April 2009 Archives

Songs once destined for extinction will be heard on mobile telephones and will bridge the divide between ancient traditions and youth culture

By Jeff Lee, Vancouver SunApril 13, 2009























Tewanee Joseph sees unique ring tones bridging traditions.
Photograph by: Ward Perrin, Vancouver Sun files, Vancouver Sun

For more than 100 years, Christian priests in the north banned Inuit women from practising the ancient art of throat-singing.

Like many aspects of aboriginal or Inuit culture and customs, the guttural, rhythmic duets by the women of the north were in danger of being forgotten.

But now, with the help of the Four Host First Nations, throat-singing and a lot of other native songs are literally about to ring out all over the world.

Later this month, the FHFN will upload onto its website several electronic files of Inuit throat-singers that people can download as ring tones for their mobile phones.

It's not just Inuit songs that will be available.

The Grand March for Housing drew support from a wide range of groups and individuals across British Columbia, all of whom have had enough of the pain and distress caused by homelessness they see everyday, and are calling for all three levels of government to stop talking and act.

This shot shows the marchers gathered at the Art Gallery in front of the ironic excesses of the Georgia development.


While this shot is of a white board where people were encouraged to write their comments - the 'shovel' sums it up.

 

The march was passionate but peaceful, as several streams of marchers united before gathering at the Vancouver Art Gallery to hear speeches and entertainment. More about the coalition and future events can be found here: http://www.citywidehousingcoalition.org/