Minneapolis event celebrates Indigenous musicians, fashion and expanding tribal radio station
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The Anishinaabe Music and Arts Celebration will showcase Native artists on Saturday, Jan. 3, in Minneapolis. The lineup will range from musical performances to a fashion show.
The celebration, presented by the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe’s KOJB The Eagle, is in its third year. KOJB’s general manager, Chris Bedeau, says the event started as a way for local and regional Native artists in Minnesota to present their talents to the public.
“I thought it would be a good idea that if we could create a space for the Anishinaabe festival, for Native artists, it would be very good for our community — Native community and external community — to enjoy Native music and art,” he said.
The celebration was previously held in northern Minnesota, but this year it makes its way to the Fine Line at First Avenue.
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“There’s been a lot of Native artists in the Minneapolis scene that was underserved,” Bedeau said.
Minneapolis-based singer and songwriter Jada Brown will perform four original songs. Brown says the event is the first time she’ll play her originals with a live band, including an unreleased song titled “Shrinky Dink.”
“I really do think it speaks to me being, you know, a young professional, being a woman, and being a Native woman, of like, not shrinking yourself for any of the spaces that we're in,” Brown said. She describes her music as “laid-back” and rooted in the sounds of modern soul and R&B.
Brown says “Shrinky Dink” and another new original song, “Charades,” are anticipated to be released in January and February.
“As a young woman, I write to a lot of themes that the young woman can relate to, probably. I write about love, I write about self-discovery, about community, family,” she said.
Ten years ago, Brown moved to Minneapolis at 18 to pursue music. Since then, she says she’s been able to play at a variety of venues and music festivals.
“Just be prepared to hear an amazing show,” Brown said, regarding the Anishinaabe Music and Arts Celebration and its lineup of sounds, which will vary from folk music to hip hop.
Celebrating the tribal station’s upcoming satellite station
Alongside highlighting Ojibwe artists and musicians, KOJB is also celebrating the launch of its new satellite studio in Minneapolis, which will be based at the tribe’s urban office.
Bedeau says the satellite studio will help the radio station expand its reach to tribal community members in the Twin Cities and will also give Leech Lake Band members, including youth, a chance to produce content for the station.
“My thought was, at this time, there was not a whole lot of Native stations down there that kind of deals with all-Native content, messaging, that kind of thing. And I just wanted to create that space,” Bedeau said.
Content can range from news to traditional storytelling.
KOJB is making additional efforts in its outreach to youth, such as implementing multimedia arts clubs in Leech Lake tribal schools, Bedeau says.
“The hope is to eventually have some of our youth, or whoever is interested in KOJB, and then bring it to different levels,” he said.
Plans are also in the works to open a recording studio for community members in the basement of KOJB’s main station.
“For local folks to come in, whether it be poets, traditional hand drum or contemporary music, to come and form their craft,” Bedeau said. He says that having this kind of access will open a variety of doors for those interested in producing content.
For now, content produced at the Minneapolis satellite studio will be shared with KOJB’s main station in Cass Lake. From there, it will be distributed to the public via their mobile app. The studio is anticipated to open early spring.
“People should know that this is an open door, a very open door,” he said.
Bedeau says the Anishinaabe Music and Arts Celebration is an opportunity to attract potential partnerships and interest from those who may want to create content with KOJB.
Other musical acts on Saturday include longtime artists Tall Paul and Keith Secola.
Doors will open at 12 p.m. with performances beginning at 1 p.m. after an opening ceremony. The event is free and open to the public.
Chandra Colvin covers Native American communities in Minnesota for MPR News via Report for America, a national service program that places journalists into local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues and communities.
