Indigenous Band #5
The Jerry Cans is a five person band from Iqualuit, Nunavut. Their music is mostly written in Inuktitut, and combines Inuit throat singing with folk, country and rock. The group consists of a vocalist/guitarist, a vocalist/accordionist, a violinist, a bassist and a drummer. The name of the group actually comes from the drummer building a drum kit out of old jerrycans.
Squires, J. (n.d.). The Jerry Cans. [Photo]. Retrieved from https://calgaryherald.com/entertainment/local-arts/the-jerry-cans-bring-some-northern-light-to-calgary-with-genre-hopping-inuktitut-music/
Music:
The group has released three albums to date, in 2012, 2014 and 2016, with a fourth upcoming to be released sometime this year (2020). The band as a whole has not won any notable awards, but achieved nominations for Aboriginal Songwriter of the Year and Pushing the Boundaries at the CFMA in 2015. They were also nominated for Breakthrough Group of the Year and Contemporary Roots Album of the Year at the Juno Awards of 2018.
Goals:
The group has published a children's book, Mamaqtuq!, based on their song that shares the same name. I actually remember being read this book, though I can't remember how old I was. The band also made the record label "Aakuluk Music", which releases albums by Nunavut artists to help northern musicians. They also performed live at the Juno Awards in 2018, alongside other musicians from Nunavut.
Squires, J. (n.d.). Juno-nominated The Jerry Cans (Steve Rigby, Nancy Mike, Andrew Morrison, Gina Burgess, and Brendan Doherty) bring a taste of Canada's Far North to Peterborough Musicfest for a free concert on Canada Day at Del Crary Park in Peterborough. [Photo]. Retrieved from https://kawarthanow.com/2018/06/29/peterborough-musicfest-the-jerry-cans/
Though not intense activists, The Jerry Cans are a group worth listening to, and their children's content is charming, including their book and music for the children's series, Anaana's Tent. They did an Inuktitut cover of The Tragically Hip's Ahead by a Century, which was actually stunning. They've released two more singles so far this year, and many fans are looking forward to their upcoming album, titled Echoes, which is said to be released May 15, 2020.
You can find their website, which includes updates, their store and music videos, here:
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