In honour of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, explore the National Music Centre's Speak Up! exhibition celebrating Indigenous trailblazers.
Visit Studio Bell, home of the National Music Centre, and explore five floors of music exhibitions and interactive activities, including the evolving Speak Up! exhibition on Level 3.
Curated by David McLeod and NMC’s National Indigenous Programming Advisory Committee, the award-winning exhibition showcases Indigenous artists who have made a social impact on music in Canada, while motivating a new generation to take action and offering a better understanding of where they come from.
Recent additions include pioneering Nunavut vocal duo Tudjaat, who introduced audiences worldwide to Katatjaq or Inuit traditional throat singing in the mid-1990s; powerhouse vocalist and songwriter Crystal Shawanda from Wiikwemkoong First Nation on Manitoulin Island, Ontario, celebrated for her incredible ability to move between country, blues, and soul with equal conviction; Métis singer-songwriter, actor, and author Andrea Menard from Flin Flon, Manitoba, who has earned acclaim as a defining voice within Canada’s arts community; Jerry Alfred, a Northern Tutchone musician from Pelly Crossing, Yukon and hereditary "Keeper of the Songs" for the Crow Clan of the Selkirk First Nation, who has played a vital role in safeguarding ceremonial songs and Northern Tutchone musical knowledge; and the Stoney Park Singers, a renowned family drum group from Mînî Thnî (Morley), Alberta that is known as one of the most respected and influential drum groups on the powwow trail.
Admission to Studio Bell is free for everyone on September 30 from 10 am to 5 pm.
The National Music Centre's Speak Up! exhibition is made possible with support from TD.
