The OHSOTO’KINO Recording Bursary program is open to First Nations, Métis, and Inuit artists. Interested applicants can apply at studiobell.ca/ohsotokino by October 27, 2022 at 11:59 pm MT.
Calgary, AB — The National Music Centre (NMC) is announcing a national call for submissions for the 2023 OHSOTO’KINO Recording Bursary. Indigenous musicians of all genres from Indigenous communities across Canada are encouraged to apply.
Earlier this year, two acts were selected as the very first recipients of the OHSOTO’KINO Recording Bursary, enabling them to record in NMC’s world-class facility. The recipients were JUNO Award-nominated traditional powwow and round dance artist Joel Wood, whose new album Mikwanak Kamôsakinat; was a result of his studio time; and multi-award-winning, chart-topping Indigenous indie-folk/pop duo Twin Flames. Now, a new set of artists will have the opportunity to use history to make history in 2023.
“Part of the intention behind recording Mikwanak Kamôsakinat was to encourage language revitalization,” said Joel Wood. “Singing has always been a way for me to connect with my Cree language, and my hope is that these new songs will inspire others to look back at their language and traditions.”
With support from TD, NMC will continue to provide access to its unparalleled recording studios and “living collection” of musical instruments, spanning 450 years of technical innovation. Two submissions (one for contemporary music, the other for traditional) will be selected by NMC’s National Indigenous Programming Advisory Committee and awarded a one-week recording session at Studio Bell to produce a commercial release.
“There are some amazing up-and-coming artists that we’ve had the privilege of supporting through the OHSOTO’KINO initiative – and the music that’s being produced is just fantastic!” said David McLeod (member of the Pine Creek First Nation in Treaty 1), NMC Board Member and Chair of NMC’s National Indigenous Programming Advisory Committee. “We hope these recording bursaries will continue to connect artists with more tools, new audiences, and act as a bridge to more cultural understanding.”
OHSOTO’KINO is an Indigenous programming initiative that launched in early 2022. So named after the Blackfoot phrase meaning ‘to recognize a voice of;’ the title OHSOTO’KINO acknowledges the Blackfoot people and the territory on which Studio Bell, home of the National Music Centre, resides.
The OHSOTO’KINO initiative, which is generously supported by TD, revolves around three components: creation of new music in NMC’s recording studios, artist development through a music incubator program, and storytelling through NMC exhibitions via the annually updated Speak Up! gallery and through content on NMC’s Amplify platform.
Stay tuned for a new call for submissions for the 2023 OHSOTO’KINO Music Incubator for emerging Indigenous artists in the coming months.
About National Music Centre | Centre National de Musique
The National Music Centre (NMC) has a mission to amplify the love, sharing, and understanding of music and is preserving and celebrating Canada’s music story inside its home at Studio Bell in the heart of the East Village in Mohkinstsis (Calgary) on Treaty 7 territory. NMC is the home to four Canadian music halls of fame, including the Canadian Music Hall of Fame, the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame, the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame, and Quebec’s ADISQ Hall of Fame. Featuring musical instruments, artifacts, recording equipment, and memorabilia, the NMC Collection spans over 450 years of music history and innovation. A registered charity with programs that include exhibitions, artist development, performance, and education, NMC is inspiring a new generation of music lovers. For more information about NMC’s onsite activities, please visit studiobell.ca. To check out the NMC experience online, including video-on-demand performances, made-in-Canada stories, and highly entertaining educational content, visit amplify.nmc.ca.