Indigenous music takes centre stage at Sudbury festival

Madwewetoon, meaning "make it sound" in Ojibwe, hits Sudbury March 24. This festival celebrates a growing appetite for Indigenous music and art.

A celebration of Indigenous music and artistry is set to fill a Greater Sudbury venue later this month, bringing together emerging and established performers from across Ontario for an evening of diverse musical expression.

The Madwewetoon Indigenous Music and Arts Festival, now in its second year, will take place March 24 at Knox Hall. The festival’s name translates to “make it sound” or “play it,” in Ojibwe, and aims to showcase the breadth of contemporary Indigenous talent in northern Ontario and beyond.

Matt Maw, president and lead artist manager at Red Music Rising, said the festival is designed as a high-level celebration of Indigenous arts and culture.

“Primarily, it is a music festival,” Maw said in an interview with CTV News.

This year’s lineup features four Indigenous artists representing a variety of genres and nations. The roster includes Thea May, from Atikameksheng Anishnawbek and signed to Ishkode Records. Organizers said May’s powerful voice and unapologetic honesty invite listeners to connect and find strength in shared pain.

Also performing is Drives the Common Man, a Mi’kmaq singer-songwriter who crafts a fusion of alternative pop that the industry described as both nostalgic and groundbreaking. Mohawk and French-Canadian singer-songwriter James N. Wilson will also take the stage, alongside Atikameksheng Anishnawbek singer-songwriter Lisa Marie Naponse.

Maw said the lineup intentionally blends artists at different stages of their careers.

“We’ve got emerging Indigenous artists, we’ve got established Indigenous artists, folks who have seen radio play in the last couple of years, who are having recently released music signed to major labels in Toronto,” he said.

Drives the Common Man, who is also signed to Ishkode Records, is representing what Maw described as a contemporary Indigenous movement exploring a widening breadth of genre.

“There’s the Indigenous component of it, but then this contemporary Indigenous movement of really exploring and a widening of breadth of genre and taking up space in genres where a mainstream audience may not necessarily think of an Indigenous artist taking space in,” Maw said.

Organizers said there is a growing appetite across the country for Indigenous artists, and the festival aims to introduce audiences to new favourites.

“With these festivals and the way that we’ve programmed them, our hope is that folks come out to see one artist that they may already be fans of or are familiar with but ultimately walk away having found or discovered yet another fantastic Indigenous artist of theirs,” Maw said.

In addition to the evening performances, organizers will facilitate a workshop led by one of the artists at a Legacy School in Sudbury. The program connects students with Indigenous artists, Knowledge Keepers and experts through the Legacy Schools program, which provides resources to educators to help teach the history of Canada and the richness of Indigenous cultures.

“We have endeavoured and engaged on one of these festivals, one of the key components is accessibility for a wider audience,” Maw said.

“The space was chosen intentionally so that folks could be comfortable in the space regardless of what kind of music they’re listening to.”

More information on the festival and tickets can be found here.