The ’Q’emcín 2 Rivers Remix—a free two-day Indigenous Music Festival, and the province’s only Contemporary Indigenous Music Festival—will be taking place in Lytton from 5 p.m. on Friday, May 18 and continuing through Saturday, May 19.
The organizers are thrilled to announce a lineup of 18 Indigenous musical artists for this inaugural festival, and say that audiences will be inspired by the incredible energy and diversity of the musicians who will be performing. More than half the artists are women, and one-third are youth aged 25 and under.
The 2 Rivers Remix (2RMX) headliner is Ontario-based ISKWÉ (Cree/Dené), a soulful Trip-Hop artist, while special guest Ta’Kaiya Blaney (Tla’Amin) is a 17-year-old singer-songwriter-activist. The event emcee is Vancouver-based hip-hop and multi-media threat Ostwelve (Sto:lo/St’at’imc/Nlaka’pamux), who will also perform.
The Spiritual Warriors (St’atimc) sing in their Lil’wat language with a roots-reggae beat; the Melawmen Collective (Secwepemc/Nuu-Chah-Nulth/St’atimc/Nlaka’pamux) collaborate on a fusion of hip-hop with musical manifestations and visions; See Monsters (Heiltsuk/Klahoose/Wuikinuxv) layer EDM beats with live-projected original visuals; and Omega Crom (Dakelh (Nadleh Whu’ten)) put the pedal to the thrash metal.
Seventeen-year-old Big Willie G-1 (Namgis/Kwakwaka’wakw) sings original Muddy Waters-inspired Blues; JB The First Lady (Nuxalk/Onondaga) brings her top hip-hop game; and Laura Grizzlypaws’ (St’atimc) mesmerizes with her Grizzly Dance (featured in a New York Times video with more than 700,000 views).
2 Rivers Remix has launched a festival website at 2RiversRemix.ca, with more information about the event and the artists, including streaming videos and songs. An interactive web map shows the Indigenous artists and their Nations.
The ’Q’emcín 2 Rivers Remix is a completely free two-day outdoor festival of contemporary Indigenous music and culture hosted by the Nlka’pamux nation and the Village of Lytton. 2RMX features outdoor live performances of music, spoken word, and dance, as well as video screenings, interactive music workshops, an outdoor Indigenous collaborative art exhibition, and an artisan street market. 2RMX will empower new audiences with a grassroots, danceable remix of urban/rez, visual/musical, hip-hop/pow-wow, and personal/political.
For more information visit the website at 2RiversRemix.ca, call 1-844-634-0277 (toll-free), or email 2RiversRemix@gmail.com.
editorial@accjournal.ca
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