Orchestre symphonique de Montréal presents

Tales & Legends of the North

The OSM welcomes Samian, in a commission by Nicole Lizée. In addition, discover two extraordinary Inuit musicians in a work by Alexina Louie, which received its premiere performance during the OSM’s Nunavut tour.

John Storgårds, Conductor
Evie Mark, Akinisie Sivuarapik, Inuit throat singers
Samian, singer

Samian is a poet, musician, and singer. Born of a Quebecois father and an Algonquin mother he grew up in Pikogan, in Abiti-Témiscamingue, and in several different towns in Quebec.

Samian got his start thanks to Wapikoni Mobile, a travelling film studio, which encourages young Aboriginals to express themselves. He’s proud to be their spokesperson.

His big professional break came during a collaboration with Loco Locass and with the song La Paix des braves. The song was written as a call out, appealing to the common past of the Quebecois and Indigenous peoples, and asking for their reconciliation. ‘It’s a bridge between two cultures, between the Quebec nation and the First Nations “, he says.

Samian has toured in several countries and pretty much everywhere in Canada. He has recorded two albums: Face à soi-même and Face à musique. The latter won him the Félix du Meilleur album, Hip Hop in 2011.

Samian sings about his life, his difficult journey, the history of his peoples and his own identity quest. With the help of his grand-mother (who appears in La Paix des braves) he has relearned his Algonquin mother tongue and is incorporating it in his work. He aims to breath life into the language of his ancestors by using it in a modern mode of expression, rap. Samian is also passionate about the hardship and uncertainty faced by many First Nations youth.

For information and tickets: www.placedesarts.com  514-842-2112 or 1-866-842-2112