Members of the aboriginal music group, Northern Cree Singers, are excited to receive their sixth Grammy nomination in the Best Native American Album of the Year category, according to Steve Wood, co-founder of the group.
Wood, who co-founded one of the largest pow wow drumming groups in the world with his brothers Randy and Earl Wood back in 1982, called the prestigious awards show “the best concert on the planet.” This year, six of the fifteen members of the Northern Cree Singers will be heading to the Feb. 12 and 13 awards ceremony in Los Angeles, hoping to score a win for their CD, entitled Temptations: Cree Round Dance Songs.
“What other concert gives you the different forms and genres of music, and brings them all together and allows you to see all the stars?” said Wood, when asked about his experience attending previous Grammy celebrations.
Wood now lives in Hobbema, but he is originally from Saddle Lake. Northern Cree Singers includes performers from communities in Alberta and Saskatchewan, including Saddle Lake Cree Nation, Onion Lake Cree Nation, Frog Lake Cree Nation, Samson Cree Nation, Louis Bull Cree Nation, Batchewana First Nation and Poundmaker Cree Nation.
Although the group has been invited to a variety of different events ranging from the Junos, Native American Music Awards and Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards and have performed in front of 50,000 people at Rexall Place, Wood said their most exciting and memorable visits are to First Nation communities which only had the opportunity to see their performances online or on television.
“(Those) are kinda special,” said Wood, who proceeded to talk about a visit the group made to a northern Quebec community. More than a thousand youths showed up to welcome the group at the residence they were staying in during the visit.
“They had signs and everything, and it was neat to see,” said Wood, adding, “To think that you’ve inspired so many people is a really good thing.”
Ben Cardinal, who is from Saddle Lake and who is a decade-long member of the group, felt Northern Cree Singers had a really good chance at winning at the Grammy awards, which will be televised on Feb. 13.
When asked what he thought of the impact the group’s music had on First Nation communities, Cardinal answered, “It’s astonishing that our Native American music could take us that far.
“(Northern Cree) brings out the talent in the community and the Cree people, and showcases the instrumental qualities of the (Cree) culture and songs,” he explained.
Wood has the same views on what the group is doing musically, saying, “We’re fortunate to be able to do it, and to be able to represent our community and our people at such a prestigious event.” He has a message of hope to those who listen to the group’s music.
“The message is if you believe in yourself, where you come from, who you are, your identity, your culture, and more importantly, your language, it’ll take you to places you never dream of.”
