In an exclusive interview with SOCAN – conducted at the 2019 Manito Ahbee Indigenous Music Conference – Leonard Sumner speaks about all of the thought and consideration that went into his JUNO-nominated album Standing in the Light, and reviews the simple rules of building music-industry relationships.
Photo by Brad Ardley
Photo by Brad Ardley
Manito Ahbee 2019 Video Interview: Alan Greyeyes
Story by Howard Druckman | Friday May 31st, 2019
In an exclusive interview with SOCAN, conducted at the 2019 Manito Ahbee Indigenous Music Conference, Alan Greyeyes – sākihiwē festival Director and deeply rooted administrator in the expanding force that is the Indigenous music community – discusses how its stories are being told, how its artists are seeing global success, and why hip-hop has become one of its strongest, youngest voices.
Jean-Michel Blais wins Cannes Soundtrack Award
Story by Eric Parazelli | Thursday May 30th, 2019
SOCAN member Jean-Michel Blais continues to win kudos for his outstanding talent at the piano. This time, he’s received a special mention for his contribution to the music of Xavier Dolan’s film Matthias & Maxime, which was selected in official competition at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival. Blais was honoured on May 25, 2019, with the Cannes Soundtrack Award for “a work of remarkable quality,” in the words of Cannes Soundtrack founder Vincent Doerr.
“This special mention by the jury is beyond all understanding,” Blais commented on Facebook after receiving the unexpected honour. “I owe it to the one who believed in me, Xavier Dolan, and to all of those who made this possible. This is all the more unbelievable because until recently, it had never occurred to me that I could work as a film composer, and even less that I would end up at the Cannes Festival!”
Blais also gave a special performance at the end of the Cannes Soundtrack Award ceremony, before picking up the traditional golden record for his special mention. The Matthias & Maxime original soundtrack should be available in the Fall.
SOCAN warmly congratulates Jean-Michel Blais on his Cannes Film Festival success!