Jazz Fest to honour and showcase Indigenous culture
On the eve of National Indigenous Peoples Day, the Fort Langley Jazz & Arts Festival is pleased to announce that the 2022 festival will feature a Kwantlen Art & Cultural Exhibition to showcase the rich culture and history of Kwantlen First Nation. “The Fort Langley Jazz & Arts Festival has collaborated with Kwantlen First Nation since the festival’s inception in 2018,” says festival co-founder and Artistic Director Dave Quinn. “This year marks the fifth year of recognizing and appreciating the unceded territories of Kwantlen, Katzie and Matsqui where we live, work, and play and proudly integrate Kwantlen First Nation into the festival. In 2022 we will reach new heights by bringing this Kwantlen led and curated exhibition that fosters a deeper sense of inclusion and understanding between our communities.” The Exhibition will be hosted at Bedford Plaza on July 23 and 24 from 10 am to 4 pm. Festival goers and the public can stroll through the free exhibited area featuring demonstrations, exhibits and activities led by Kwantlen First Nation elders and community members, Traditional foods including bannock and a salmon BBQ will be available for purchase. The Exhibition will also include a series of free performances by the Wild River Pow Wow drumming group, Michell Family Pow Wow Dancers, and renowned Indigenous performing artists, Curtis Clear Sky & the Constellationz and the Spiritual Warriors, with special guest, Russell Wallace. “This is a collaborative work of fusion art, work of reconciliation, work of acceptance. This is history in the making. It is a teaching moment on each side. It is a learning moment. It is through sharing that we can bring people together,” says Kwantlen First Nation Chief, Marilyn Gabriel. The Festival’s Art Zone will also feature Kwantlen art with a collaborative art mural project that the public will be invited to paint based on the artwork of Kwantlen First Nation artists. Elinor Atkins, whose traditional name is Miməwqθelət and her brother Noah Atkins whose traditional name is Ncwaʕ. The mural is intended to mark Canada’s emergence from the COVID-19 pandemic by having the community come together to create a collaborative piece that reflects the theme of reflection, recovery, and rejuvenation. “There is a bridge that geographically separates Fort Langley and the Kwantlen First Nation,” says Karen Zukas, Festival co-founder and Executive Director. “Our aim is for the festival to enhance the joining of our communities with a metaphorical bridge that represents connection, reconciliation and coming together.” The Odlum Brown Fort Langley Jazz & Arts Festival will take place July 21-24 and will be the biggest ever, with more than 60 bands and 300 musicians performing across eight indoor and outdoor stages. Headline ticketed acts include blues guitarist and singer Sue Foley; jazz vocalist Molly Johnson, jazz-funk band The Shuffle Demons, jazz trumpeter Michael Sarian, jazz pianist and singer Champian Fulton, Afro Dominican Latin Jazz percussionist, Junior Santos and soul-gospel performer, Warren Dean Flandez – among others. The event will also include the most extensive free stage lineup in the history of the event on July 23 and 24. MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE KWANTLEN ART & CULTURAL EXHIBITION IS AVAILABLE HERE. THE INDIGENOUS JAZZ FUSION RECORDING FROM THE 2021 EDITION OF THE ODLUM BROWN FORT LANGLEY JAZZ & ARTS FESTIVAL IS AVAILABLE HERE.FOR DETAILED INFORMATION, PLEASE VISIT AND FOLLOW THE FORT LANGLEY JAZZ & ARTS FESTIVAL: Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
