A Tribe Called Red
A Tribe Called Red | |
---|---|
![]() The group in 2014 | |
Background information | |
Origin | Ottawa, Ontario, Canada |
Genres |
Dance music First Nations music |
Years active | 2007 | –present
Website |
atribecalledred |
Members |
Ian "DJ NDN" Campeau Tim "2oolman" Hill Bear Witness |
Past members | Dan "DJ Shub" General |
A Tribe Called Red is a Canadian electronic music group, who blend instrumental hip hop, reggae, moombahton and dubstep-influenced dance music with elements of First Nations music, particularly vocal chanting and drumming.[1] Based in Ottawa, Ontario, the group consists of three DJs: Ian "DJ NDN" Campeau (of the Nipissing First Nation), Tim "2oolman" Hill (Mohawk, of the Six Nations of the Grand River), and Bear Witness (of the Cayuga First Nation).[2] Former member Dan "DJ Shub" General left the band for personal reasons in spring 2014, and was replaced by Hill.[3]
The group's name is an homage to A Tribe Called Quest, a 90s hip hop group that also had songs that tackled ethnic African American social grievances.[4]
The group's music has been described as "powwow-step", a style of contemporary powwow music for urban First Nations in the dance club scene;[1] popularized by the media as a description of the band's unique style, the term originated as the title of one of the band's own earliest singles.[1]
Music
After releasing a number of tracks online and DJing at various dance and aboriginal events,[5] the band released their self-titled debut album as a free internet download in 2012.[6] The album was named as a longlisted nominee for the 2012 Polaris Music Prize on June 14, 2012.[7] Their second album, Nation II Nation, was released in 2013 and was named a longlisted nominee for the 2013 Polaris Music Prize on June 13, 2013;[8] in July, it was named to the prize's final 10-album shortlist.[9] The band also won several awards at the 2013 Aboriginal Peoples Choice Music Awards, including Best Group and Best Album for Nation II Nation.[10]
The band has toured extensively across Canada[11] and the United States,[12] as well as performing festival dates in the United Kingdom,[13] Germany[13] and Greece.[14]
They have been featured on CBC Radio's Q[15] and Canada Live,[16] and have been playlisted on both CBC Radio 2 and CBC Radio 3.
In 2014, they garnered two Juno Award nominations at the Juno Awards of 2014, for Breakthrough Group of the Year and Electronic Album of the Year,[17] winning the award for Breakthrough Group. The band specifically chose not to submit themselves for consideration in the Aboriginal Album of the Year category.[3]
A Tribe Called Red have also collaborated on and produced one of the last known Das Racist songs, called "Indians From All Directions",[18] as well as the song "A Tribe Called Red" on Angel Haze's album Dirty Gold.[19]
In 2014, they released "Burn Your Village to the Ground", a non-album protest song about the complicated aboriginal relationship with the colonialist connotations of Thanksgiving.[20]
In 2015, they released a pro-wrestling themed EP Suplex, with appearances from Smalltown DJs, as well as a remix of Buffy Sainte-Marie's song "Working for the Government".[21]
In 2016, they released LP "We are the Halluci Nation" in September. [22]
Activism
The band has been vocal supporters of Idle No More.[5] In 2013, they issued a public statement asking non-aboriginal fans to refrain from cultural appropriation by not wearing headdresses and war paint to their shows.[23] Furthermore, Campeau filed a human rights complaint against an amateur football club in Ottawa that was using "Redskins" as its club name.[24]
In 2014, the band withdrew from a scheduled performance at the official opening ceremonies of the Canadian Museum for Human Rights, citing concerns about the museum's depiction of aboriginal human rights issues.[25]
Discography
Albums
- A Tribe Called Red (2012)
- Nation II Nation (2013)
- We Are the Halluci Nation (2016)
EPs
- Moombah Hip Moombah Hop (2011)
- Trapline (2013)
- Suplex (2015)
- Stadium Pow Wow (2016)
References
- 1 2 3 "A Tribe Called Red’s urban powwow" Archived August 30, 2011, at the Wayback Machine.. National Post, August 23, 2011.
- ↑ "Bio of A Tribe Called Red".
- 1 2 "A Tribe Called Red, Wab Kinew, Tanya Tagaq on the indigenous music renaissance". CBC Music, August 18, 2014.
- ↑ Bush, John. "A Tribe Called Quest". AllMusic. Retrieved 18 September 2016.
- 1 2 "A Tribe Called Red". NOW, February 7, 2013.
- ↑ "Download A Tribe Called Red’s Debut Album for Free". Indian Country Today, March 29, 2012.
- ↑ "Polaris Prize long list includes lots of Toronto bands". Toronto Star, June 14, 2012.
- ↑ "Polaris Music Prize Unveils 2013 Long List". Exclaim!, June 13, 2012.
- ↑ "Polaris Prize shortlists Tegan and Sara, A Tribe Called Red". CBC News, July 16, 2013.
- ↑ "A Tribe Called Red, George Leach and Nathan Cunningham big winners at Aboriginal Peoples Choice Music Awards". CBC Music, August 19, 2013.
- ↑ "A Tribe Called Red Book Canada-Heavy North American Winter Tour". Exclaim!, November 18, 2013.
- ↑ "A Tribe Called Red touring in support of second album" Archived February 1, 2014, at the Wayback Machine.. Aboriginal Music Week, April 9, 2013.
- 1 2 "A Tribe Called Red's dubstep take on powwow music". CBC News, April 18, 2013.
- ↑ "Dancing to a tribal rhythm". Times Colonist, November 10, 2012.
- ↑ "Pow wow-step with A Tribe Called Red". Q, June 20, 2013.
- ↑ "National Aboriginal Day". Canada Live, June 20, 2012.
- ↑ "A Tribe Called Red, Monkeyjunk among Ottawa Juno nominees". CBC News, February 4, 2014.
- ↑ Listen to an Unreleased Das Racist Track, "Indians From All Directions". Pitchfork, April 16, 2013.
- ↑ "A Tribe Called Red team with Angel Haze for 'A Tribe Called Red'". CBC Music, July 19, 2013.
- ↑ "Listen to this: A Tribe Called Red's powerful new single, 'Burn Your Village to the Ground'". CBC Music, November 28, 2014.
- ↑ "Buffy Sainte-Marie: "Working for the Government" (A Tribe Called Red remix)". Exclaim!, July 2, 2015.
- ↑ "Tribe Called Red launches 'lightning rod' album We Are the Halluci Nation". Postmedia News. Retrieved 17 September 2016.
- ↑ "Beats Against Colonialism: A Tribe Called Red". Canadian Dimension, September 7, 2013.
- ↑ "A Tribe Called Red's Ian Campeau Files Human Rights Complaint over Redskins Football Club Name". Exclaim!, September 5, 2013.
- ↑ "A Tribe Called Red cancels performance at human rights museum". CBC News, September 19, 2014.
External links
- A Tribe Called Red
- ATCR track utilizing archival recordings in collaboration with Ethnomusicology Review and the Archives of Traditional Music.