Indigenous music celebrated at the Babs Asper Theatre
With six nominations, the soulful rocker Aysanabee is the leading contender in this year's Summer Solstice Indigenous Music Awards, to be handed out during a ceremony at the National Arts Centre's Babs Asper Theatre on June 6. The Oji-cree musician from Ontario's Sandy Lake First Nation is also a featured performer during the event, along with Indian City, Andrea Menard, Plex and Joel Wood. Hosted by Sarain Fox, the awards offer a chance to celebrate the diverse and growing artistic excellence of First Nations, Inuit and Métis musicians across 16 categories. Tickets start at $20, plus taxes and fees, available at ticketmaster. ca. A limited number of VIP tickets, starting at $75, include a reception with an Indigenous-inspired menu by NAC chef Chris Commandant.
FOOD
David Vinoya, executive chef of the Hilton Garden Inn & Homewood Suites Ottawa Downtown on Queen Street, will lean into his Filipino roots at a seven-course dinner at the hotel June 5 that will mark Philippines Independence Day. On the menu are Filipino rotisserie chicken, poached fish with miso tamarind consomme, seafood squid ink rice paella, crispy pork belly with peanut sauce, king crab with coconut milk, wagyu with onion citrus soy sauce and Filipino shaved ice cream. Some fine-dining flourishes are possible, given that Vinoya won Regina's Gold Medal Plates competition in 2017 and just missed the podium at the Canadian culinary championship the following year. The price of $160 per person includes wine pairings but not taxes or tip. To reserve, call 613-608-1643.
BLUES
The Lucas Hanneman Express is back with a new name and new album. Renamed the LH Express, the band still features guitarist Lucas Hanneman but now sees singer Megan Laurence stepping to the front as lead vocalist on half the tracks, with longtime bassist Martin Newman and new drummer Valera Negovora rounding out the lineup. Their new record, Painting Stars, is described as “blues for the modern age at its finest,” with songwriting inspired by the lonely days of the pandemic when musicians were unable to work. Join them to celebrate the release at Irene's Pub, 885 Bank St., on Friday. Tickets are $20, plus taxes and fees, available at irenespub.com. Showtime is around 9 p.m.
PARTY
Cuban food, drink and culture are in the spotlight on Sunday when Fiesta Cubana 2023 takes over the Horticulture Building at Lansdowne Park. The fun starts at noon and runs until 9 p.m., with dance lessons at 1 p.m., a presentation on books and culture at 4 p.m., an acoustic trio at 5 p.m., DJ La China at 7:30 and an 8 p.m. headlining show by the 12-piece Cafe Cubano Band, one of Canada's first all-cuban, full salsa bands. Advance tickets are $20, available at eventbrite.ca, or $25 at the door.
CULTURE
Fans of Asian night markets have two choices in Ottawa this weekend: one that will take place in Chinatown and another that will cater to west-end suburbanites at the Tanger Outlets mall. Both events will feature food vendors galore and Asian entertainment. Entry is free to both events, which will run Friday from mid-afternoon till late evening; Saturday from noon till late evening; and Sunday from noon till 8 p.m. Find information for the Chinatown event at ottawachinatown.ca. Information for the Tanger mall event is at allevents.in.
JAZZ
With her most recent album, entitled How To Say Sorry and Other Lessons, Whitehorse-based jazz vocalist and songwriter Fawn Fritzen delves earnestly into deep emotional waters, with lyrics that touch upon such themes as heartbreak, consent, gender roles, infidelity, shame and redemption. Fritzen will perform the multilingual music from the album during a rare Ottawa appearance Friday at the Shenkman Arts Centre in Orléans. Supporting Fritzen will be pianist Dave Restivo, bassist Lauren Falls and drummer Valérie Lacombe. The music starts at 7 p.m. and tickets are $20 at shenkmanarts.ca.