Track Listing:
Sultans Of String :
Walking Through the Fire
Indigenous Artists and Sultans of String Walking Though the Fire. A Trailblazing Musical Response to the TRC’s 94 Calls to Action
Artist: Sultans of String
Title: Walking Through the Fire
Release date: September 15, 2023
What do Crystal Shawanda, Leela Gilday, Northern Cree powwow group, a dozen other Indigenous artists, and Roots band Sultans of String have in common? They have all come together in the spirit of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s 94 Calls to Action and Final Report that calls for Indigenous and non-Indigenous artists to work together to find a path forward, and have created Walking Through the Fire. This album and live show are a powerful collection of collaborations between the roots group and First Nations, Métis, and Inuit artists from across Turtle Island, with the CD releasing September 15, 2023, and a live concert tour launching on September 28, leading up to and following the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
Fire can be destructive, as we have seen with the unprecedented forest fires still burning in Canada. But what we see right afterward is interesting, as collaborating Indigenous art director Mark Rutledge explains, referencing the title and cover art of Walking Through the Fire. “You’ll see the burnt-out husks of trees and the ash and the charcoal on the landscape. But fireweed is the first plant after a forest fire that emerges, and you’ll see rivers and fields of magenta within the barren landscape, and those nutrients are going back into the soil for the next generation of trees and flowers and regrowth.”
There is fear instilled within the very notion of fire because it can be so destructive, not just to the landscape, but to the lives of people. But what lies beyond fear that holds people back from achieving what they want to achieve? “The other side of fear is growth and potential with collaboration between non-Indigenous and Indigenous people,” Mark continues. “When we drop the word reconciliation on people, there’s a large group of people who don’t understand what that means. And when you don’t understand something, you are fearful of it. But if we go through the same experience together, we walk through that fire together, and we come out together on the other end and have that unified experience together, that’s the power in this album.”
Together these artists are making a safe, creative space where new connections can be dreamed of – not in the Western way of thinking and problematizing – but instead a deeper sharing and understanding, with music being the common ground to help cultures connect and understand each other. “We are opening doors for each other, as Indigenous peoples, as settler peoples. This project is about creating connections and spaces to learn from each other” explains collaborator Alyssa Delbaere-Sawchuk, violist with Métis Fiddler Quartet.
Nine-time Grammy-nominated Northern Cree and community organisers in Kettle and Stony Point welcomed Sultans of String to their annual powwow for one of these collaborations. Steve Wood, drummer and singer, explains, “When you’re collaborating with mainstream music, it shows that we can work together to bring out the very best in who we are as human beings, and we can bring out something very beautiful.”
A central theme running through Walking Through the Fire is the need for the whole truth of Residential Schools and the Indigenous experience to be told long before reconciliation can possibly take place. Grammy-nominated Elder and poet Dr. Duke Redbird, who in many ways provided the initial inspiration for this project, explains, “The place that we have to start is with truth. Reconciliation will come sometime way in the future, perhaps, but right now, truth is where we need to begin the journey with each other.”
Sultans violinist Chris McKhool, who was recently awarded the Dr. Duke Redbird Lifetime Achievement Award by Redbird and JAYU Arts for Human Rights for working to amplify these truths through collaborations, says, “This country has a history that has been ignored, distorted, twisted to suit colonialist goals of destroying a people. We are so fortunate for the opportunity to work with Indigenous artists, sharing their stories, their experiences, and their lives with us, so we can continue our work of learning about the history of residential schools, genocide, and intergenerational impacts of colonization. Music has a special capacity for healing, connecting, and expressing truth.”
McKhool leads the 3x JUNO nominated, 6x CFMA-winning band, who recorded the bed tracks at Jukasa Studios, an Indigenous-owned world-class recording facility on the Six Nations reserve south of Hamilton, Ontario. “We were so fortunate to be able to work at Jukasa, as well as consult with exceptional Indigenous artists on this project,” says McKhool. “We were lucky to be able to work with Indigenous designer Mark Rutledge and Indigenous filmmakers and videographers Eliza Knockwood and Marc Merilainen, working with our usual team, to come up with a look and feel for the album.”
The Honourable Murray Sinclair, former chair of the TRC, said, “The very fact that you’re doing this tells me that you believe in the validity of our language, you believe in the validity of our art and our music, and that you want to help to bring it out. And that’s really what’s important: for people to have faith that we can do this.” Sinclair also spoke about the importance of using Indigenous languages so these do not become lost. The recording and concert features lyrics in Dene, Inuktitut, Sm’algyax, Cree, and Michif.
Sultans of String is a fiercely independent band that has always tried to lift up those around them and has exposed many of their collaborators and special guests to new audiences at their shows, including at JUNOfest, NYC’s legendary Birdland Jazz Club, Celtic Connections Festival in Glasgow, and London’s Trafalgar Square. Led by Queen’s Diamond Jubilee recipient McKhool, they have collaborated with orchestras across North America and have played live on CBC’s Canada Live, BBC TV, Irish National Radio, and SiriusXM in Washington. They have recorded and performed with such diverse luminaries as Paddy Moloney & The Chieftains, Sweet Honey in The Rock, Richard Bona, Alex Cuba, Ruben Blades, Benoit Bourque, and Béla Fleck. Their work during the pandemic on The Refuge Project amplified the voices of new immigrants and refugees, earning them CFMAs and Best Musical Film at the Cannes World Film Festival.
Says Raven Kanatakta of Digging Roots: “We have to move beyond ally-ship, and we have to move into relationships of being co-conspirators, get down into the dirt and start working together and start moving forward. We’re all equals here, and we all need to communicate as equals. We actually need Canadians to step up and take that first move.”
TRACK LISTING
1. A Beautiful Darkness feat. Marc Meriläinen / Nadjiwan (Ojibwe)
2. The Rez feat. Crystal Shawanda (Ojibwe Potawatomi)
3. Take Off the Crown feat. Raven Kanatakta of Digging Roots (Anishinaabe Algonquin /
Onkwehón:we Mohawk)
4. Ko?´ feat. Leela Gilday (Dene) & Leanne Taneton (Dene)
5. Nîmihito (Dance) feat. Northern Cree (Cree)
6. Lost and Found feat. Shannon Thunderbird & Kate Dickson (Ts’msyen)
7. Black Winged Raven feat. Shannon Thunderbird (Ts’msyen)
8. Our Mother The Earth feat. Dr. Duke Redbird (Chippewa/Anishinaabe)
9. Sweet Alberta feat. The North Sound (w/ Forrest Eaglespeaker – Blackfoot)
10. Humma feat. Kendra Tagoona & Tracy Sarazin (Inuit)
11. Highway of Tears feat. Don Ross (Mi'kmaw) & M.J. Dandeneau (Métis)
12. Chanson de Riel feat. Métis Fiddler Quartet (Métis)
13. Tkaronto Reel feat. Métis Fiddler Quartet (Métis)
14. Quviasuliqpunga feat. Kendra Tagoona & Tracy Sarazin (Inuit)
WALKING THROUGH THE FIRE TOUR DATES:
2023 Tour
With Leela Gilday, The North Sound, Don Ross, Shannon Thunderbird, Alyssa Delbaere-Sawchuk, Marc Meriläinen (Nadjiwan), Duke Redbird, and a multimedia extravaganza including Northern Cree, Kendra Tagoona, Tracy Sarazin, and more.
Sep 28 - Markham Flato Markham Theatre
Sep 29 - Stratford Stratford Symphony
Sep 30 - St Catharines Niagara Symphony
Oct 1 - St Catharines Niagara Symphony
Oct 2 - St Catharines FirstOntario PAC Education show
Oct 3 - Brantford Brantford Symphony
Oct 4 - Lindsay Flato Academy Theatre
With Shannon Thunderbird, Alyssa Delbaere-Sawchuk, Marc Meriläinen (Nadjiwan), and a multimedia extravaganza including Northern Cree, Kendra Tagoona, Tracy Sarazin, Duke Redbird, and more.
Oct 10 - Sudbury Café Heritage – Education & Evening show
Oct 11 - North Bay Capital Centre
Oct 12 - Timmins Timmins Museum, O’Gorman HS
Oct 13 - Geraldton Geraldton Concert Series
Oct 14 - Thunder Bay Sleeping Giant Folk Music Society
Oct 15 - Dryden Dryden Entertainment Series
Oct 16 - Sioux Lookout Sioux Hudson Entertainment Series
Oct 17 - Red Lake Red Lake Entertainment Series
Oct 18 - Kenora Lake of the Woods Concert Group
Oct 19 - Fort Frances Tour de Fort Entertainment Series
Oct 22 - Burlington Burlington PAC
Oct 23 - Burlington Burlington PAC Education show
Nov 12 - Walkerton Victoria Jubilee Hall
2024
Jan 23 - Kingston Kingston Grand Theatre – Education & Evening show
Jan 25 - Brampton Rose Theatre – Education & Evening show
Jan 30 - Guelph River Run Centre Education show
Jan 31 - Guelph River Run Centre Education show
Feb 1 - Guelph River Run Centre – Education & Evening show
Mar 2 - Winnipeg Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra
Mar 3 - Winnipeg Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra
April 15 - Markham Flato Markham Theatre – Education Show
April 16 - Markham Flato Markham Theatre – Education Show
ALL TIX LINKS AT: https://sultansofstring.com/calendar
Website: https://sultansofstring.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/sultansofstring
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sultansofstring
Videos:
• EPK https://youtu.be/0A5V6Q1Iabg
• The Rez - feat. Crystal Shawanda https://youtu.be/rGa2OjdJgrI
• Take Off The Crown - feat. Raven Kanatakta of Digging Roots https://youtu.be/VujifeK1Sq0
• Nîmihito (Dance) - feat. Northern Cree https://youtu.be/lICoyJlwh8s
• A Beautiful Darkness - feat. Marc Merilänen (Nadjiwan) https://youtu.be/f-4YIdWOqU0
• Our Mother The Earth - feat. Duke Redbird https://youtu.be/DwsfFgctFX0
We would like to acknowledge funding support from non-Indigenous funding streams of the Ontario Arts Council, an agency of the Government of Ontario, and Canada Council for the Arts.
Some Track Rundowns
Sultans of String and Northern Cree celebrate life and spirit with new single “Nîmihito (Dance)”
Artist: Sultans of String feat. Northern Cree
Title: Nîmihito (Dance)
Release date: Jan 13, 2023
YouTube link: https://youtu.be/lICoyJlwh8s
Listen to Nîmihito (Dance) here: https://sultansofstring.lnk.to/nimihito
Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/sos-spotify
Full album pre-order: https://igg.me/at/sultansCD
Nîmihito (Dance) is a collaboration between 3x JUNO nominated, 4x CFMA winning Sultans of String and Northern Cree, a nine-time Grammy nominated pow wow and round dance group from Treaty 6 territory in Canada, who have released more than 50 albums over their 40-year history.
Nîmihito (Dance) is the first single off the Sultans of String - Walking Through the Fire (Sept 22, 2023 release), the most ambitious and important project of their career, a CD and concert of collaborations with First Nations, Metis, and Inuit artists across Turtle Island.
Steve Wood from Northern Cree continues: “When you're collaborating with mainstream music, it shows that we can work together to bring out the very best in who we are as human beings. And that's what music does. It shows that we can work together and we can bring out something very beautiful. And it's giving our music an opportunity for a different type of audience out there. There's a lot of people that are just catching on to our type of music, which has been here since time immemorial. I think it's great.”
The Cree lyrics, written by Leroy Woodstone, talk to the dancer about dancing and dancing hard and feeling the beat of the drum, encouraging the dancer to get down.
But there’s also an educational role in the song, says Steve: “A big, strong component of it is to teach our people and other First Nations people about the Cree language. It's the very tip of who we are and of our ceremonies, pow wow is. It brings other people into our circle.”
Studio sessions were spread across two provinces, with Northern Cree parts recorded at StudioBell at The National Music Centre in Calgary, produced by The Halluci Nation (Bear Witness, 2oolman) with recording Engineer Graham Lessard. Sultans of String tracks were recorded at Jukasa Studios, an Indigenous-owned world-class recording facility on the Six Nations reserve south of Hamilton Ontario, with Sultans band members Chris McKhool and Kevin Laliberté co-producing along with Grammy and JUNO winning John ‘Beetle’ Bailey.
The two groups met at Kettle and Stony Point’s Annual Pow Wow in the summer of ’22, where Steve shared that “The drum is also a very spiritual tool because when you look at the drum, somebody's grandparent, mother, father, child gave its life for that head of the drum, because that was an animal, and is very much alive. Now, the rim is made from the tree. And we really look deep, the tree can teach us a lot because they're alive. They can teach us about the relationships we have with everything around us and everyone else. And that person, those people that came to put that drum together, they had spirits, too. And they put their own spirit in the drum. And that's where all the energy comes from.”
CHRIS TALKS MORE ABOUT UPCOMING ALBUM “WALKING THROUGH THE FIRE”:
We are creating this recording concert in the spirit of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s 94 Calls to Action, and Final Report that asks for Indigenous and non-Indigenous people to work together as an opportunity to show a path forward. We know that as a society we can’t move ahead without acknowledging and reflecting on the past. Before reconciliation can occur, the full truth of the Indigenous experience in this country needs to be told, so we’ve been calling on Indigenous artists to share with us their stories, their experience, and their lives, so we settler Canadians can continue our learning about the history of residential schools, of genocide, and of inter-generational impacts of colonization.
For this project, we are working with an advisory circle of Indigenous artists including Chippewa/Anishinaaba Elder and poet collaborator Dr. Duke Redbird, who says
"The place that we have to start is with truth. Reconciliation will come sometime way in the future, perhaps, but right now, truth is where we need to begin the journey with each other. As human beings, we have to acquire that truth.”
Several other Indigenous musicians, designers and filmmakers are guiding us on this project, including designer Mark Rutledge working with ally Kurt Firla, and Indigenous filmmakers and videographers Eliza Knockwood and Marc Merilainen along with ally Micah Sky.
We also met with the Honourable Murray Sinclair, Ojibwe Elder and former chair of the Truth & Reconciliation Commission to speak about the project, who reflected;
"The very fact that you're doing this tells me that you believe in the validity of our language, you believe in the validity of our art and our music and that you want to help to bring it out. And that's really what's important, is for people to have faith that we can do this... That's really good”
NORTHERN CREE, Treaty 6 Territory:
Website: https://northerncree82.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/officialnortherncree/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/officialnortherncree/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfabKcpMS-9xf0gCaWnuszw
Northern Cree, also known as the Northern Cree Singers, is a powwow and Round Dance drum and singing group, based in Maskwacis, Alberta, Canada. Formed in 1982 by the Wood brothers; Steve, Randy, Charlie and Earl Wood of the Saddle Lake Cree Nation, All members originate from the Treaty 6 and are members of the Cree Nation, unless otherwise noted. (Saddle Lake Band, Samson Band, Louis Bull Band, Frog Lake Band, Onion Lake Band, Sweetgrass Band, Poundmaker Band, Sunchild Band, Menominee Nation)
Sultans of String and Marc Meriläinen explore the light in new single “A Beautiful Darkness”
Artist: Sultans of String feat. Marc Meriläinen
Title: A Beautiful Darkness
Release date: March 3, 2023
YouTube link: https://youtu.be/f-4YIdWOqU0
Listen to A Beautiful Darkness here: https://sultansofstring.lnk.to/ABD
Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/sos-spotify
Full album pre-order: https://igg.me/at/sultansCD
A Beautiful Darkness is a collaboration between 3x JUNO nominated, 4x CFMA winning Sultans of String and Marc Meriläinen, the creative force also known as Nadjiwan, who has been recognized in many corners, including Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards, the Native American Music Awards, the Indigenous Music Awards, along with invitations to perform at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics and the 2015 Pan-Am Games in Toronto. It is the second single off ‘Walking Through the Fire,'
Referencing the title, Marc Meriläinen explains “We were just getting through COVID, and lockdowns, and of course, being in isolation… everyone had that feeling that this was an extra-long winter, because when we started COVID, it was still in the wintertime. And then, sure, we had spring and summer, but those seasons just blew right by, it seems. And we're back in winter again, back into COVID.
“It seemed like everyone needed this refreshing break from the darkness that has engulfed our lives and forced us into this new way of living that we all had to adapt and adjust. But with each new night, or each night, there's always a new day that comes. So the song is about breaking free from these barriers and these things that hold us down… or keep us maybe depressed or not feeling happy.”
Indeed, the chorus lifts the listener out of moody verses. “I always look into it as the chorus being the awakening of spring” Marc continues, “And then the light breaking through the darkness and reinvigorating our lives. And to steal Bruce Cockburn's little quote from that song, “Gotta kick at the darkness ‘til it bleeds daylight.”
Sultans of String bandleader and violinist Chris McKhool, who was recently awarded the Dr. Duke Redbird Lifetime Achievement Award from the JAYU Festival For Human Rights, is trying to transform the darkness in his own way. “We are creating this recording in the spirit of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s 94 Calls to Action, and Final Report that asks that Indigenous and non-Indigenous people work together as an opportunity to show a path forward. I am really excited about working with Marc because I am a super huge fan of his work, especially the incredible skills he learned during the pandemic, working with outer space screenscapes, that have made their way into the video for this song. He is one of many fantastic Indigenous artists on my playlist right now.”
When asked about the newfound popularity of Indigenous artists, Marc says: “Definitely we are seeing a Renaissance, if you will, with Indigenous culture, and artists, and entrepreneurs, and everything else. And it's good to keep that ball rolling. And hopefully, this project keeps that ball rolling, which I'm sure it will. And that's one of the big reasons why I signed on. And I love everything that you're doing with the project, because this is a great way to build some of these bridges, as well as leaving the evening or a listener with a great selection of tunes.”
Marc likens a hesitancy for more collaborations to a high school dance. “Guys are on this side of the wall. And then on the other side, the girls are here. And everyone's afraid to ask each other out to have a dance and then have a great time. I think it's like that in the music community, like, ‘I'd like to work with this community, but I'm not sure what the protocol is. Or maybe they don't want me there.’ But I'll tell you, we love working, I mean, I can't speak for all Indigenous people, but we love working with new music, and new artists, and people from all backgrounds and ethnicities and genres, because that's what makes music exciting. And it's all about promoting these cross collaborations that make it exciting for the audience as well.”
Studios were used throughout Ontario to record this track, including Marc recording his guitar and vocals at his own Meriläinen Music studio, Sultans co-founder Kevin Laliberté’s guitar tracks at his own studio, multiple fiddle overdubs with Grammy and JUNO Award winning John ‘Beetle’ Bailey in New Hamburg ON, and Sultans bed tracks recorded at Jukasa Studios, an Indigenous-owned world-class recording facility on the Six Nations reserve south of Hamilton Ontario.
But the spiritual roots of the song may come from Northern Ontario. “My grandparents are Andrew Patrick and Isabel Nadjiwan. Cape Croker Chippewas of Nawash is the community.” says Marc. “Although my mother was born and raised in Wikwemikong First Nation, which is on Manitoulin Island. And there's actually a street named after the family. If you go to Wiki, there's Nadjiwan Lane, which the old family house used to be on. The house is no longer there, but the street is still there. So I grew up mainly in Thunder Bay in my early years. And Thunder Bay, they have a classic rock station. And then there's all these cultural things. So it's a large Indigenous population and Finnish population. So I remember in the summers going to different ceremonies and powwows. And in one ear I'd hear the sound of the powwow drum, the singing. But in the other ear from a car radio, I'd hear the classic rock station.
“So those two influences kind of stuck with me from, I think, when I was four or five. I didn't know how to play the guitar. I had a fake guitar with rubber bands for strings. But I think that's where I started working on the sound. There's still definitely an Indigenous element there, but there's also this classic rock sound as well. And how those two came together, it's like the Reese peanut butter and the chocolate story, we'll say.”
Marc Meriläinen (Nadjiwan):
Website: https://headingnorthmusic.com/nadjiwan--2
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MarcMerilainen
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NadjiwanMusic/
Born in Lynn Lake, Manitoba and raised in Thunder Bay, Marc Meriläinen’s heritage can be traced to the Chippewas of Nawash, Cape Croker.
Transforming the sound and image of Indigenous music has been one of Marc Meriläinen’s goals from the very beginning, and his prodigious output has been recognized in many corners, including the Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards, the Native American Music Awards, the Indigenous Music Awards, and Toronto’s Dora Mavor Moore Awards for the Performing Arts, along with invitations to perform at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics and the 2015 Pan-Am Games in Toronto.
From his early days as creator and performer of the multi-award nominated contemporary indigenous rock project NADJIWAN to currently producing the next wave of Indigenous musical artists, Marc has worked with numerous artists to help launch and further their career development. In addition to writing and producing acts Marc has also promoted and produced various live shows & events including Planet IndigenUs at Harbourfront Centre and the Original People, Original Songs concert series.
Sultans of String:
Website: https://sultansofstring.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/sultansofstring
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sultansofstring
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@sultansofstring
Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/sos-spotify
Bandleader Chris McKhool (Makhoul in Lebanon) has an Egyptian-born mother who happened to play piano, teach classical theory, and feed her young son as much Middle Eastern cuisine as she did music lessons. From there, the powerful violinist developed a taste for multi-genre string sounds and found a like-minded crew of all-world enthusiasts. When McKhool first heard founding guitarist Kevin Laliberté’s rumba rhythm, their musical synergy created Sultans of String’s signature sound – the intimate and playful relationship between violin and guitar. From this rich foundation, the dynamic duo grew, featuring such amazing musical friends as in-the-pocket bass master Drew Birston, and the jaw-dropping beats of percussionist Chendy Leon.
Their live resume is similarly stellar. Equally at home in a concert hall, folk and jazz club or festival setting, the Sultans have gigged at JUNOfest, the legendary club Birdland in New York, Celtic Connections Festival (Glasgow) and London’s Trafalgar Square. They have sold out Koerner Hall three times (Toronto’s Carnegie Hall), and performed with the Annapolis, Toronto, Vancouver, Edmonton Symphony Orchestras. They have played live on CBC’s Canada Live, BBC Radio, BBC TV, Irish National Radio, and the syndicated World Café, Woodsongs, and SiriusXM in Washington. Sultans of String’s musicianship and versatility are also showcased in collaborations with such diverse luminaries as Paddy Moloney & The Chieftains, Sweet Honey in The Rock, Richard Bona (Paul Simon), Alex Cuba, Ruben Blades, Yasmin Levy, Benoit Bourque, Béla Fleck, Crystal Shawanda & Ken Whiteley.
Sultans of String and Dr. Duke Redbird Acknowledge the Cradle of Our Precious Birth with New Single “Our Mother the Earth”
Artist: Sultans of String feat. Duke Redbird
Title: Our Mother the Earth
Release date: April 21, 2023
Watch it on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/DwsfFgctFX0
Pre-save link: https://sultansofstring.lnk.to/OurMothertheEarth
Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/sos-spotify
Full album pre-order: https://igg.me/at/sultansCD
‘Our Mother the Earth’ is a collaboration between legendary Chippewa/Anishinaabe Elder Dr. Duke Redbird and Sultans of String. It is the third single of the upcoming album entitled ‘Walking Through the Fire’ (Sept 22, 2023 release), a CD and concert of collaborations with First Nations, Métis, and Inuit artists across Turtle Island.
Redbird was inspired by the idea that every country has a national anthem, yet there is no anthem for Our Mother the Earth. Redbird said “if people included an anthem to the Earth along with their national anthem at every event, it would serve to acknowledge our identity, values, and sense of pride in the fact that we are all children of the Earth.” With this idea in mind, he wrote the poem Our Mother the Earth.
Our Mother the Earth
A Great Mystery
Created the Universe
And manifested a blue geosphere
A radiant planet
The marvelous Earth
The Mother who gave us birth
The genesis of all, we hold dear
With all the billions of stars in space
Only the Earth could create.
The perfect human birthing place
A little sphere of cosmic dust
Was the spark of spirit given to us (...)
“We can use our imaginations, innovation, creativity, and capacity to evolve in a cooperative way with nature, in a symbiotic relationship. The definition of love is when another entity's happiness is essential to our own. Right now, the happiness of the Earth is not essential to those industries that are exploiting her resources purely for profit. When we realize that we, as humans, are born fully integrated with the spirit of the Earth… we will replace exploiting with exploring and begin to truly love her.”
‘Our Mother the Earth’ is co-produced by Chris McKhool, bandleader of multiple award-winning Sultans of String, Grammy winning engineer John “Beetle” Bailey, and guitarist Kevin Laliberté. The bed tracks were recorded on Six Nations land at the Indigenous owned Jukasa Studios, a multi-million-dollar studio created for world class and developing artists to make music in surroundings rich in spirit and tradition.
McKhool was recently awarded the JAYU’s Dr. Duke Redbird Lifetime Achievement Award for his work with Truth and Reconciliation’s 94 Calls to Action.
Dr. Duke Redbird is an Elder from the Saugeen Ojibway Nation, on the shores of Lake Huron. A celebrated Indigenous Visionary as well as an established public intellectual, poet, broadcaster, and filmmaker, Dr. Redbird is also a highly sought after keynote speaker. He is an Elder and Advisor to various public and private organizations, and his online presence brings his breadth of cultural knowledge and artistic practice to the benefit of a global audience. His music and poetry has aided in the emergence of a vibrant Indigenous presence on the contemporary cultural scene. Dr. Redbird’s outstanding contribution to culture, literature, human rights, legacy stretches far beyond his work in Canada.
Sultans of String bio:
Website: https://sultansofstring.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/sultansofstring
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sultansofstring
• 2023 Canadian Folk Music Awards - winning Global Roots Album & Producer of the Year
• 2023 Canadian Folk Music Awards - nominated Pushing the Boundaries & Contemporary Album
• 2022 Dr. Duke Redbird Lifetime Achievement Award for McKhool – JAYU Arts For Human Rights
• 2022 Folk Music Ontario – Song of the Year Winner - Mi Santuario
• 2022 Folk Music Ontario – Nominated for Performer of the Year
• 2022 Cannes World Film Festival – Best Musical Film
• 2021 Canadian Folk Music Awards winner for Producer of the Year with Refuge
• 2021 Canadian Folk Music Awards nominee for Ensemble of the Year with Refuge
Equally at home in a concert hall, folk and jazz club or festival setting, 3x JUNO Award nominees Sultans of String have gigged at JUNOfest, the legendary club Birdland in New York, Celtic Connections Festival (Glasgow) and London’s Trafalgar Square. They have sold out Koerner Hall three times (Toronto’s Carnegie Hall), and performed with the Annapolis, Toronto, Vancouver, Edmonton Symphony Orchestras. They have played live on CBC’s Canada Live, BBC Radio, BBC TV, Irish National Radio, and the syndicated World Café, Woodsongs, and SiriusXM in Washington. Sultans of String’s musicianship and versatility are also showcased in collaborations with such diverse luminaries as Paddy Moloney & The Chieftains, Sweet Honey in The Rock, Richard Bona (Paul Simon), Alex Cuba, Ruben Blades, Yasmin Levy, Benoit Bourque, Béla Fleck, Crystal Shawanda & Ken Whiteley.
‘Take Off The Crown’ is a collaboration between Raven Kanatakta of 2x JUNO Award winning Digging Roots, and 3x JUNO nominated, 6x CFMA winning Sultans of String, with bed tracks recorded at Jukasa Studios, an Indigenous-owned world-class recording facility on the Six Nations reserve south of Hamilton, Ontario. It is the fourth single off the upcoming Sultans album entitled ‘Walking Through the Fire’ (Sept 22, 2023 release), a CD and concert of collaborations with First Nations, Métis, and Inuit artists across Turtle Island.
The lyrics are penned by Raven Kanatakta Polson-Lahache and ShoShona Kish, and the music created with Sultans of String.
Smudge burning in the morning
Makes a healing cloud
News blackout on the lost ones
100,000 souls singing loud
Says Raven: “The song was written primarily for the children that have been found. We have these stories in our communities about all the lost ones, that lost generation, that stolen generation. And for me, when they started finding more of the children, it brought all those stories that I grew up with to life again. I looked at what the source was. The source is colonialism, and colonialism is directly tied to the Crown”
The country of Canada and the ethics of Canada and the laws of Canada are all intertwined. But the history of this country has been manipulated to create a romantic version of early settlers.
Raven continues: “The Crown is a direct picture of colonialism and genocide in Canada. So many people are suffering from oppression and the effects of oppression that directly comes from the Crown. That directly comes from Canada. That directly comes from the churches who were operating the residential schools. That comes from the RCMP that was created [to push Indigenous people onto reserves]. That comes from all of these systems and this thought-out plan and process to take over a people, to take over a land base.”
A theme that has come up throughout the creation of this project ‘Walking Through the Fire’ is the need for the full truth of Residential Schools and the Indigenous experience to be told, long before Reconciliation can possibly take place.
“People are now telling their stories where they were electrocuted as kids, with electric chairs in the basements of these residential schools or churches… being cattle prodded, being starved and being raped. There's so much murder to all of this that it's just unthinkable” says Raven, “And I think this is one of the reasons why we actually need to have a conversation because I, for myself, in the first generation that didn't have to attend residential schools, nor my wife, Sho-Shona, we raised our own kids exactly how we wanted to. Nobody told us how to do that, and it’s a first, that's crazy.
Sultans of String violinist Chris McKhool, who was recently awarded the Dr. Duke Redbird Lifetime Achievement Award, is working to amplify these truths through these collaborations in the spirit of the TRC’s 94 Calls to Action, and Final Report that asks that Indigenous and non-Indigenous people work together as an opportunity to show a path forward. “There is lot of history of our country that has been ignored, distorted, twisted to suit colonialist goals of destroying a people.” says McKhool
How many more little bodies will be found…
Bind hearts and minds, take action now
“I think we're at a perfect time right now to bring out the truth” Raven continues, “Just by more and more little babies being found it kind of strikes a nerve in people to smarten up and to get to the point of, let's find the truth here together. We have to move beyond ally-ship, and we have to move into relationships of being co-conspirators, get down into the dirt and start working together and start moving forward. Because if we just talk about surface content, nothing will ever get done. So that's what ‘Take Off The Crown’ is - that we're all equals here, and we all need to communicate as equals. the land here has always been our teacher and our guide in that way. And I think that we have to come back to some of those fundamental truths and practices that have been happening here since time immemorial.”
And about what it means to become a co-conspirator: “You have to get dirty in order to create, in order to heal, in order to make magic.” Says Raven, “And I think just as you and I were working on this song in the middle of a pandemic, we traded ideas, musical gifts, knowledge, conversation, and that turned into this song. We need music, we need dance, we need ceremony because it’s a medicine that binds the mind and the heart. We need that not just in Canada or Turtle Island, but all over the world right now.
“We actually need Canadians to step up and take that first move. It's my job to live my life in the best way that I know how, and when it comes to this song ‘Take Off The Crown’, it was collaborating with you Chris.”
“The Rez” is a collaboration between 2x JUNO Award winning blues and country music artist Crystal Shawanda and 3x JUNO nominated, 6x CFMA winning Sultans of String. Crystal is an Ojibwe Potawatomi Indigenous singer, born in Wiikwemkoong First Nation on Manitoulin Island in Ontario, is also decorated with multiple Aboriginal People’s Choice Awards, Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards, a CCMA, a Canadian Radio Music Award, and too many JUNO nominations to list.
“I started singing as soon as I could make noise”, says Crystal. “I grew up in a house where everybody listened to all styles of music – and from an early age I could see that for my family, music was like therapy. So depending on what mood they were in, that’s the song they would listen to. My dad taught me to play guitar and after he taught me everything he knew, he suggested I take lessons. He always tried to let me know how important it was to be able to play an instrument for myself.”
Initially signed to RCA in 2007, she hit her stride as a country singer and songwriter when she scored a top 20 hit with her song “You Can Let Go” and subsequently tallied sales of over 50,000 copies of her debut album Dawn of a New Day and subsequently debuted in the Billboard Top 20.
Fast forward 16 years, and even though Crystal now lives in Nashville, with many albums and awards under her belt, she still keeps her ‘Rez’ roots close to her heart.
“I wrote The Rez with Ed Hill and Shay Smith, and it came out of the stories I had shared with them, when they asked me what it was like growing up on a reservation”, Crystal explains, “After which they said ‘that sounds like a song’, and from there it came together pretty quick!”
“I’m very proud of my roots, proud to be a ‘Rez kid’, she continues. “I grew up around intergenerational trauma, but that’s not all I remember. I can’t speak for everyone’s experience, but in mine I remember my beautiful family that surrounded me with love and showed me that laughter, like music can be medicine. I remember my community, so resilient and strong. We have all been through so much, but we’re still here. My roots, ‘The Rez’ is very much a part of who I am as an artist and person.”
“The Rez” is the fourth single off the upcoming Sultans of String album entitled Walking Through the Fire (Sept 22, 2023 release), the most ambitious and important project of their career, a CD and concert of collaborations with First Nations, Métis, and Inuit artists across Turtle Island.
Studios were used throughout Ontario to record this track. Crystals vocals were recorded with Grammy and JUNO Award winning John ‘Beetle’ Bailey at Orange Lounge Recording Studio in Toronto. Sultans of String bed tracks were recorded at Jukasa Studios, an Indigenous-owned world-class recording facility on another reservation, Six Nations of the Grand River, south of Hamilton Ontario.
Recently asked in an interview if she goes back to Manitoulin, she answered “Definitely for inspiration. I go to Manitoulin Island to rejuvenate my soul. When I’m there, it’s being around my family, my community and even just the land. It’s the island, the water, the land. When I’m there, I feel inspired.”
Like the song says:
It’s my blood, it’s my tears,
Everyone I love is here,
Yeah I know in my heart I was blessed,
To grow up on the Rez.
WHO IS ON THE FULL ALBUM “WALKING THROUGH THE FIRE”?
Crystal Shawanda - Ojibwe Potawatomi Singer-Songwriter
Don Ross - Mi'kmaw Guitarist
Dr. Duke Redbird - Chippewa/Anishinaaba Elder and Poet
The North Sound - with Forrest Eaglespeaker - Blackfoot Singer-Songwriter & Nevada Freistadt
Kendra Tagoona & Tracy Sarazin - Inuit Throat Singers
Leanne Taneton - Dene Spoken Word
Leela Gilday - Dene Singer-Songwriter
Marc Meriläinen (Nadjiwan) - Ojibwe/Finnish Singer-Songwriter
Métis Fiddler Quartet
MJ Dandeneau - Métis Bassist
Northern Cree - Pow Wow group
Digging Roots - with Raven Kanatakta - Anishinabe Algonquin / Onkwehón:we Mohawk - Songwriter, Singer, Guitar
Shannon Thunderbird - Tsm’syen Elder Singer-Songwriter & Kate Dickson - Tsm’syen Singer
And Sultans of String band regulars Chris McKhool (violin), Kevin Laliberté (guitar), Drew Birston (bass), Rosendo 'Chendy' Leon (drums and percussion) and Rebecca Campbell (vocals).