Fusing spoken word and Hiphop’s cultural expressions with Colombian Afro-Indigenous música de gaita, two-time JUNO-nominated multi-instrumentalist and lyricist Beny Esguerra and New Tradition Music deliver an urgent call for justice, environmental healing and respect for ancestors and land treaties through an interactive multi-arts performance.
To add to the excitement of this evening, the concert opens with a youth performance featuring a family music band from Aurora, Ontario: The Sonical Bees. Inspired by world music, they aspire to blend styles and cultures that will meet the East with the West and the North with the South, using music to send to the world a message of universality and unity.
Esguerra raps about social issues and solidarity over eclectic Latin American sounds blended with hip-hop beats and record scratches.
Inaugural Performance with the National Academy Orchestra and Special Guest Jeremy Dutcher
Inaugural Concert featuring the National Academy Orchestra of Canada (full 65-piece orchestra) led by Maestro Alain Trudel with special guest Jeremy Dutcher who performs songs inspired by his Wolastoq First Nation roots.
This event happens rain or shine! Come prepared for time in the sun (hat, sunscreen) and pack an umbrella in case of a passing shower. In the event of a SEVERE THUNDERSTORM, the event will have to be cancelled. This will be announced ASAP on social media and the website.
He wowed Canada with operatic arias sung in a near-extinct indigenous language. Now he’s taking his culture to the world.
The Guardian
Program
Ludwig van Beethoven(1770-1827) Symphony No. 6, Op. 68 “Pastoral” I. Allegro ma non troppo
Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741) Concerto in E major, Op. 8 No. 1, RV 269 “Spring” from The Four Seasons
Jeremy Dutcher (1990- ) Honor Song Mehcinut Skicinuwihkuk
Hector Berlioz (1803-1869) Symphonie Fantastique, Op. 14 IV. March to the scaffold
Johann Strauss Jr. (1825-1899) Blue Danube Waltz, Op. 314
Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893) Symphony No. 6, Op. 74 “Pathétique” Allegro molto vivace
Millennium Park in Collingwood 45 Heritage Dr. Collingwood, ON
IMPORTANT! There is no parking available at Millennium Park. You can use the Collingwood Leisure Time Club parking lot at 100 Minnesota St. and then walk over to the park.
If you require assistance to get to the venue, a shuttle bus will be available for all GOLD pass holders and ticket patrons who have pre-purchased transportation (ticket option #1). The wheelchair-accessible buses will depart every 10 minutes from the corner of Huron St. and Minnesota St. (20 Minnesota St.) from 5-7pm and bring you back after the concert.
In Memoriam: Pattie Cleghorn and Marg Bridgman From the Cleghorn Family
Starring Juno Award-winning artist, songwriter, and performer, iskwē and Canadian music legend Tom Wilson
*** PLEASE NOTE: We regret to announce that Mr. Highway, originally scheduled on this day, must undergo surgery for a detached retina and in the hopes of a successful recovery he must give his eye complete rest.
In his place, we have invited iskwē and Tom Wilson. Thank you so much, in advance, for your understanding and very kind wishes.
With Mother Love, iskwē | ᐃᐢᑫᐧᐤ (Cree Métis) and Tom Wilson | Tehoh’ahake have created an album that’s as powerful as it is personal, a set of songs on which their disparate vocal styles fuse seamlessly and, in doing so, result in a sound uniquely their own.
To some, it may seem an unusual pairing, given iskwē’s high concept recordings and live shows and Wilson’s reputation as a rootsy, no-nonsense storyteller. But the result – a soulful pairing of two of Canada’s most distinctive musical talents – sounds like the two have been performing together for years.
That was obvious to anyone who heard their first performance together (with trumpet player Chuck Copenace) at the 2020 Indspire Awards. A performance that led to the recording of ‘Blue Moon Drive’, ‘Coal Mine’, and ‘Starless Nights’ at Jukasa Studios; tracks that became the foundation for Mother Love.
“We had never sung together so until we actually stepped up to the microphone and started to sing we didn’t know that we had a little bit of magic going on between us. We are able to now share that magic with you.”