Indigenous Live Music Picks: July 13-17 2011

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We're in the thick of festival season these days, though it's yet to reach its peak, which means there's lots of Indigenous gatherings, powwows and performances to check out. 

Here are our Top 10 picks for the coming weekend:

1. CreeFest July 13-17 - Crystal Shawanda headlines Saturday night during this 5 day festival of Cree culture in Masonee, Ontario. Event info: CreeFest.

2. Women of the West Coast Showcase July 17 - Twelve songwriters will present 3 of their favourite songs each, including Indigenous artists Janet Panic, Arlette Arlock, Deanna Cartea and Sister Says. The Railway Club, Vancouver. Event info: Women of the Coast Showcase 

3. Folk on the Rocks July 14-17 -  “the North’s biggest party under the midnight sun” features an array of Indigenous artist in their fantastic lineup. Read our full post on the fest here.

4. Dawson City Music Festival July 15-17 - Also in the north, Dawson is having "tiny, perfect festival" this weekend which includes performances from Tanya Tagaq. Full line-up: Dawson City Music Festival.

5. New Directions: An Aboriginal Collaboration July 16 & 17 -  The Harrison Festival of the Arts has curated a collaborative performance by Leela Gilday, Digawolf, Cris Derksen, Kinnie Starr, Diyet and Sylvia Cloutier. Event info: Harrison Festival 

6. Kla-how-eya Aboriginal Centre Powwow July 16-17 - The 2nd annual powwow takes place in Surrey, BC, at the same time and place as the Fusion Festival. More info: SACSBC.

7. Great Northern Arts Festival July 15-24 - Canada's oldest and largest northern arts event fills ten days with culture, art, performance and workshops at the Midnight Sun Recreation Complex, Inuvik, NWT. Laura Vinson performs July 16, M.O. performs on July 21. Event info: Great Northern Arts Festival.

8. Northern Roots Music Fesitval July 13-14 - Wednesday features Metal acts, Thursday is Hip Hop and Friday's line-up is Rock-Pop at The Pas, Opaskwayak, MB. The lineup is extensive but includes Derek Miller, Leanne Goose, Joey Stylez, DJ Whitecloud, Ninjaspy, Soulless Icon, Wreckening and a lot more. More info: Northern Roots Music Festival.

9. Vancouver Folk Festival July 15-17 - Digging Roots and Samantha Crain are both at this ocean-side festival this weekend. Full lineup: Vancouver Folk Festival.

10. Scugog Island First Nation Powwow July 16-17 - Each day of the 15th Annual Tradition Powwow starts with a sunrise ceremony. Get your powwow on from dawn 'til dusk in Port Perry, ON. Event info: Scugog First Nation.

Folk on the Rocks Festival 2011: Indigenous Artists and Full Festival Lineup

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Folk on the Rocks, the north's largest annual summer music festival, will be held in Yellowknife this weekend from July 14-17, 2011.

The festival draws musicians and fans from all over the NWT, Nunavut and across the globe for "the North’s biggest party under the midnight sun".

Among the many talented musicians who will be performing at this year's festival are a strong selection of Indigenous musicians. This year's lineup includes performances by:

Elisapie Isaac (Inuk singer-songwriter)

Kulavak (Inuit throat singers)

Boyd Benjamin and Kevin Barr (Gwich’in fiddlers)

Michael Cazon (Ft. Simpson-based Dene drummer)

The Yellowknives Dene Drummers

Oka  (Indigenous Australian group from Torres Strait)

Tina Roy (Métis singer-songwriter)

Shauna Seeteenak  (up-and-coming female Inuk hip-hop artist from Qamini'tuaq/Baker Lake, Nunavut)

Folk on the Rocks offers four jam-packed days of music and entertainment on six stages, including a children’s area, cultural area, international and traditional cuisine, and Northern creative works featured in the Art on the Rocks area.

Check out the Folk on the Rocks 2011 Full Festival Lineup for more information.

And here's a sample of the amazing Yellowknives Dene Drummers: