Singer's fantasy becomes reality

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Sierra Noble accepts her award for best Country CD during the Aboriginal Peoples Choice Awards Friday night at the MTS Centre as part of Manito Ahbee festival. (DAVID LIPNOWSKI / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS)

WINNIPEG — Last year, Chilliwack, B.C., R&B singer-songwriter Inez was at Manito Ahbee Festival handing out copies of her three-song demo.

This year, she was the big winner at the Aboriginal Peoples Choice Music Awards, taking home four of the five she was nominated for: best new artist, best pop CD for Singsoulgirl, single of the year for Breathe and best album cover design.

She only dreamed of being nominated when she was handing out her discs and networking last year, never mind winning, she said backstage at the MTS Centre Friday night.

"That was the plan. I knew it would be a lot of hard work. I’m an independent artist so there was a lot of learning along the way and I’ve come a long way with the help of many people like my producer, Steven Pitawanakwat, aka Magic Touch, and the people in my community," she said.

The young mother hoped her success this week would show people like her young nieces and nephews that they can achieve anything they want.

"All the other aboriginal people pursuing a dream like I did, I hope I can inspire them to follow their dreams," she said.

Almost 35,000 people from around the globe voted online to nominate and choose winners in 26 different categories as diverse as best pow wow CD, best flute CD and best peyote (traditional) CD.

Twelve awards, including a lifetime achievement award for Buffy Sainte-Marie, were handed out last night in front of a crowd of 4,628 people, with the remainder of the statues — a figure holding the wings of a bird — given out during galas on Wednesday and Thursday.

Last night’s awards show was a mixture of old and new with traditional music, dancing and drumming, showcased alongside more contemporary styles, including the blues-infused rock of Bitterly Divine, Inez’s R&B, the soulful blues-country fusion of Digging Roots, Tracy Bone’s roots-rock, Sierra Noble’s gentle country-folk and Joey Stylez’s aggressive hip-hop.

Canadian country stars George Canyon and Charlie Major also performed and Buffy Sainte-Marie brought down the house with a powerful show-closing performance of Cho Cho Fire, accompanied by traditional dancers.

It was a flashy and as professional production as an awards show can be. The two-hour event was broadcast nationally on APTN.

The night started with an assortment of drummers and female vocalists on stage, while more than 100 other dancers dressed in colourful traditional ceremonial headdresses and regalia spilled onto the arena floor and danced around the audience. They were soon joined by local singer-songwriter Bone and Canadian star Crystal Shawanda for a version of Buffy Sainte-Marie’s Darling Don’t Cry.

Former Corner Gas star Lorne Cardinal hosted for the fourth time. He and a group of Winnipeg musicians kicked things off prior to the grand entry with a video of them participating in a Rez Rock Star competition, complete with pipes, washboards and fiddles.

Manitobans took home 10 of the 26 awards, with rock band Eagle and Hawk winning three for best group or duo, rock album of the year for Sirensong and best producer or engineer of the year.

"I always mess up these things so I’d just like to say, hello Winnipeg!" Eagle and Hawk vocalist Jay Bodner yelled after winning the rock album award. He dedicated the award to former bassist Randy Booth, who died earlier this week and acknowledged the other nominees in the audience.

"We’re not in this business for awards, but this is really nice, so I’d like the other nominees stand up and we’ll honour them as well. We’re all on the same team," he said.

Local singer-songwriter Noble was close to tears when her album, Possibilities, was named best country CD.

"Wow, I’m overcome with emotion. I almost didn’t come out of the bathroom because I didn’t think I was going to win," she said to a room full of laughter. "Thank you so much, this means more than I can express."

Other Manitoba winners included Brown Eagle (best pow wow CD, tied with Saskatchewan’s Red Bull); Tracy Bone (aboriginal songwriter of the year); Darrelyne Bickel (emerging artist); Wab Kinew (best rap/hip-hop album); and Billy Joe Green (best blues CD). The APTN television special Aboriginal Day Live ’09 was named best television program: promotion of aboriginal music.

The awards gala was one of five different events that make up the Manito Ahbee Festival, which continues today with a powwow competition and trade show at the MTS Centre.

Rob.williams@freepress.mb.ca