Music
Both current Saskatchewan singer/songwriters performing their own songs as well as performances of songs with deep roots in Saskatchewan history are featured in this part of the collection.
Hypnotized – Jeff Straker
Performed on July 19, 2009, in Shaunavon, Saskatchewan as part of the Celebrate the NWMP Trail Festival
Originally from Punnichy, Saskatchewan, Jeff Straker now splits his time between Saskatchewan and Toronto, and he has an exciting musical career in both locations. Jeff has become a regular on radio stations across the country and has been featured on numerous television specials including recently a pay-per-view concert on SaskTel’s Max on Demand. Hypnotized, his most successful single to date, recently made it to No. 6 on the Much Music Video Countdown. (Duration 4:26)
Baby Love – Carrie Catherine
Performed on July 19, 2009, in Shaunavon, Saskatchewan as part of the Celebrate the NWMP Trail Festival
Saskatoon’s Carrie Catherine is one of Saskatchewan rising stars! Her song writing and dynamic performances have won her critical praise and made her an audience favourite all over the province. While she primarily plays her own music, this performance features an excellent cover the the Supremes classic Baby Love. (Duration )
Leap of Faith – Karen Blackwell Jones
Performed on August 2, 2009, at Fort Walsh National Historic Site at the Celebrate the NWMP Trail Festival
Hailing from Dinsmore, Saskatchewan, Karen Blackwell Jones is a well-known Saskatchewan singer/songwriter whose music echoes her experiences living in rural Saskatchewan. Leap of Faith is a bit of a departure for Karen in that it takes a critical look at the trend in modern society to function outside of spiritual beliefs. In the song, she wonders aloud if it isn’t time for people to look beyond commercialism and science. (Duration 4:38)
Like Father Like Son – Tommy-John Ehman
Performed on July 24, 2009, in Val Marie, Saskatchewan at the Celebrate the NWMP Trail Festival
Tommy-John Ehman is a singer/songwriter from Craik, Saskatchewan who has recorded a number of successful albums and toured throughout Western Canada. Tommy’s music is rooted heavily in the experience of growing up on a Saskatchewan farm and in Like Father Like Son he takes the audience on a spiritual journey exploring the connection so many rural people feel towards the land. (Duration 4:32)
The Word Junkie – Ragtime Don and the Word Junkie
Performed on August 2, 2009, at Fort Walsh National Historic Site at the Celebrate the NWMP Trail Festival
Ragtime Don and the Word Junkie are a pair of Regina musicians otherwise known as Don Modderman and Chris Weber. They both bring versatility, humour and a great sense of fun to their music, which ranges from historical epics to whimsical ballads. This song provides a clever explanation for Chris’s moniker “the Word Junkie.” (Duration 4:02)
Red Neck Lovin – Megan Nash
Performed July 19, 2009, in Shaunavon at the Celebrate the NWMP Trail Festival
Megan Nash is young singer/songwriter from Mortlach, Saskatchewan. Her stage presence is brimming with charisma and audiences always have fun when Megan is performing. Red Neck Lovin is a tongue-in-cheek tribute to the country boys that Megan grew up with and learned to appreciate. The song’s comical lyrics and energetic melody got a great response from the audience in Shaunavon, a number of who Megan had recruited to be part of her new back up band, “The Boomers.” (Duration 2:52)
The Ballad of Norma Susan – Karen Blackwell Jones
Performed July 24, 2009, in Val Marie at the Celebrate the NWMP Trail Festival
Hailing from Dinsmore, Saskatchewan, Karen Blackwell Jones is a well-known Saskatchewan singer/songwriter whose songs echo her experiences living in rural Saskatchewan. The Ballad of Norma Susan is a tribute to Karen’s grandmother who Karen describes as “the most optimistic person I have ever known.” Written as a waltz the song has a rare charm and beauty that captures the spirit of Karen’s grandmother. (Duration 5:32)
The North-West Mounted Police – Tommy-John Ehman
Performed July 24, 2009, in Val Marie at the Celebrate the NWMP Trail Festival
Tommy-John Ehman is a singer/songwriter from Craik, Saskatchewan who has recorded a number of successful albums and toured throughout Western Canada. He is one of the performers who participated in the Celebrate the NWMP Trail festivals staged by the RHCA in the summer of 2009. In honour of the festivals, Tommy wrote a song specifically about the NWMP Trail and performed it at the Wood Mountain and Val Marie events. This is a video from his Val Marie performance. (Duration 5:12)
Pray for Rain – Karen Blackwell Jones
Performed July 19, 2009, in Shaunavon at Celebrate the NWMP Trail Festival
Karen Blackwell Jones is a singer/songwriter from Dinsmore, Saskatchewan. She has released two CDs and has a third in the works. Karen draws the subjects of her songs from her family, friends and life in rural Saskatchewan where she lives with her husband, a farmer, and where she teaches school. Pray for Rain is a song that looks back at her family’s pioneer roots, considers the present state of farming and contemplates the future of the family farm. (Duration 6:05)
Sober – Megan Nash
Performed July 11, 2009, in Eastend at Celebrate the NWMP Trail Festival
Megan Nash is a young up-and-coming singer/songwriter from Mortlach, Saskatchewan. She is known for her charismatic on-stage personality and lively performance style. Her songs reflect her experiences living in rural Saskatchewan as a farm girl who went to school in small-town Saskatchewan. This song, which is a homage to the “typical” country song, takes a humorous look at the results of over-indulgence and provides a positive message about sobriety. (Duration 5:06)
Dion Tootoosis
Performed March 2, 2009 in Saskatoon
Dion Tootoosis is a Saskatchewan musician, storyteller and educator and one of the principals of Buffalo Boy Productions, a Saskatoon-based company, that specializes in First Nations cultural performances and storytelling. Dion performed three of his round dance songs that will be included on the upcoming CD: Los Indios, Inc. Hand Drum Songs. The three songs are: Crossroads Blues; Raisin Love Song; and Shake My Booty. Click here to view all three round dance songs. (Duration of each song is approximately 3 minutes)
Tommy-John Ehman (Live)
Performed September 27, 2008 at Danceland, Manitou Beach
Hailing from Craik, Saskatchewan, Tommy-John Ehman is one of Saskatchewan’s most talented singer/songwriters. His songs speak poignantly to many aspects of the Saskatchewan experience. This video features songs from two of his recent CDs. Like Father Like Son, comes from the album of the same name, and addresses the difficulty of generational transition on the farm. The other two songs are from the CD, Wheels of Life. Stand up for Your Country is an expression of Canadian pride while Song for the Soldier is a tribute to veterans. (Duration 4:50)
Threshing Crew – Ragtime Don & the Ghost Town Gang
Performed September 27, 2008 at Danceland, Manitou Beach
This song is based on a poem written by a member of the Luke Parker Threshing Crew in the early 1900s. The poem was discovered by Don Modderman, who set the poem to music. Modderman also travelled to the Motherwell Homestead National Historic Site near Abernathy to record the sounds of a threshing machine, which he incorporated into the music. This song provides a rare glimpse into the spirit of the prairie threshing crews that played such an important role in the development of Western Canada. (Duration 4:00)
The Song of Louis Riel – Cheryl & Joel Mowchenko
Performed August 2, 2008 in Mossbank at the Old Wives Lake Festival
This song is an English translation of a song written in French sometime after the 1885 execution of Louis Riel. Some reports indicate this song is traced back to the Metis from the Qu’Appelle Valley and that Louis Riel contributed some of the verses himself. The song is sung from Riel’s perspective at the time of his trial in Regina. The song was one of “Eight Songs of Saskatchewan” collected in the 1950s by noted Canadian folklorist Barbara Cass-Beggs, who was also one of the moving forces behind the founding of the Saskatchewan History & Folklore Society. (Duration 2:47)
The Hungry Fox – Cornerstone Band
Performed August 2, 2008 in Mossbank at the Old Wives Lake Festival
This is a children’s song composed sometime in the 1830s and brought out from Ontario by early pioneers. This was one of the songs contributed by Wellington Thompson of Regina to noted Canadian folklorist Barbara Cass-Beggs collection entitled “Eight Songs of Saskatchewan.” The collection was published in the 1950s and was one of the projects Beggs developed in consultation with the Saskatchewan History & Folklore Society, an organization that she played a major role in creating. (Duration 3:32)
Saskatchewan – Cornerstone Band
Performed August 2, 2008 in Mossbank at Old Wives Lake Festival
This is a Depression-era song that describes the hardships of the period, but still digs deep at the end to find the eternal optimism of “next-year” country.” The lyrics are credited to William Smith of Swift Current but other versions of the song are known to exist including “Dakota Land,” “Alberta Land” and “O Prairie Land.” The song was one of “Eight Songs of Saskatchewan” collected in the 1950s by noted Canadian folklorist Barbara Cass-Beggs, who was also one of the moving forces behind the founding of the Saskatchewan History & Folklore Society. (Duration 3:20)
Storyteller Showcase – Various Artists
Performances on September 27, 2008 at Danceland in Little Manitou
This video features highlights from performances at the Storyteller Showcase, which included songs from five different Saskatchewan singer/songwriters. These were Tommy-John Ehman, Jodi Faith, Ragtime Don and the Ghost Town Gang, Karen Blackwell Jones and Sisters. Performances cover several musical genres including country, gospel, ragtime and blues. The songs express many elements of the Saskatchewan experience from the pioneer period to modern times and clips of the singers talking about some of their songs are also included. (Duration 9:14)