Anishinabek music promoter and producer at the helm of Indigenous Sounds Now concert series

By Ella Miller

TORONTO — All of Elaine Bomberry’s hard work finally paid off on July 20.

Bomberry, who is Cayuga and Anishinabek, is the curator of Indigenous Sounds Now, a free annual concert that happens at Ontario Place in Toronto.

Indigenous Sounds Now is just one of several free concerts being hosted at Ontario Place as part of their SummerSounds series at Trillium Park. Indigenous Sounds Now featured an all-Indigenous line-up with artists selected by Bomberry.

“It’s just awesome to have a place to showcase Indigenous talent at such a high-profile tourist destination in Toronto,” said Bomberry in an interview prior to the event.

The show featured five artists in total, representing genres and musical styles ranging from electronic and dance music to country and blues, as well as traditional drumming. The event was hosted by accomplished journalist Donna Sound, who is originally from Sagamok Anishnawbek.

“For the first time, I’m showcasing Indigenous DJs,” said Bomberry. “[It’s] also the very first time a traditional group [has performed] because it’s mainly been contemporary Indigenous sounds.”

The two DJs featured were Classic Roots, a Toronto-based artist originally from Thunder Bay, and KIMIWVN, a relatively new performer in Toronto who came highly recommended to Bomberry following her electric debut at a beloved underground venue, Lee’s Palace.

Bomberry, who has roots in Six Nations, said she already knew many of the artists she invited to perform through her connections in the community.

“I’m from Six Nations, so we’re just a hotbed of Indigenous talent through and through,” said Bomberry. “That’s why I added The Healers, a really awesome blues band, which Six Nations is really well known for.”

The two other acts that rounded out Indigenous Sounds Now were singer-songwriter Nadjiwan in the headlining spot and the Eagle Heart Drummers, the traditional group that had just returned from a tour in Europe.

The Eagle Heart Drummers punctuated their set with stories and lessons on Indigenous languages, which were interspersed between their songs. Nearby, Lake Ontario provided the impetus for several of these stories.

“We are here on the shores of Niigaani-gichigami, the leading lake–the fifth leading lake of the Great Lakes,” said the group’s co-leader, Marie Gaudet. “I am Anishinabek. My people come from Manitoulin Island, and we are Great Lakes people. In time of travel before colonization, we relied upon these rivers and lakes to travel.”

It can be difficult for Bomberry to narrow down the artists she chooses for Indigenous Sounds Now, both due to the breadth of talent available and because of mandated changes to the concert series structure.

According to Bomberry, prior to the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Indigenous Sounds Now was allotted multiple days over the course of the SummerSeries. That number has since been reduced to a single afternoon of music, with some additional programming in the morning, such as yoga workshops.

Despite concerns around air quality due to the smoke from nearby wildfires, Indigenous Sounds Now was able to proceed under the bright summer sun, allowing these artists to share their music with listeners from all over Toronto.

Even though Indigenous Sounds Now has wrapped, Bomberry will continue to organize musical showcases, promote Indigenous talent, and serve as the manager for Juno award winner, Murray Porter (who is also her husband).

In Toronto, the SummerSeries at Ontario Place will continue to offer free concerts and cultural programming every weekend, save August 1, until August 16. More information about the SummerSeries is available online.