The festival will feature a variety of music, dance and multi-media arts, but we here at HipHopCanada Prairies are most interested in how hip-hop and Aboriginal arts come together: below we feature videos from World Hood, A Tribe Called Red and Samian – all worth a watch.  Estella Hood of World Hood (pictured above) has a strong voice on the matter, so check what this intelligent and talented artist has to say:

“Our music is shaped by what we heard at home growing up. As children of immigrants growing up in the US what we heard was very diverse. From Cumbias, Nortenos, Bhajans, to traditional drums and flutes to hip-hop and freestyle in the streets. All these sounds have shaped our current sound.

We use traditional chants, drum patterns and instruments in our music. We also run Sol Collective Arts & Cultural Center, so keeping indigenous elements present and culture intact and alive in our community is part of our every day work as well.

For such a long time our people have been silenced and we have had to fight to keep our traditions. The fact that Aboriginal Music week can bring people with similar histories from around the globe together is amazing. We have so much to share as a people, and so much to learn from each other about keeping our cultural traditions intact. In addition, being able to pass on our music and share it with the younger generation, as well as create a fan base for artists of Indigenous-Aboriginal roots is powerful.”

Check out a video from World Hood, as well as a couple other featured artists, and get geared up to celelebrate the diversity of art and culture in the Indigenous communities around the world!