Episode 103: I Pity the Country – The Life and Legacy of Willie Dunn

After a long winter hibernation, The Rebel Beat is finally back and ready to roll out some new episodes this spring!

On this episode, we had the pleasure of speaking with Lawrence Dunn, the son of the late folk singer Willie Dunn. Willie Dunn was of mixed Scottish/Irish and Mi’ma’ki ancestry, and wore many hats throughout his prolific career. He was a powerful anti-colonial songwriter, a film director, an activist, and even took a run for elected office once. Some say that his music didn’t get the attention that it deserved during his career, but now his son Lawrence Dunn has teamed up with Light in the Attic records to release an anthology of Willie’s work, “Creation never sleeps, Creation never dies“. Lawrence joins us for a heart-felt discussion on his father’s music, activism and legacy.

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Playlist

Willie Dunn – Charlie

Willie Dunn – The Ballad of Crowfoot

Willie Dunn – The Carver

Willie Dunn – O Canada!

Willie Dunn – Louis Riel

Willie Dunn – Broker

Willie Dunn – I Pity the Country

Willie Dunn – The Pacific

Further resources

The Rebel Beat episode 013 – Native North America

The Ballad of Crowfoot (1968 film, National Film Board)

Theme music for the Rebel Beat by Cee from Test Their Logik

The Rebel Beat Podcast 055 – Drezus on a warpath

 

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Welcome back to the latest podcast of The Rebel Beat!

This week on the show, our special guest is Drezus (aka. Jeremiah Manitopyes), a Plains Cree Indigenous MC based out of Calgary. Drezus has been making waves across Turtle Island over the last few years, especially after he took home multiple awards at last year’s Indigenous Music Awards in Winnipeg, including Best Rap Album, Indigenous Entertainer of the Year, and Best Video (for his track “War Path”).

We spoke about his life, his family, his music, and some of the most pressing issues facing Indigenous communities today. Continue reading

The Rebel Beat Podcast 054 – HellnBack on Family over everything

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Karmen James Omeasoo, aka. HellnBack

 

 

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Boooom! Welcome back to another weekly podcast of The Rebel Beat! Our special guest on the show this week is Indigenous MC HellnBack. Hailing from the Samson Cree First Nation in Alberta, but now calling Winnipeg his home, HellnBack is a veteran on the hip-hop scene, some even calling him the “Grandfather of Native hip-hop”. He was an early member of 90s rap groups War Party and Team Rezofficial, before finally setting in on a solo career. His latest album is called F.O.E.=Family Over Everything, and we talked with HellnBack about his long career in the game, the importance of family, and using hip-cover170x170hop as a tool of resistance to fight back against suicide and depression. Continue reading