Festival International Présence Autochtone: Ocean Ode

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Blending tradition and contemporary music, the musical event Song to the Whales will be featured at Place des Festivals during the opening days of the 35th edition of the Festival International Présence Autochtone (FIPA).

This ode to ocean life features the powerful voices of Inuit throat singers Lydia Etok and Nina Segalowitz. Elder and Aboriginal singer Bunna Lawrie (Mirning Elder) and vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Whaia Maori Sonic Weaver will also join in. Australian percussionist Michael Askill will be conducting a gong orchestra. In all, 11 artists from the Corrina Bonshek and Oktoecho ensembles will be performing.

Known for her immersive works inspired by nature, Corrina Bonshek first created Song to the Whales in New Zealand. The oudist and composer Katia Makdissi-Warren, who for many years has collaborated with FIPA, completely reworked the piece with Bonshek to create an expanded version, which will also include Inuit voices. For the past three years, FIPA Director André Dudemaine has been working towards hosting this international event with its unique artistic, environmental and spiritual dimensions.

Native art is an art of rebirth that is particularly important nowadays. For a long time, First Nations’ ties and spiritual bond to nature was considered backward-looking. At a time when new models are being sought to recreate a sustainable link with the environment, First Peoples’ heritage cultures are becoming sources of wisdom and knowledge. This includes artists like Bunna Lawrie, who is also a leader in the environmental battles to protect the coral reef and ensure the survival of whales.

Song to the Whales was commissioned especially for Place des Festivals, which reverts to being a native territory during FIPA. The ambience of the concert is expected to be both euphonious and meditative. It is often said that when First Peoples come to downtown Montreal with their emblems, their beliefs, their music and their dances, all the family ancestral spirits of the Elders accompany them. And, the audience gets to connect with the spirits as the performances unfold. So come and meet members of the Inuit and Maori Indigenous communities, through music and song (Aug. 6 & 7).