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On Nov 25th, 2007 the St Paul AAAM Dir of Contemporary music Shelley Poitras organized a show/dance/lunch at Lac Belleview Hall 12 miles south of St Paul on Hwy #881. The hall was full of loyal Poitras fans and as soon as the band started up the floor filled with dancers. "The Goodtimers" were the capable back up band and they did a good job backing up everyone from Akina Shirt to Jared Sowans blues. All the performers sang and fiddled their way into the loyal fans hearts. |
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W T Goodspirit, an up and coming CW singers powerful voice prompted applause and cheers as he sang his first song. The floor was filled till he sang his last song. Everyone appreciates a good singer and he certainly is one good singer. |
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Akina Shirt is 13 years old and is an honor student at the Victoria school of performing and visual arts in Edmonton. She opened with her Cree rendition of Kakanatahk,we all stood up as we listened to our beautiful national anthem sung in the way only Akina can do it. She also did a favorite song that Natives love all across Canada and that of course is "Frozen Bannock Sandwiches my Kokom gave to me". She does such a good job on this song and I think she is going to have to sing it wherever she goes. She is only 13 years old but when she sings Patsy Clines song Walking after midnight" I swear her voice turns into the voice of a 30 yr old woman. She is going a long way in the music world cause she's just got it. |
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Now Cory Poitras is
something else. He is 18 yrs old and plays that fiddle like every good fiddle player
I've ever seen. He picks all the right tunes and as soon as he started the floor was filled.
A lot of those people come for the fiddle and let me tell you they didn't waste any time getting
up when he started. Of course the highlight for me is when Cory plays the Red River jig and dances as he plays. This is something you just gotta see. I've seen fiddle players all across Canada and as of yet I have never seen one that can do what Cory does, step as he plays. I'd love to see him on a nation wide show just to show this talent off he possesses, to step as he plays. Keep up the good work Cory! PS Kelsey his younger sister jigs with Cory and they somehow manage to do the same steps, great dance choreography Kids, I love it!! |
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Everyone always told me wait till you see Jared Sowan and I finally saw him today and now I understand why everyone was always saying that. He is one great performer with just the greatest voice for singing blues. Even tho' it was out of place at a country western show hall it was great and I loved it. We danced to it also and had a good time dancing. I'd like to see him in a crowd that understands his kind of music and especially that know how to boogey to it. We tried and we had fun. Anyway he is so good and I was glad to finally see him in action. The fiddle player Riel Aubichon with THE GOODTIMERS sure spices up a song. Rollie Poitras sang and his band did just the greatest job of backing him up. We heard good lead guitar, good bass and like I said great fiddle. They are going to be backing up the performers at our Dec 8th show in Edmonton at the Victoria School of Performing Arts and I'm glad about that. I know they'll do just the greatest backup for everyone. |
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Dec 8th, 2007. NATIVE NASHVILLE SOUND -- What can I say except we got a pile of experience on how to put on a big show. We had a good line up and there was not a dead spot in the show. Cory Poitras and his younger sister Kelsey brought the house down when Cory played the Red River Jig and they both danced choreograped steps to it. That was the very peppy familiar part of the show and we'll definitely do that again. Over the last 30 yrs on the road I have seen many people play very good fiddle music but nothing compares to Cory when he plays and steps to his own music. Keep up the good work Cory, you got a show stopper there. The beautiful and talented and young Akina Shirt opened the show with a couple of nice melodic songs. Her hit for the nite was "Frozen Bannock Sandwiches" You can't go wrong when you sing this song to a native audience. They're familiar with the sentiment of the song and the bannock of course, also they get a chance to reminisce about dear old Gramma. Akina also closed the show and all the performers got up and sang "You Are My Sunshine" with her. This was a nice touch and a good way to hilight one of our young up and coming stars .Lyle Donald and the Edmonton Metis Cultural Dancers are always good lively entertainment. The group danced popular old time dances such as Reel of Four,Orange Blossom Special, (way to go Brent Potskin) and the belt dance. The audience loved this good traditional entertainment. Wow, they sure have a lot of energy. When they finished they turned right around and donated their fee right back to us. Thanks Lyle, you are a true supporter of AAAM. We gotta work together again somewhere soon. WT Goodspirit is just a great country western singer. He's got the big voice and his phrases and interpretations are so good. He grew up listening to gospel and all the old great country singers and of course Elvis. When you listen to him your memories get transported back and forth over the last 50 yrs. Keep it up WT you got a great singing future ahead of you and we were glad to have you. The Goodtimers country band was our house band and as usual they did a great job. Rollie sang great songs and Riel Aubichon played some great fiddle for us. I've seen these guys perform here and there and they always do the job the way it's supposed to be done. The crowd always likes to hear thier kind of repetoire, it was great. Thanks band , good professional show, as usual ! Our headliner for the evening was the well known singer/storyteller Laura Vinson. It was nice and relaxing to hear her ballads of the mountains and her people. She had a young fancy dancer interpreting some of her songs in dance movements. This was a treat and visually it was magnificent. Thanks Laura and it was so nice to hear and see you again. Winston Wuttunee was the lively emcee for the concert and kept the people well entertained with jokes and crazy anctics. |
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