Aboriginal Music Week wins Manitoba Tourism Award

Aboriginal Music Week was honoured with the Manitoba Tourism Award for Aboriginal Tourism on May 26 at a gala event in Winnipeg. The five day music festival brought 21 Aboriginal artists from across the continent to Winnipeg stages for family concerts and a nightclub show in the first week of November (November 3-7).

The Manitoba Tourism Awards is an annual program recognizing excellence in the promotion and delivery of tourism experiences in Manitoba. The Aboriginal Tourism Award recognizes excellence in the delivery of a product or service that demonstrates cultural authenticity and sensitivity to the ecological, cultural and economic integrity of the community.

Aboriginal Music Week was created to open up the Aboriginal concert world to families and youth. Four of the five concerts during Aboriginal Music Week were all ages and the organization distributed 384 free tickets to community organizations throughout the inner city to ensure that low income families could attend the concerts. Big Brothers Big Sisters of Winnipeg, Boys and Girls Clubs of Winnipeg Inc, Ma Mawi Wi Chi Itata Centre, Ka Ni Kanichihk, Ndinawe Youth Resource Centre, Winnipeg Aboriginal Sport Achievement Centre, The Graffiti Gallery, West Broadway Youth Outreach received tickets courtesy of local leaders.

Three free lunch hour concerts at Portage Place Shopping Mall and three free afternoon music business workshops at Manitoba Music were also presented.

Aboriginal Music Week 2010 will include concerts at the Skyview Ballroom in the Marlborough Hotel, the West End Cultural Centre, and the Pyramid Cabaret from October 29 - November 6. The festival lineup will be announced in September.

Visit www.aboriginalmusicweek.ca for more information.

ABORIGINAL MUSIC WEEK 2009 HIGHLIGHTS
• DJ Madeskimo fused traditional Inuit vocals and recordings of northern Canadian landscapes with electronic music at the Pantages Playhouse for the Rising Stars Concert on November 5.
• Wab Kinew pushed boundaries with hip hop lyrics over hand drum compositions at the West End Cultural Centre for the Urban Music Concert on November 4.
• Cris Derksen used her classical training on the cello along with a looping station to blaze new trails in Métis music at the Pantages Playhouse for the Rising Stars Concert on November 5.
• Joey Stylez mania filled Portage Place Shopping Mall and Blush Ultraclub during his two performances at the festival. Capacity crowds filled the both venues and shows were delayed several minutes due to fans rushing the stage to take photos with the Saskatchewan born MC.