Aboriginal Music Week is about to kick off in Winnipeg, Manitoba. With a huge variety of Native artists on the roster, AMW will be once again showcasing some of the biggest stars as well as a slew of up-and-comers to a diverse, enthusiastic audience. According to their press materials, AMW and festival director Greyeyes "are striving to demonstrate the vibrant viability of Aboriginal audiences to mainstream arts presenters, as well as show that native artists have merits outside their ethnic heritage, as artists in their own right and not only representatives of their communities."

Even if you can't attend any of the performances (which, if you're not in Winnpeg already, is probably unlikely), this lineup is one to watch, for sure. Featuring postmodern Inuit throat-singer and performance artist Tanya Tagaq, fast-rising global bass stars A Tribe Called Red, alt.country singer-songwriter Samantha Crain, and Brazilian baile-funk pioneer Zuzuka Poderosa, as well as a couple dozen others (see the full list at the AMW website) it's a really wonderful representation of a decidedly under-represented group of cultures.