Manito Ahbee, APCMAs, and Aboriginal Music Week Celebrate Aboriginal Music and Culture in Winnipeg, November 1-6

Aboriginal artists from across the continent are descending on Winnipeg for the first week of November. The Manito Ahbee Festival, Aboriginal Music Week (AMW), and Aboriginal People’s Choice Music Awards (APCMA) boast an impressive lineup of concerts, workshops, and activities November 1-6.

The third annual AMW kicks off on November 1 with a Métis celebration, "Take the Fort", featuring fiddle legends John Arcand and local Darren Lavallee, The Métis Club Traditional Dancers, and square dancing fan favourites Slick & Lil' J. The show also features a re-enactment of the Red River Resistance by the Puppet Folk on video. Click here to watch a preview. The AMW events continue at the Pyramid, West End Cultural Centre, and Norwood, including performanced by locals Bruthers of Different Muthers, Winnipeg's Most, Kyla Cederwall, Ali Fontaine, Young Kidd, Tracy Bone, JC Campbell, Cassidy Mann, and The Mosquitoz. They'll be joined by national touring acts like Leela Gilday, Derek Miller, and more. Visit aboriginalmusicweek.ca/festival for more information or visit the Live Music Calendar for complete concert listings.

Meanwhile, the Manito Ahbee Festival has planned various education and outreach events, an Indigenous Marketplace and Trade Show, International Pow-Wow Competition, and the exciting Aboriginal People’s Choice Music Awards, which honour outstanding artistic achievements of Aboriginal artists in the North American music industry.

The MTS Centre will once again play host to the APCMAs, on November 4. Manitoba artists and local productions have netted 24 nominations, including six nods for Winnipeg's Most, four nods for Don Amero, and three nods for Ali Fontaine, two nods for Bruthers of Different Muthers. Click here for more on this year's APCMA nominees from Manitoba.

On top of all the festivities, the Aboriginal Music Program will host a couple of workshops during the week. The first is set for November 3 and it will provide Aboriginal artists an opportunity to explore funding programs at the Canada Council for the Arts and the Manitoba Arts Council. The second workshop on November 5 features a case study on country singer Chad Brownlee.

Visit the aboriginalmusic.ca for workshop information, live music calendar, and local artist profiles.