Out today, the first-ever reissue of Sons of Membertou’s debut album, ‘Wapna’kik: The People of the Dawn,’ marks the return of a landmark album that revitalized Mi’kmaw music and culture upon its initial release in 1995.
Drums are at the heart of ‘Wapna’kik,’ which features original and traditional songs sung almost entirely in Mi’kmaw, with fiddles, banjos, and electronic sounds woven throughout. This remastered and resequenced edition comes with two new tracks: the “Mi’kmaq Honour Song,” often regarded as the national anthem of the Mi’kmaw Nation, and “500 Years,” a beautiful poem by Rita Joe, the renowned poet laureate of the Mi'kmaw people, set to music.
New liner notes by community leader and drum keeper Darrell Bernard Sr. trace the music’s origins throughout Unama’kik (Cape Breton Island) and its growing impact since its first release thirty years ago. “It is our responsibility to share our music with the young people of our Nation so that we preserve as much of our culture and language as we can,” Bernard writes. “Now, you have this opportunity to enjoy some of the music of the Mi’kmaq as presented by the Sons of Membertou. Msit No’kmaq!”
‘Wapna’kik’ was produced in collaboration with members of the broader Membertou community and is the first release in our Sound Communities recording series with the Centre for Sound Communities at Cape Breton University, supported by the Cultures of Sound Network.
Smithsonian Folkways
Out today, the first-ever reissue of Sons of Membertou’s debut album, ‘Wapna’kik: The People of the Dawn,’ marks the return of a landmark album that revitalized Mi’kmaw music and culture upon its initial release in 1995.
Drums are at the heart of ‘Wapna’kik,’ which features original and traditional songs sung almost entirely in Mi’kmaw, with fiddles, banjos, and electronic sounds woven throughout. This remastered and resequenced edition comes with two new tracks: the “Mi’kmaq Honour Song,” often regarded as the national anthem of the Mi’kmaw Nation, and “500 Years,” a beautiful poem by Rita Joe, the renowned poet laureate of the Mi'kmaw people, set to music.
New liner notes by community leader and drum keeper Darrell Bernard Sr. trace the music’s origins throughout Unama’kik (Cape Breton Island) and its growing impact since its first release thirty years ago. “It is our responsibility to share our music with the young people of our Nation so that we preserve as much of our culture and language as we can,” Bernard writes. “Now, you have this opportunity to enjoy some of the music of the Mi’kmaq as presented by the Sons of Membertou. Msit No’kmaq!”
‘Wapna’kik’ was produced in collaboration with members of the broader Membertou community and is the first release in our Sound Communities recording series with the Centre for Sound Communities at Cape Breton University, supported by the Cultures of Sound Network.
Stream or purchase the album on CD and digital formats → orcd.co/sons-of-membertou
📸 by Barry Bernard
1 month ago | [YT] | 27