Niagara guitarist heading to Indigenous Music Awards
For Our Future Generations earns Phil Davis nomination for best pow wow – traditional album
With his group Ol’ Child, St. Catharines guitarist Phil Davis has played all across Niagara.
With his other group Little Creek Singers, he’s played all across North America.
One allows him to play some blues jams. The other is far more profound — pow wows passing the heritage of the Cree, Algonquin, Anishnawbe and Haudenoshaunee onto a new generation of First Nations people.
Consisting of singers and musicians from all over Ontario, the group is up for best pow wow – traditional album at the CBC Music Indigenous Music Awards, being held May 18 in Winnipeg. Released in September, the stirring album “For Our Future Generations” will be against Moosetown Singers’ “Pe Pasiko/When We Sing Live,” Northern Cree’s “miyo kekisepa, Make a Stand,” Sweetgrass Singers’ “Indian Summer” and Wildhorse Singers’ “Saddle up Hup Hup Hup.”
“It was pretty cool, we’re all really excited,” said Davis. “We’re up against Northern Cree — if you can compare this to rock stars, they’d be like Led Zeppelin.
“That’s the kind of status they carry within our realm of music.”
Which translates to: He doesn’t expect to win, but he’s thrilled just to be nominated.
“We know we ain’t got a chance in hell, but man, we get to wear the badge the rest of our lives.”
With members ranging from 11 to 67 years old, the diverse group formed six years ago and have been pow wow staples ever since. With upwards of 14 members (they rarely perform all at once), the group is invited to corporate and public events along with traditional pow wows.
It adds to an already busy schedule for Davis. In addition to his duties in Ol’ Child, he’s also the cultural resource co-ordinator for the Niagara Regional Native Centre.
“It’s keeping me busy when I’m not doing anything!” he says.
“We could go every weekend if we wanted to.
“And right across North America, people will actually do it. They’ll go on the pow wow trail all year long.”