Midnight Shine lights up the coast

A new First Nation music production has been launched by Midnight Shine, which features an old friend of mine, Attawapiskat resident Adrian Sutherland. A lot of great music has come from James Bay over the past few decades and Midnight Shine represents a new crop of Aboriginal performers to add to this tradition. Midnight Shine, which is also the album title, is the first release by this group of First Nation musicians.
Laughter and music has been two of the great tools of survival of First Nations. All my life, I was surrounded by friends and family members who could sing, play the fiddle and step dance. The Scottish, Irish, French and English fur traders had a big impact on our people when they introduced us to the fiddle. Of course, the drum always had a place in our music from the days of my ancestors and now happily it is being featured more and more with traditional drum groups all over the country.
Adrian and his younger brother Andrew have been part of several traditional drumming and singing groups for many years. Their family has always had a strong connection to Aboriginal culture and traditional activities. I know that Adrian has always loved music.
One of the main stays of music in Aboriginal communities has always been country. I recall listening to so many country records, cassettes and then to CDs over so many years. Those great country artists like George Jones, Patsy Cline, Johnny Cash, Hank Williams and Hank Snow will forever be part of my experience as a child growing up in Attawapiskat. This type of music has influenced our communities on the James Bay coast over many decades and it was a starting point for many music performers in the north. We had our own local musicians too with the Nakogee brothers that have entertained us for decades at community events and dances. One of the lead singers, George Nakogee is now better known for working as a show host for Wawatay Radio on the James Bay coast. There have also been other music artists to come out of James Bay such as Lawrence Martin, Vern Cheechoo, Archie Cheechoo and Ron Kataquapit.
Adrian and his band, which includes members George Gillies on drums, guitarist Zach Tomatuck and Stan Louttit on bass and guitar, have produced a wonderful album. Some of the songs featured include my favourites ‘James Bay’ and ‘Indian In Disguise’. They describe the modern world my Aboriginal generation currently lives in, where we have one foot in the past and one foot in the present. Adrian did most of the writing for the songs on the album and his sister Iris Sutherland also contributed with her writing talent in the song ‘Small Town Girl’. You can check out the band and their music at: www.midnightshineonline.com.
I am so happy for Adrian that he is making his dreams come true. He has a great voice and the band is very tight musically. They recorded their album at Noble Street Studios in Toronto and it was mastered by George Seara. The album was produced by well known music promoter Douglas Romanow.
Adrian is a hard worker and he has first hand experience to know what it is to be an Anishinabe person in our modern world. He understands very well where he has come from and where he is going. The music world and life in the big city is uncompromising and there are lots of cracks and holes on the pathway to success. Alcohol and drugs are a big part of the music scene and Adrian will have to draw on his knowledge as a traditional person and his experience in the world of addictions to keep strong in his path.
It is great to see some positive news come out of Attawapiskat. Like many First Nations, my community has had to deal with so many issues over the past few decades. Adrian is proof that strong connections to our traditions and culture produce positive results.
Look for good things from Adrian Sutherland and Midnight Shine and support and encourage their efforts. We need more role models like Adrian and his band members.