Three different acts perform at Sweetwater/Roundable event
Following on the success of the second Indigenous Peoples Weekend (IPW) held on Salt Spring Island in June, this Saturday, Sept. 13 puts the spotlight on music by artists from the island and beyond.
Presented by the Sweetgrass Arts and Music Society in collaboration with ArtSpring’s Roundtable Committee, which promotes local events at the arts centre, the Sweetgrass Arts and Music Indigenous Showcase sees three different acts take the stage at ArtSpring from 7 to 10 p.m.
Kai Barrette, a rising local youth artist, opens the evening.
“[Barrette’s] vocals and guitar work promise to stir the heart and set the tone for an unforgettable evening,” says ArtSpring promotional material about the show.
A high-energy Métis kitchen party follows with stepdancer Danielle Enblom, fiddler Pierre Schryer and guitar virtuoso Adam Dobres “celebrating the rich cultural intersections of Red River Métis, French Canadian, Irish and Scottish traditions — an irresistible blend of music, dance and heart.”
Closing out the evening is a blues storm from Auntie Kate and the Uncles.
“Born of Salt Spring roots and Coast Salish lineage, Auntie Kate brings raw blues energy and powerhouse vocals, backed by longtime collaborators Tom Bowler and Dave Roland. With decades of musical synergy, this trio will leave you dancing in your seat and feeling the soul of the West Coast blues tradition.”
The Sweetgrass Arts and Music Indigenous Showcase is made possible with support from a Salt Spring Island Foundation Indigenous Priorities Fund grant.
Tickets are available through ArtSpring.
Sweetgrass Arts and Music Society president Sherry Leigh Williams said the society’s mandate is to uplift Indigenous voices, “as they are often under-represented in the local scene.”
She said IPW in June brought together elders from local nations as well as many Indigenous people from beyond the territory.
Williams said the event “created a sense of belonging and the event was educational and healing as we worked together.”
She observed that “so many Indigenous people on Salt Spring are displaced, not having lands, or rights, coming from as far away as the East Coast and the far north.”
Williams also promotes all local musical events through the Salt Spring Music Events Facebook page she manages.
ArtSpring’s website explains that the Roundtable Committee was formed in 2023 as an advisory group leading up to the 25th anniversary celebrations of April 2024.
“It now continues as a robust volunteer community committee,” it states, “comprised of local artists, advocates, guild members, original stakeholders in ArtSpring’s origins and newcomers to imagine and execute public programming for the community. It represents connecting the art of community spirit with the spirit of community art.”