Spotify spotlights Indigenous Canadian artists

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 06/06/2023 (1071 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Indigenous artists from Manitoba highlight Spotify’s Indigenous music channel this month, thanks to Winnipeg’s Boogey the Beat.

The popular streaming service has invited the Anishinaabe DJ and producer to curate the channel for June, which is National Indigenous History Month, and his 31 selections include tracks from his May album, Cousins, along with songs from DJ Shub, Sebastian Gaskin, Handsome Tiger, Ila Barker, Winnipeg’s Most and Leonard Sumner, all of whom started their music careers in the province.

“I tried to include a couple of Manitoba people, close to home for me, especially Leonard Sumner. Me and him go way back producing rap beats for Winnipeg artists,” Boogey says of the Rez Poetry singer-songwriter. “Any chance I can get to shine light on some of my favourite Indigenous artists, I’m glad to (do it).

“Spotify has been such a huge supporter of Indigenous artists, let alone (all) artists, to provide a platform for us to share our music, share our stories and share a little bit of our culture, which we try to incorporate in our music.”

Spotify set a 31-song limit on Boogey’s choices; squeezing in his varied musical tastes proved to be no easy task. His selections range from Barker’s 2023 pop song Vulnerable to rap from Polaris Prize shortlisters Snotty Nose Rez Kids — with whom Boogey collaborated on Cousins — and 1967’s folk-rock song The Circle Game by Buffy Sainte-Marie.

He started with a list of 200 to 300 songs.

“I could have went way longer, because the Indigenous talent we have across Canada, it’s thriving,” he says. “We’re on the main stages at festivals, we’re creating this great music and I’m proud to be part of this community.”

Spotify has received criticism for how little it offers in royalties to performers and songwriters, but Boogey says the access it gives new artists to its estimated 500-million-plus subscribers around the world remains valuable.

“I believe Spotify is giving us a great platform to share our music, which in turn, we can tour and we can sell our own merch and vinyl records and we can make our money that way,” he says. “It helps us get on satellite radio as well. That definitely pays more per spin.”

Boogey the Beat grew up as Les Boulanger in Winnipeg’s Weston neighbourhood, and learned about his Anishinaabe heritage from his family, who are from Berens River First Nation in Treaty 5 territory, about 360 kilometres north of the city on the eastern shore of Lake Winnipeg.

“I was fortunate enough to be raised by my mom and my aunties, and they held onto their language and held onto their ceremonies,” he says. “They brought me, when I was a kid, to powwows and sweat lodges and ceremonies, and I still carry those teachings with me today, especially when I’m making new music.”

“I was fortunate enough to be raised by my mom and my aunties, and they held onto their language and held onto their ceremonies.”

It was at Tec Voc high school where he got his first experience with recording equipment and other tools of a contemporary DJ’s trade, which eventually led to performing at such events as the June 23 Grippin’ Sage concert at Winnipeg Art Gallery.

“It’s essentially where I started making music,” he recalls of his Tec Voc days. “I joined this class called recording technology. Shout out to Mr. S. — he taught me music production and the basics.”

Alan.Small@winnipegfreepress.com

Twitter: @AlanDSmall