Oji-Cree recording artist Aysanabee continues scaling new heights after winning the 2024 Juno Awards for Songwriter of the Year and Alternative Album of the Year. The Toronto Spark caught up with him over Zoom from Taipei, where he is preparing to perform two sets at the Jade Music Fest in Asia. He will be in Taiwan until May 5, visiting Indigenous schools and performing alongside Taiwanese Indigenous musicians.
“I’m really excited to hear the way they turn their stories into music,” Aysanabee says. “I know there will be some playing of traditional instruments as well and I’m not even quite sure what that will sound like. I’m really here to soak it all in and learn as much as I can—and share as much as I can.”
On Friday (April 25), he will play a set on the Outdoor Stage in Huashan 1914 Creative Park in Taipei at an all-Indigenous concert. The three other acts that evening will be from Taiwan: Paiwan fusion artist Sauljaljui, Amis singer-songwriter Suming Rupi, and the Nanguaq Girls—Kivi (Paiwan), Makav (Bunun), and Dremedreman (Paiwan). Then on Sunday (April 27), Aysanabee will close the festival on a day featuring 12 Canadian musicians with Chinese and/or Taiwanese ancestry.
Aysanabee has come a long way from his childhood in northern Ontario, where he grew up in a trailer without electricity and running water. After graduating from Centennial College in 2012, he went into journalism, working for the Huffington Post and CTV. Then in 2023, he received a Juno nomination for Contemporary Indigenous Artist or Group of the Year for his breakout concept album Watin. It featured the voice of his grandfather in a collection of songs about Indigenous life.
Watch Aysanabee’s video for “Here and Now”.
Fest in Asia follows Australian tour
Aysanabee says that he wasn’t that well known when he received his first Juno nomination. But he believes that a lot more people became interested in his music after he performed at the 2023 Junos. His next EP, Here and Now, is what put him in the winners’ circle.
He became the first Indigenous artist to receive a Juno for Songwriter of the Year and Alternative Album of the Year. Aysanabee is now in the company of Canadian musical giants such as Leonard Cohen, Alanis Morissette, and Gord Downie, who also won Junos for their songwriting.
“I definitely appreciate it—it’s a cup-filling moment!” Aysanabee declares.
Since that momentous day in Halifax in March of 2024, he has been exceptionally busy. Last June, Aboriginal Music Manitoba released a performance video of Aysanabee as part of its sākihiwē Export Accelerator program. With support from the Canada Council for the Arts, the program aims to show music presenters in Mexico, Germany, the United Kingdom, and Canada how10 Indigenous musicians appear on-stage. The project lead, Alan Greyeyes, has encouraged Aysanabee to think about performing in Mexico, where nearly 20 percent of the population self-identifies as Indigenous.
“I’m very curious because I don’t think there are many Indigenous artists from Canada who’ve gone down there to perform,” Aysanabee says.
In the meantime, he performed at the Viva Sounds festival in Gothenburg Sweden last November and the Woodford Folk Festival in Queensland, Australia in December. Aysanabee followed that up with a tour of Australia. It included eight dates in Lutruwita/Tasmania and other performances in Queensland and New South Wales.
Watch Aysanabee’s video for “Without You”.
Forging connections in Taiwan
He didn’t know what to expect in Australia after voters had rejected a proposed constitutional change in 2023 to establish an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice to Parliament.
“I went there wondering how the stories and the music would be received,” Aysanabee says. “It seemed to connect with a lot of people, which is kind of mind-blowing.”
He hopes to play more dates in Europe in October before closing out the year with performances in Canada. In addition, Aysanabee is making plans to return to Australia next January. He also looks forward to the connections that he will make in Taiwan.
The Taiwan Canada Society organized the Jade Music Fest in Asia, with the Society of We Are Canadians Too listed as co-organizer. The Canadian Trade Office in Taipei is supporting the festival.
“Over the course of this three-day event, we will experience performances and collaborations that not only showcase the incredible talent of performers like Aysanabee but also emphasize the strength of our bilateral ties and our shared love for creativity and cultural expression,” said Canadian Trade Office in Taipei executive director Jim Nickel in a Jade Music Fest news release. “I eagerly anticipate the lasting connections that will emerge from this exciting celebration and the future opportunities for collaboration!”
The Taiwan Canada Society has planned a range of experiences for Aysanabee while he’s in the country. On one day, he’ll visit a traditional chef. The next day, Aysanabee will share songs with Indigenous artists. He will also have opportunities to spend time on the land.
“It’s been a wild year so far, just getting these really special opportunities,” Aysanabee says. “I’m trying to be mindful.”
Event details
The Jade Music Fest will present Aysanabee at Huashan 1914 Creative Park on Friday (April 25) and Sunday (April 27). To learn more about Aysanabee, visit his website or follow him on Instagram @_aysanabee_. Follow Charlie Smith on Bluesky @charliesmithvcr.bsky.social. Also, follow the Toronto Spark on Bluesky @torontospark.bsky.social.
