Canadian Aboriginal Talent Recognized At Awards

12/01/08 11:02am

by Steve McLean (CHARTattack)

Northern Ontario country-pop artist Crystal Shawanda was the big winner at the 10th annual Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards, taking the prize in all five categories in which she was nominated: best female artist, single and video ("You Can Let Go"), country album and album (Dawn Of A New Day).

Two-time winners included Winnipeg's Eagle & Hawk (best group or duo and rock album for Sirensong) and throat-singing Bjork favourite Tanya Tagaq (best female traditional and album design for Auk-Blood). Shawanda, Eagle & Hawk and Tagaq were also among the performers at Friday night's show at Toronto's Rogers Centre.

Buffy Sainte-Marie, who won the lifetime contribution award, closed the show with two songs (it was actually three, since she repeated the aboriginal new wave "Cho Cho Fire" because it was plagued with sound problems the first time around). She still has lots of energy for a 67-year-old and released a CD/DVD titled Running For The Drum in late October.

The highlight of the night for rock fans was probably best international album winner Stevie Salas' performance. The Los Angeles guitar slinger (who's played with George Clinton, Rod Stewart, Mick Jagger and many others, and who signed the biggest deal in Island Records history in the late '80s) was backed by drummer Matt Sorum (Guns N' Roses, The Cult, Velvet Revolver) for the first time live, although Sorum has recorded with him in the past.

Sorum also came to the podium when Salas accepted his award for Be What It Is and told the crowd, comprised largely of aboriginal people, that they "have a great culture." Salas, Sorum and bassist Jara Slapbak were also part of a show on Saturday night at The Sound Academy as part of the three-day Canadian Aboriginal Festival.

Corner Gas actor Lorne Cardinal (who plays cop Davis Quinton) presented the award for best fiddle album, but it didn't go to Winnipeg's Darren Lavallee, who had people clapping along and tapping their toes to his performance. (It actually went to Alyssa Delbaere-Sawchuk.) Fara Palmer, who lost to Shawanda for the top female artist title, showed a great set of pipes with her R&B number. Another best female nominee, Christa Couture, also impressed with her solo acoustic guitar performance.

Rap/hip-hop winners 7th Generation were better than the schoolgirl outfit-clad dancers who accompanied them, while contemporary pow wow album and hand drum winners Northern Cree added a more traditional element to the proceedings.

The complete list of winners can be found on the Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards website.