Nikamotan MTL Nicto
The great annual concert produced by Musique nomade is back for a third edition: NIKAMOTAN MTL – NICTO will be held this coming Friday, August 9 at 9 p.m. at Place des Festivals. Once again, the show promises to leave no one unmoved as it explores eclectic musical worlds, blending traditional and contemporary sounds while pushing against preconceived notions. Electronica, pop, soul, folk, blues and traditional genres will mix with African, Afro-Colombian and even Finnish influences. Mark your calendars and stay tuned for announcements regarding exclusive artist collaborations and other features of this third edition. The show is presented in collaboration with the Présence autochtone / First Peoples’ Festival and is made possible thanks to support from Musicaction.
WITH
LIDO PIMIENTA, PIERRE KWENDERS, QUANTUM TANGLE, LYDIA KÉPINSKI, MATT COMEAU, SOLEIL LAUNIÈRE, YOUNG FEATHER SINGERS, VILDÁ
Lido Pimienta
The big winner of the prestigious 2017 Polaris Music Prize for her album La Papessa, Lido Pimienta is a Canadian singer with Afro-Colombian indigenous roots. Her music blends electronic sounds with synth pop and traditional percussion, while her lyrics cover topics ranging from the patriarchy to the global water crisis. An outstanding voice and an unsettling composure.
Pierre Kwenders
Pierre Kwenders is a popular Afro-Québécois artist whose pop incursions incorporate festive, sensual rhythms, mixing in electronic sounds, a strong African influence and a West Coast old-school hip hop vibe. His second album, Makanda at the End of Space, the Beginning of Time was shortlisted for the 2018 Polaris Music Prize.
Quantum Tangle
Greyson Gritt, Tiffany Ayalik and Kayley Mackay draw from their respective Anishinaabe-Métis and Inuit backgrounds to create a fusion of blues riffs and traditional throat singing wrapped in haunting melodies and a percussive landscape. Their first EP was picked Indigenous Music Album of the Year at the 2017 Junos.
Lydia Képinski
In addition to making the long list for the Polaris Music Prize, Lydia Képinski took home the award for Pop Album of the Year at the GAMIQ Awards and was nominated in six categories at the ADISQ ceremony. She is known for her irony and candour, and her vocals are backed by plenty of electric guitar and catchy pop hooks.
Matt Comeau
His is a warm yet powerful voice, perfectly suited to the blues rock he has been playing these past few years. Matt Comeau hails from Elsipogtop, New Brunswick and has received considerable airplay on SiriusXM’s Canadian Indigenous Peoples’ Radio with recent cuts Witness and Did You Wrong.
Young Feathers Singers
Young Feathers Singers is a band of young drummers from the Atikamekw community of Wemotaci. They earned raves from the public last year at the La Noce Festival, and now YFS will add their particular sounds to the varied ambiances of the Nikamotan MTL – nicto show.
Soleil Launière
Innu from Mashteuiatsh, on the shores of Lake Pekuakami, Soleil Launière lives and works in Tiöhtià:ke (Montreal). She is a multifaceted artist who blends singing, movement, theatre and performance art, intertwining the presence of the two-spirit body and experimental audiovisual elements. For inspiration, she draws from Innu cosmogony and the sacred spirit of animals.
VILDÁ
Last but not least, Finnish duo VILDÁ will bring their mix of mystical yoik songs, swinging rhythms and improvisation. With their contemporary pop and Finnish folk influences, Hildá and Viivi’s music transports us to the northern hills, where the Sámiland winds blow.
This year’s visual has been created by Atikamekw artist Terry Randy Awashish:
“Our tales and legends often feature characters that are half human, half animal. This is why the visual depicts three characters that are half human and half goose. The cry of the geese rings out each spring when they arrive, and also in the fall when they leave to go make it reverberate in the south. They are singing out for life, and travel together toward a shared goal. And so, the three geese evoke the ability of music to bring people together. The geese have different colours in order to symbolize diversity, and festive colours at that.”
Musique nomade (MN) is a non-profit organization for Indigenous musicians. MN supports and produces up-and-coming musicians, advocates a fair Indigenous cultural representation within the music industry, and contributes to the survival of Indigenous languages and traditional music through digital media.