Digging Roots
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Digging Roots
| origin = Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| genre = Folk rock, First Nations music
| years_active = 2004–present
| label = Ishkōdé Records, Universal
| website = {{URL|diggingrootsmusic.com}}
| current_members = Raven Kanatakta
ShoShona Kish
}}
Digging Roots is a Canadian musical group consisting of husband and wife duo Raven Kanatakta and ShoShona Kish, whose musical style blends folk-rock, pop, blues, and hip hop.[http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/282634 {Music: Digging Roots adding new twists on ancient traditions"]. Lenny Stoute . Dec 18, 2009[http://music.cbc.ca/#/blogs/2014/8/A-Tribe-Called-Red-Wab-Kinew-Tanya-Tagaq-on-the-indigenous-music-renaissance "A Tribe Called Red, Wab Kinew, Tanya Tagaq on the indigenous music renaissance"]. CBC Music, August 18, 2014. They won the Juno Award for Aboriginal Album of the Year in 2010 for their album We Are....[http://www.cbc.ca/news/arts/indigenous-music-extends-well-beyond-pop-and-rock-1.1059223 "Indigenous music extends well beyond pop and rock"]. CBC News, March 25, 2011.
Kanatakta is originally from Winneway, Quebec, while Kish is from the Batchewana First Nation in Northern Ontario.[http://www.thebarrieexaminer.com/2010/04/15/barries-digging-roots-going-for-a-juno-2 "Barrie's Digging Roots going for a Juno"]. Barrie Examiner, April 15, 2010.
History
Formed in 2004, the duo released their first album Seeds in 2006. The album was a nominee for the Aboriginal Album of the Year Juno at the Juno Awards of 2007."The 2007 Juno nominations". canada.com, February 7, 2007. They followed with We Are... in 2009, which featured collaborations with Tanya Tagaq, DJ Bear Witness of A Tribe Called Red and Kinnie Starr, who also produced the album.[https://www.thestar.com/opinion/2009/10/13/digging_roots_we_are.html "Digging Roots: We Are"]. Toronto Star, October 13, 2009. Their third album For the Light was released in 2014.
They won the Canadian Aboriginal Music Award for Best Group in 2007.[http://www.thebarrieexaminer.com/2010/04/20/barrie-band-bags-best-aboriginal-album-juno "Barrie band bags best Aboriginal album Juno"]. Barrie Examiner, April 20, 2010.
In 2016, the band performed at the Salmon Arm Roots & Blues Festival[http://www.bcmusicianmag.com/digging-with-shoshona-kish/ "Digging with ShoShona Kish"]. BC Musician Magazine • September 19, 2016 and at the Ottawa Jazz Festival.[https://ottawasun.com/2016/06/28/buffy-sainte-marie-cool-despite-glitches/wcm/50b2afec-aa6b-426a-ac2a-e3e12734089e "Buffy Sainte-Marie cool despite glitches"]. Ottawa Sun, June 28, 2016 In 2017 they performed at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa.[https://apt613.ca/review-anishinabekwe-showcases-impressive-talent/ "Concert review: Anishinabekwe showcases impressive talent"]. APT 613, By Jared Davidson on July 25, 2017
In 2018, Shoshona was awarded the Womex 18 Professional Excellence Award while Raven was awarded the Cobalt Award at the 2016 Maple Blues Awards.{{Cite web |last=Graaf |first=Maxine de |title=Review - Digging Roots {{!}} Canadian Beats Media |url=https://canadianbeats.ca/2016/07/16/review-digging-roots-2/ |access-date=2022-07-17 |language=en-US}}
After organizing three International Indigenous Music Summits together, Kish partnered with singer-songwriter Amanda Rheaume in 2021 to form Ishkōdé Records.{{Cite news |date=2021-06-30 |title=Ishkode Records partners with Universal Music Canada to 'amplify Indigenous voices' |language=en-CA |work=The Globe and Mail |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/music/article-ishkode-records-partners-with-universal-music-canada-to-amplify/ |access-date=2022-06-23}} The label releases music by Rheaume, Digging Roots, and singer-songwriters Aysanabee and Morgan Toney.{{Cite web |date=June 1, 2022 |title=Canadian Labels: Ishkōdé Records Ignites the Spirit of the Eighth Fire |url=https://amplify.nmc.ca/canadian-labels-ishkode-records-ignites-the-spirit-of-the-eighth-fire/ |website=National Music Centre |author=David McPherson |language=en-US}}
Discography
= Studio albums =
- Seeds (2006)
- We Are (2009)
- For the Light (2014)
- Zhawenim (2022)
= Singles =
- Ak47 (2016)
- The Healer (2021)
- Cut My Hair (2021)
- SKODEN (2022)
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{official|http://www.diggingrootsmusic.com}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:Canadian folk rock groups
Category:Canadian blues musical groups
Category:First Nations musical groups
Category:Musical groups from Toronto
Category:Musical groups established in 2004
Category:2004 establishments in Ontario
Category:Juno Award for Indigenous Music Album of the Year winners
Category:Canadian Folk Music Award winners
Category:Juno Award for Contemporary Indigenous Artist of the Year winners