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In the last two years, Cree composer and playwright Tomson Highway has published two books, recorded his newest album Cree Country, won the Governor General’s Lifetime Artistic Achievement Award for Theatre, and become an Order of Canada officer.
With plenty of passion left, he’s now on a new mission: introducing the country to Cree bossa nova.
On July 6, Highway will perform for his second season at Ottawa’s Music and Beyond festival. He last played at its summer 2018 concert, which he called a sign of the music industry’s post-pandemic “resuscitation.” He’s being accompanied by cellist and festival organizer Julian Armour, saxophonist Marcus Ali, violinist Martin Chalifour, and singer Patricia Cano, who collaborated with Highway on his two most recent albums.
Though his concert program isn’t yet finalized, Highway said he’s going to play many original songs. He said he once tried replacing the lyrics of a Portuguese song with words from his native Cree language, inspired by the catchy and emotional rhythms of Portuguese music. This led him to create Cree samba and bossa nova.
“Cree language jives very easily and naturally with Portuguese,” he said. “The syllables dance on the tongue.”
The genre has since become widespread in Indigenous communities, but Highway does not see himself as a star. Rather, he calls himself a “contributor to the quality of life of (Indigenous) people.”
When Highway was a student his peers rarely knew how to read, he said, adding that it’s still common for Indigenous teenagers to finish their studies at Grade 10. With his university education and artistic training, Highway is hoping to promote better literacy and education in Indigenous communities. He said his musical and theatrical successes serve as a motivator for students.
He’s since seen “big leaps and bounds” in the Indigenous writing and musical industries.
“I’m part of the movement that inspires the generation to (work hard). I’m helping to raise that level of work and thinking,” he said.
He’s now channeling that hard work into Music and Beyond, where, at the request of the organizers, Highway will also perform two of his favourite classical piano pieces: the first movement of Beethoven’s Piano Trio in B-flat major, Op. 11 and the second movement of Mendelssohn’s Piano Trio No. 1 in D minor, Op. 49.
Highway said he’s never once had stage fright; he comes alive when he performs on-stage, taking off “like a bird with wings.” But it’s been more than 40 years since exploring his classical piano repertoire, so he’s a bit nervous. He’s putting in extra practice to compensate.
“People have asked me: ‘How did you become such a success?’ The answer to that is: I worked hard.”
Playlist
Concerto in Cree Major: An Evening with Tomson Highway
Thursday, July 6
7:30 p.m.
Carleton Dominion-Chalmers Centre, Ottawa
www.musicandbeyond.ca
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