Indigenous Music
Talking Stick Music Video Series Highlights Indigenous Artists From Manitoba
Fourth Season of Genre-Spanning Series Premieres February 7 via YouTube
Season four of the Talking Stick video series is set to premiere this month, featuring live performances of original new music by Indigenous artists along with on-camera mini interviews. Produced through the Indigenous Music Development Program at Manitoba Music, the four-episode series kicks off its run on February 7 via YouTube.
Talking Stick shines a spotlight on artists and new music from the local Indigenous music community. It also offers the artists a chance to add professionaly-filmed videos to their own marketing toolkits, which can be critical for career advancement and accessing new markets in a business that relies on exceptional live video more than ever.
Musician and songwriter Ethan Lyric launches the new season on February 7. Coming up: contemporary folk music duo Burnstick on February 14, indie-folk/pop artist FONTINE on February 21, and country artist Catie St.Germain on February 28.
Produced with Kejic Productions, a Winnipeg-based company owned and operated by Cree/Ojibway producer and director Erica Daniels, Talking Stick was filmed on location at Graffiti Art Programming surrounded by stunning artworks.
“I’m extremely proud of Talking Stick and so inspired by all the incredibly talented artists who’ve been a part of this series these past five years” says host and producer Shaneen Robinson-Desjarlais, the Indigenous Music Development Coordinator at Manitoba Music, who departs Manitoba Music at the end of the month for new opportunities in B.C. “This project has been about shining a spotlight on emerging artists and creating space for them to share their music and their stories. We’re so grateful to the artists and to Erica and her team at Kejic for sharing share this vision with us.”
IMDP was launched in 2004 to support First Nation, Inuit, and Métis artists and music companies develop sustainable careers in the music industry. The program delivers projects and services that respond to the needs of the industry as identified by a steering committee. IMDP is supported by the Province of Manitoba and Manitoba Film & Music.
Ethan Lyric
"Messing Things Up Again"
Premieres February 7
Winnipeg-born Indigenous musician and songwriter Ethan Lyric creates charming indie folk songs to soothe the soul. He began writing music in his early teen years, finding inspiration in artists like Conan Gray and Cavetown. Ethan has a passion for songwriting and creating feel-good music that is easy to listen to but also stirs the emotions of his listeners. He has accomplished a lot as a young artist, flourishing in the local music community, as well as having the opportunity to play on stages all across Canada. A highlight was having one of his tracks “The Organ Song” featured in the top ten of the Indigenous Music Countdown. Ethan’s authentic ease is relatable and can be felt in every aspect of his music, making it hard to resist humming along and coming back again and again.
Burnstick
"Closer"
Premieres February 14
Music has been at the heart of this dynamic kinship since the duo met over a decade ago. It's no surprise that their songs are timeless and incomparable. Burnstick's signature sound is driven by Jason's proficient playing of 100-year-old Weissenborn lap slide guitars, resonating intently with Nadia's rich and striking vocals. Together, Burnstick pushes the boundaries of contemporary folk music. It's hard to deny the magic they create as they command the stage with their palpable performances and harmony-laced songs. In 2019, Nadia Burnstick, francophone-Métis, and Jason Burnstick, Plains-Cree, released their JUNO-nominated debut album, Kîyânaw (Cree: Us), featuring thunderous singles "Pay No Mind" and CFMA Single of the Year "Some Kind of Hell". Furthermore, with their unique ability to compose authentic and expressive soundscapes, they have worked on a multitude of award-winning film and television projects throughout the years. A family unified and guided by music, Burnstick has no plans of stopping anytime soon, as they are set to release their sophomore album this upcoming spring.
FONTINE
“Body Double”
Premieres February 21
Indie-folk/pop artist FONTINE from Winnipeg, MB, is making waves. A queer and Indigenous musician of Nehiyaw Iskwew heritage, her debut EP, co-produced with friends Kris Ulrich and mixed by Boy Golden, dropped in February this year. Inspired by the prairies and the Winnipeg music scene, her music is a fusion of culture and creativity. FONTINE's single "Homemaker" reached number one on the Indigenous Music Countdown, and she recently graced CBC's "The Intro" stage. With roots in her heritage and her home, FONTINE's music is a captivating journey.
Catie St.Germain
“Better off Broken”
Premieres February 28
Catie St.Germain is a Metis Country Singer from Niverville, MB, Canada. She is the granddaughter of Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame royalty, Ray St. Germain. She owns a powerful and versatile voice that, combined with her authentic songwriting, blew up the Manitoba Country Music scene in 2023.
Catie released her first original song independently in 2023 and her amazing fans reacted! She gained an incredible 25,000 streams in months and was nominated for an unprecedented SIX MCMA Awards including the MCMA Emerging Artist, Fans Choice, Single of the Year, Songwriter of the Year, Indigenous Artist of the Year, and Interactive Artist of the Year.
Catie's talent and notoriety got the attention of "Petric" leader, Jason Petric who, together with Chris Burke Gaffney, renowned artist developer, signed Catie to their new Atomic Ranch/Warner Canada record label. The team is currently writing and demoing new songs and well on their way to releasing a 2024 album.