Let’s hear it for the SoundCloud algorithm. Less than four hours after the song above was posted. SoundCloud was making sure I heard it because the algorithm “just knew” I would love the classical choral sound and appreciate the enormous social import of this piece. (Don’t worry, I write these words facetiously. I am concerned about the computerized aggregation of our interests and tastes. Frightfully concerned. I fear for the future. In this case however, Soundcloud got it right.)
“Woman,” says Sinclair on her Facebook page, was written for “the Murdered and Missing Women and Girls. It was based off of my song off my album Dark Matter (2015.) Its a call to action and it’s to spotlight the beauty and power that our Indigenous Women embody. This is the recording of the performance by the Vancouver Cantata Singers Nov 10, 2018.”
Like many great musicians, Kristi Lane Sinclair is based in Toronto. Here’s how she and her music are described on her Soundcloud page:
“Fierce and feisty, Haida/Cree singer-songwriter Kristi Lane Sinclair is emblematic of a new wave of Canadian indigenous artists who are turning perceptions upside down. Raised in British Columbia’s backwaters, and drawing more from a DIY/indie aesthetic than traditional or mainstream music, Sinclair’s musical roots create a darkly intoxicating mix of grunge, folk and classical. Her smoky folk is rich and orchestral, underpinned with alternately snarling guitars and warm strings.”
The song below, “Desire” is more conventional but no less interesting. Give it a listen.
