Opaskwayak MB November 17, 2015 – Mezzo-Soprano Rhonda Head from Opaskwayak Cree Nation has released a single called “500 Years”. The song was written and composed during a residency at the Banff Centre for the Arts. “As I was sitting in my artist hut, I started thinking about how Indigenous People have been treated and the issues that we are facing today. I started getting angry, the words came to me and I started writing.”
Wayne Lavallee – two time Juno Nominee, chants and sings his signature background vocals in the song. Jeremy Rusu who has been blind since birth, a gifted musician plays the piano. Grant Trippel recorded 500 Years at Exchange District recording studio in Winnipeg. Wayne Lavallee Mixed and Jamie Sitar from Out of Town Sound mastered “500 Years”.
The song is dedicated to Indigenous People – 500 years in 5 minutes. The song 500 Years can be purchased on ITunes and CD Baby.
Cree Mezzo Soprano
Rhonda Head is a from Opaskwayak Cree Nation, Manitoba. She has been studying classical music with Private vocal teachers from Toronto, Ontario; Denver, Colorado, Winnipeg, MB and The Pas, Manitoba.
In 2010, she released her debut CD Kayas, which includes pieces that are recorded in five different languages – Italian, French, Latin, English and Cree. Kayas earned her a nomination in the 2011 Indian Summer Music Festival in the Spiritual Category, and won a 2011 Native American Music Award for Best World Recording.
Rhonda released her second CD titled Nikumoon in November 2013 which means ‘Sing’ in the Cree Language. All the songs are recorded in the Cree Language and received a nomination at the West Coast American Indian Music Awards in Los Angeles, California, were she won the Best Canadian Indigenous Artist Award. She was also nominated at the Indian Summer Music Awards in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and won the Best Spiritual Award for her rendition of How Great thou Art. She was asked to perform at both award shows. Rhonda has a nomination for the 2014 Covenant Awards – Gospel Music Awards for Aboriginal Song of the Year.
Musician
– Concerts, Benefits, Galas
Motivational Speaker
Workshops
– Vocal Workshop
Discography
– Kayas 2010
– Nikumoon 2013
Author
– First Nations Woman Vol III
Rhonda Head’s Online Profiles
Manitoba Music – www.manitobamusic.com/rhondahead
Reverb Nation – www.reverbnation.com/rhondahead
SoundCloud – www.soundcloud.com/tansi_1001
