tangaroa Whakamauti, written and performed in her traditional language.
Tangaroa Whakamauti is a beautiful song that roughly translates into a ballad for the Maori god of the sea, Tangaroa. Sung in her traditional language, this song from the Aotearoa native is a powerful tribute to her culture's history, language, and presence in contemporary music.
Rika's award-winning stage presence and songwriting speaks for itself; this manifestation of a cultural revitalization is awe-inspiring and gorgeous on the eyes. Read the lyrics and the translation, done by Rika herself. Directed by Shae Sterling.
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
The Johnnys just put out a new single called Motorcycle Mama, a tribute for a dear friend of Veronica and Jay Bears' whose story is now captured in the lyrics of the song.
The Johnnys have been busy lately; offering free workshops during Pride weekend in Somba K'e, Denendeh last week as well as headlining Somba K'e's Pride celebrations at the Folk on the Rocks site. They also just released this new single about a friend of theirs who happened to have survived a motorcycle accident.
Watch: The Johnnys - "Motorcycle Mama"
This is the story of the song's origin, as told by Veronica Johnny
"In August 2010, I was visiting my friend, Nadine St. Louis, in Toronto. While I was waiting at Nadine's house with her son, Fred, he received a call telling him that his mother had been in an accident and she was in hospital. The driver of a car had t-boned her in an intersection while Nadine was riding her motorcycle home.
We rushed to the emergency room and when I was allowed to see her, she told me that she could not feel her legs. She was in a lot of pain and very afraid that she would be paralyzed.
I had my hand drum and traditional medicines with me. I told her that I had already laid down tobacco and prayed for her. The hospital staff would not let me light sage so I could smudge her (because of the oxygen), so we stuffed some in her bra.
I held her hand and I told her that she would get through this, that she would walk again, that I would write a song about how invincible she is, and that I would call it Motorcycle Mama.
It turned out that her body was in shock because of her injuries, and that was the reason she could not feel her legs. She recovered over the course of a year and had to walk with a cane for a while. She is fully recovered now and rides her Harley every chance she gets."
Nadine epitomizes the strength and resiliency of Aboriginal people and this story/song is a tribute to all our stories.
It's been a hot, hot summer for new Indigenous music! Here is RPM's summer round-up of the latest new releases you'll want to check out.
Without further ado, here are the hottest new releases this summer in Indian Country:
RedCloud and Crystal Lightning have joined forces as Lightningcloud, an explosive mix of hip-hop and electro-house. Get their eponymous album on Bandcamp and check out the opening track Zoom to get the party started:
Following the success of their debut album last year, WorldHoodis back with a new EP, Mundo Libre. From downtempo soundscapes to club-ready electrobeats, you can download Mundo Libre for free here and listen to the track Mi Pueblo now:
Demons is the latest from Canadian hip-hop veteran Plex. Self-produced, the album highlights Plex's chops as a story-teller and features guest appearances from D-Sisive, Rellik and B-Brown. Get Demons on Bandcamp and listen to the title track now:
Shy-Anne Hovorkais back with her third album Interwoven Roots. The album brings a country flavour to the pop singer-songwriters work. Get it on CDBaby.
Urban pop artist Lil' Pappieput out his new EP Indian Summer to the delight of his dedicated fans. The release marked a name change for the artist too, who henceforth will be known as Niiko. Get Indian Summer on iTunes and watch the official video for the opening track:
Speaking of Niiko, he makes a guest appearance in the title track on J Dizzay's sophomore album Reckless. Rap, club, pop, electro - you'll get it all from this Cree artist's latest. Get the album on iTunes and check out the title track here:
To celebrate their appearance at the Mad Decent Block Party, A Tribe Called Redcreated the mix Ever Sick for Scion Sessions. ATCR - need we say more? Download here or from the player below:
And last but not least, rising star and APCMA Best New Artist 2011 Ali Fontaine has released her second album Diamond in the Rough with 10 brand new original songs. Visit alifontaine.com to get yours!
Now that's enough music to get you through what remains of summer - and it's not over yet! See you in the fall for more new music releases.
We've got a new video by hip-hop artist Plex featuring Lisa Charleyboy for his song I Can't Breathe.
Plex has been pushing his new album Demons for the last couple months, and now released a new video from that album for his song I Can't Breathe. Featuring Lisa Charleyboy (@UrbanNativeGirl), this production is a clean professional music video that was also edited by Plex. (Boom!)
Revolutions Per Minute is a global new music platform, record label, and boutique agency for Indigenous music culture. RPM’s mission is to build a visionary community of Indigenous artists and to introduce Indigenous music to new audiences across Turtle Island and around the world. Our main site, RPM.fm, has featured the work of more than 500 Indigenous artists and shared their music across our social networks of more than 275,000 followers.
RPM Records is the first of its kind: a label for contemporary, cross-genre Indigenous music, run by Indigenous people. Selected by The FADER as one of “5 New Canadian Record Labels The Entire World Should Know”, RPM Records artists include Ziibiwan, Leanne Betasamosake Simpson, Exquisite Ghost, and Mob Bounce.
