Garden Hill First Nation, downtown artist Mattmac’s star rises higher

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This article was published 02/11/2022 (1095 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Matthew Monias, otherwise known by the moniker Mattmac, has added to his quickly growing list of accolades with his grand prize win in Canada’s Walk of Fame RBC Emerging Musician Program.

The downtown Winnipeg resident, originally from Garden Hill First Nation in northeast Manitoba, continues to break down barriers as both an Indigenous and blind artist.

“Winning the award is pretty cool,” Monias said. “It’s been quite the interesting time so far.”

Monias said music filled his household from an early age. His mother played gospel music, and his siblings listened to rock and hip hop.

Having been born blind, Monias said the years coming out of his infancy were difficult.

“I went into this stage of depression because I was growing up and figuring out that I was blind,” he said.

But somewhere around the age of 13, Monias said he started to discover how music could enrich his life and help keep him afloat.

“I picked up the piano more. I was self-taught,” he said. He also taught himself to play guitar.

Then when he was 17, a travelling music program called N’we Jinan, meaning “we live here” in James Bay (Eastern) Cree, came to Garden Hill First Nation.

Monias was selected to take part in the program, and together they wrote and shot a video for a song called Help You See, which drew from Monias’s personal experiences. In 2017, Monias performed the song with Nelly Furtado at The Forks on National Indigenous Peoples Day.

Monias has since grown his skills, focusing on a love of the “relationship between technology and music” in order to create more of his own beats, leading to two full-length albums, his debut 20/20 and later Blurred Visions. His debut album won the broadcast dialogue emerging artist radio award and the rap/electronic album of the year at the Summer Solstice Indigenous Music Awards.

“Whether I’m making beats or recording songs, it’s a way for me to express myself. It’s a way for me to purposefully let go and release my energy out into the world, whether that’s through a song that people can relate to or an artist that would like to work with me with a beat placement,” he said.

The musician said he embraces the idea of being a role model and inspiration for people.

“I represent a couple groups of people. To have that opportunity to be that face, to be that person who is an inspiration is really cool,” Monias said. “I want to take it as far as I can, and be an inspiration not only to Indigenous kids on reserves, but also people like a blind person in the city, whether that be in Winnipeg, Toronto or somewhere in America.”

Monias also contributes to an internet-based music collective of blind artists called Blind & Famous.