As musician Aysanabee stood on stage finally 12 months’s Junos in Halifax accepting the award for different album of the 12 months, a reminiscence of the ultimate dialog he had along with his late grandfather was on his thoughts.
It was Could 2023. The Oji-Cree singer-songwriter’s grandfather advised him, “Do the things you say you’re gonna do.”
The remark caught with Aysanabee and as he gave thanks on the awards present to the individuals who opened doorways for him, he made a pledge.
“I’m going to try and take those hinges off and bring you all with me,” he stated.
Quick ahead to at this time and he’s on his first headlining tour, which can see him play exhibits in Japanese Canada over the following month, together with seven in Nova Scotia.
To open doorways for different musicians, he’s having completely different Indigenous artists open the exhibits, in addition to selling them on his social media channels. Aysanabee stated he additionally needs to be a useful resource to the openers and reply any questions they’ve.
“I just want to foster a music community where it’s just kind of healthy and people are trying to uplift each other,” stated Aysanabee, who lives in Toronto, however is initially from Sandy Lake First Nation in Ontario.
Methods to apply
To use, he’s asking folks to e-mail a efficiency video, which may even simply be somebody recording themselves on their telephone, in addition to say what exhibits they’d wish to open and write a paragraph about why they make music.
Even when the opening slots are booked up, Aysanabee stated he needs folks to contact him as there could also be alternatives sooner or later.
Mi’kmaw musician DeeDee Austin, who lives in Fall River, N.S., however is a member of the Abegweit First Nation, is opening 4 exhibits in Nova Scotia and P.E.I.
“I feel personally that there’s so many Indigenous artists that get kind of just swept under the rug, so for Aysanabee to kind of help us break out from under the rug and kind of showcase us and turn us on to his audience, it’s really honourable,” stated the pop musician.
Austin stated she seen lots of the openers could be thought-about up and comers, so that they want as a lot publicity as they’ll get.
She’s trying ahead to the exhibits.
“Whenever you get an opportunity to open up for any artist, you kind of bring both communities together,” she stated. “And in fact, you get to kind of turn each other on to your audiences and you get to showcase each other to your music and your art.”
Emma Stevens, a Mi’kmaw musician from Eskasoni First Nation, is the opener for the Glace Bay, N.S., present. She hopes the chance permits her to achieve a broader viewers past the East Coast base she’s established.
“Hopefully, I can bring him some of my audience and he can bring me some of his audience and it’ll be a blast,” stated the folk-country-pop musician.
How Dan Mangan helped encourage Aysanabee’s thought
Aysanabee is encouraging folks to point out up early and never miss the opening acts. In any other case, he cautioned there are some issues folks will miss out on.
“That’s as far as I can go into that,” he stated.
For Aysanabee, the concept to showcase the openers can be rooted in experiences he had opening for different musicians, equivalent to Dan Mangan and Allison Russell.
Within the case of a fall 2023 tour with Mangan, Aysanabee remembers worrying about how he must drive in a single day and thru the day to get to gigs.
However the worries have been moot as a result of Mangan invited Aysanabee to journey on the tour bus.
“He’s like, ‘No, man. You’re part of the team … just pay it forward down the road,’” stated Aysanabee.
