Event preview: Sākihiwē aims to inspire next gen

Sākihiwē is turning 17, a cause for celebration, inspiring Indigenous artistry and plenty of cotton candy for Alan Greyeyes, the music business pro and community builder who helped launch the event in 2009 with Aboriginal Music Manitoba.

After nearly a decade of bringing low-barrier access to music and arts in Winnipeg’s inner-city neighbourhoods, Sākihiwē received its current name — a Cree phrase meaning “to love another” — through ceremony from Sundance Chief David Blacksmith in 2018.

That name felt deeply intertwined with the annual festival’s ethos of offering accessible programming while creating Indigenous-led pathways for artistic sustainability, mentorship and representation.

“Our focus is to give Indigenous and newcomer families in Winnipeg’s core and North End access to the arts,” says Greyeyes, who also chairs the Indigenous Music Office — a national body aimed at uplifting, empowering and strengthening Indigenous music creators, families and communities.

Blues-rocker, storyteller Billy Joe Green channels rage into art

After spending more than a decade in a residential school, musician Billy Joe Green has spent his life channelling his trauma into his songs, using them to heal while spreading awareness about the injustices Indigenous Peoples have faced.

Despite provincial demand, Calgary mayor says Stampede noise debate is over

CALGARY - Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has given Calgary a Tuesday deadline to change its noise rules or face possible provincial intervention – but Mayor Jeromy Farkas says the issue is done.

Farkas, asked by reporters Thursday about next week's deadline, reminded them that he and council debated changing the rules earlier this week and voted no.

"Our formal response was provided in advance of the June 30 deadline," he said.

He said the rules they have on closing times and music shutdowns for off-site outdoor concerts during the Calgary Stampede festival are the same or even more permissive than comparable events in North America.

Pop diplomacy: Eurovision gives Canada a chance to flex ‘soft power,’ expert says

OTTAWA - Canada should dust off its sequins and get ready to dazzle Europe, a historian said Thursday after the country took a major step toward joining the Eurovision song contest.

Canada is cleared to take part in the annual celebration of pop music and daring outfits, now that CBC/Radio-Canada has become a full member of the European Broadcasting Union.

Taking part is a way for Canada to increase its presence and visibility in Europe, said Dean Vuletic, a historian specializing in Eurovision.

"This is one of the biggest cultural events uniting Europeans," he said.

‘He wanted to give people hope’: David Clayton-Thomas, Canadian singer of Blood, Sweat & Tears, dies at 84

David Clayton-Thomas believed people could start over.

That belief, his daughter Ashleigh Clayton-Thomas said Thursday, shaped both his life and the way he saw others.

“He knows that there is hope and that nobody is born bad,” she said.

“Sometimes bad choices are made, but that doesn't mean that you can't turn your life around and make things better for yourself and your family. He felt he was an example of that, like, ‘Look at me: I came from nothing, I was in the jailhouse, and now I'm at Woodstock.’”

Tenille Arts, Dean Brody among performers at 2026 Canadian Country Music Awards

Tenille Arts, Dean Brody and James Barker Band are among the artists tapped to perform at this year’s Canadian Country Music Association Awards.

The gala celebrating the best in Canadian country music will take place Sept. 19 in Saskatoon.

Other performers include 10-time CCMA winners The Reklaws and Owen Riegling, who took home the CCMA award for album of the year in 2025.

The evening will also feature several Saskatchewan-born stars, including Arts, who is from Weyburn; the Hunter Brothers from Shaunavon; Kalsey Kulyk of Hudson Bay and Jess Moskaluke, who lives in Rocanville.

News, cultural groups want clarity on copyright after Ottawa releases AI strategy

OTTAWA - News and cultural industry groups are calling on the government to take a stand on how AI systems use copyrighted content after Ottawa’s long-awaited national AI strategy failed to address the issue.

The Liberal government released a strategy earlier this month which includes $2.3 billion in new and expanded funding and sets a goal of increasing Canadians’ use of artificial intelligence.

But while questions — and lawsuits — have swirled for years around AI systems’ unauthorized use of copyrighted content, the strategy didn’t offer any answers.

"You've got basically a 50-page document that came out and the word 'copyright' didn't appear once, which is troubling to news publishers but it's also troubling to music publishers, book publishers and others," said Paul Deegan, CEO of News Media Canada.

Rainbow Stage takes biblical rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar to its outdoor stage

What’s the buzz at Rainbow Stage? We’ll tell you what’s-a-happening.

For the first time in its seven-decade history, the country’s longest continually operating outdoor theatre company is producing Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s Jesus Christ Superstar, one of the most admired rock operas ever made, fashioned in the 1960s after “the greatest story ever told.”

The musical, which began as a concept album before reaching movie theatres in 1973, has been on director Sharon Bajer’s mind for decades: director Norman Jewison’s swaggering version was the first movie musical the Winnipeg performer saw rerun on television.

“I thought it was just so strange,” says the British Columbia-raised Bajer, whose first musical theatre role was in Jesus Christ Superstar in Grade 9, playing a leper. “Growing up, I always had a vision of doing it outside, so when Rainbow approached me about directing it, I thought, at least we’re going to be outside in the elements.”

Why is Gen Z obsessed with indie sleaze? Metric’s Emily Haines has some theories

Emily Haines thinks young people's fascination with the so-called "indie sleaze" era is less about fashion than freedom.

As Gen Z rediscovers and posts about the messy party scene of the early to mid-2000s — think sticky dance floors, hooky blog-rock bands, snagged tights and side-part hair — the Metric frontwoman believes many are yearning for something simpler: a time before influencers, algorithms and the pressure to turn every moment into content.

“I think it's really perplexing to be young and inspired and wanting to figure out how to become yourself when you can't make any mistakes and you feel like everything you do is captured,” Haines says on a virtual call.

“How do you develop with everyone watching?”

Hip-hop heavyweights share top billing at sold-out show

The country music crossover has become a rite of passage for pop stars.

Beyoncé did a 180-degree do-si-do with the release of Cowboy Carter in 2024. Snoop Dogg has dabbled. And Post Malone has jumped into the genre with both boots.

Ne-Yo and Akon are among the latest hip-hop artists to heed the siren call of pickup trucks and cowboy hats, with Ne-Yo set to release a new country-inspired album, Highway 79, next month and Akon claiming to be remixing his entire catalogue as country songs.

The pair of American R&B heavyweights thankfully left the twang at home for Tuesday night’s sold-out concert at Canada Life Centre. Instead, the co-headliners delivered a setlist packed with 2000s club hits celebrating the height of bottle popping and booty shaking.

Dauphin festival continues to grow beyond its core

Rock has rolled into the spotlight at Dauphin’s Countryfest in recent years.

The annual country music festival opens tomorrow with a rock ’n’ roll-centric lineup featuring Kingston, Ont., singer JJ Wilde (who will also perform at the Rockin’ Thunder concert at Princess Auto Stadium on July 4), alongside local outfits Lëddwyn and the Haileys.

This is the second year the event, which takes place at the Selo Ukraina grounds 300 kilometres northwest of Winnipeg, has kicked off with a showcase that expands on its core genre.

“We introduced it last year and it went over really well so we kept the tradition moving along into this year, and likely will continue it for next year too,” says Countryfest marketing co-ordinator Kamryn Winters via email.

Deborah Cox says the late Clive Davis saw her talent when Canada didn’t

Singer Deborah Cox recalls Clive Davis flying in to Toronto during a conference in the mid-1990s to deliver a message to those in charge of the country's music industry: pay attention. 

Cox’s single “Who Do U Love” was a smash in the making, she remembers the music executive arguing, but it was being overlooked at home.

“(He informed) all of the executives there that we have a hit here and there should be more support from the Canadian labels and radio,” recalls Cox.

“He was very, very frank about it. He was very point-blank about it. And I think the industry heard him and was like, ‘Wow, I think we need to really pay attention more to the talent that we have here.’”

Snide spat between Alberta premier, Calgary mayor escalates into Stampede standoff

CALGARY - A dispute that began with snarky social media posts between Alberta's premier and Calgary's mayor escalated Tuesday into a full on government-to-government standoff.

Calgary city councillors voted to reject proposed changes to noise rules ahead of the upcoming Calgary Stampede festival despite a warning letter from Premier Danielle Smith that if changes weren't made by June 30, the province would intervene.

The city has reduced hours and decibel levels for mid-week Stampede events out of respect for residents who must live within earshot.

Smith's government wanted those hours and decibel maximums eased, citing a concern it could affect the fun and profitability of the Stampede and the businesses that rely on it.

Clive Davis, music industry starmaker, has died at 94

NEW YORK (AP) — Clive Davis, the record company lawyer who became one of the music industry's most powerful figures, launching or resurrecting the careers of such superstars as Janis Joplin, Whitney Houston, Carlos Santana and Alicia Keys, has died, his family confirmed. He was 94.

Davis died in his Manhattan apartment, weeks after being hospitalized for an upper respiratory issue, his publicist Aliza Rabinoff said.

“To the world, our father was the iconic music legend whose vision, instincts, and relentless pursuit of excellence shaped the soundtrack of countless lives. He discovered, mentored, and championed the greatest artists in modern music history, leaving an indelible mark on culture that will endure for generations,” the statement read.

Many artists mourned his passing on Monday. Carlos Santana called him “a visionary.” Michael Bublé said the music executive “believed in people and their dreams.” Patti Smith thanked Davis for a half century of “love and support.”

‘Fun police have struck:’ Alberta premier criticizes new Calgary Stampede noise bylaw

CALGARY - Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says "the fun police have struck" Calgary while the federal Opposition Leader says the city is "smothering country music culture" after it announced it's dialing down the sound for the Calgary Stampede after midnight.

The city says music at last year's event left windows shaking and items falling off shelves, but Smith said in a post on X that Calgary's decision to lower music volume thresholds during the rodeo festival will hurt workers.

She said it will also create crowd-control issues, as festival attendees will leave early. 

"Stampede is one of Calgary's signature events, attracting hundreds of thousands of residents and visitors who come to enjoy the attractions, live music, and the unique energy of our city," Smith said in the Saturday post.