Innu singer-songwriter Scott-Pien Picard supports rapper Samian who denounced, earlier this week, the withdrawal of his performance scheduled for the Festival international de la chanson de Granby (FICG), because he refused to comply with a condition of the festival: that 80% of its songs be delivered in French.
• Read also: Performance canceled at FICG: “I find this royally insulting!” -Samian
Samian is known to sing in French and Algonquin. His last album, Nowhere, was written entirely in anishinabemowin. For him, therefore, it went without saying that if the FICG invited him to take the stage, it was to present his show as it was: delivered in both languages.
“It doesn’t make sense, it’s not acceptable that in 2022 we’re not yet open,” explains Innu singer Scott-Pien Picard, who worked with Samian on Article view PEKUAIAPU, his second album to be released on March 4. There will always be, I think, cases like this, but we must continue. Right now, if we want to bring back the language, we have to fight. »
“There is still a long way to go and work to be done,” adds the 25-year-old artist from the Uashat Mak Maliotenam community in Sept-Îles. I don’t like to say that, but sometimes systemic racism still exists… On the other hand, among young people, it seems to be less marked. I hope one day it will get better. »
For the young artist who considers Samian a bit like a mentor, the simple fact of singing in his language is meant to take a stand. On the piece Shash from his upcoming new album, he sings with Samian regarding the pain of residential schools, the strength and pride of their peoples. Innu blends with French and Algonquin.
Reaction
The management of the Festival international de la chanson de Granby reacted to Samian’s remarks on Tuesday in a press release. “Knowing that there are titles in French and titles in his first language in his repertoire, we told his representative that we were open to him so that he might perform songs in both languages, taking into account the primary mission of the festival which is to promote French-speaking song, ”we can read.
For its part, the competition The Francouvertes announced that it had changed its rules this year to accept Aboriginal languages in the same way as French. Participants can sing in their language or in a combination of French and Aboriginal language.
