Press Releases

Winnipeg, Manitoba – Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN) announced today the lineup and hosts for Aboriginal Day Live & Celebration, the fastest-growing event of its kind in the nation. The free event is held this upcoming National Aboriginal Day on Saturday, June 21, 2014.

Each year, APTN broadcasts the concert LIVE from twin stage locations and this year concerts will be held in Winnipeg and Halifax.

Aboriginal Day Live Broadcast: APTN will bring the celebration to Canada via the LIVE broadcast, radio waves, online and mobile devices. The exclusive 3.5 hour broadcast of Aboriginal Day Live will air on APTN and APTN HD at 9:00 p.m. ET.

WINNIPEG LINEUP:
Live from The Forks in Winnipeg, the bold and beautiful Michelle Thrush of Blackstone and Derek Miller with his “Mohawk swagger” team up as co-hosts for the Aboriginal Day Live concert.

• Billy Ray Cyrus: Singer-songwriter, guitarist and country music superstar. Billy unleashed the work of his life and marked the 20-year anniversary of the release of his debut album with Change My Mind; focusing on his own sound that made him a success right from the start: bluegrass, Southern rock, gospel and country music.
• Leonard Sumner: From Little Saskatchewan First Nation located in the Interlake Region of Manitoba, he has a solid following in Winnipeg and beyond; a unique blend of hip hop, country and R & B with some insight from the Rez.
• LightningCloud: A duo based out of Los Angeles. Crystle Lightning and MC RedCloud mix West Coast hip hop and electronic trap. DJ Hydroe joins them onstage to deliver a vibrant, multimedia stage performance.
• Mike Bone: They’ve performed on America’s Got Talent, and their hit song “Rain Dance” exploded across the U.S.A. Brothers who are a hip hop duo from Oklahoma City.
• Murray Porter and Friends: A Mohawk master of the piano from the Six Nations of the Grand River but based out of the West Coast. He’s shaped his own style of blues, country and humour. When Murray hits the stage, audiences follow his foot-stomping, hand-clapping blues lead.
• Nelson Tagoona: A multitalented musician from Baker Lake, Nunavut, who mixes traditional Inuit throat singing, beat boxing and the guitar. Nelson’s started his own cultural art phenomenon with astonishing reactions from audiences nationwide.
• Yvonne St. Germaine: Shares her gift of music as a gospel singer. She’s released six albums, performing and travelling internationally to communities, shelters, schools and more; a four-time winner in the category of “Best Gospel CD” at the Aboriginal Peoples Choice Music Awards.

HALIFAX LINEUP:
Live from the Halifax Waterfront, APTN deluxe hosts Don Kelly of Fish out of Water and Candy Palmater of The Candy Show team up as co-hosts for the Aboriginal Day Live concert in Halifax.

• A Tribe Called Red: From Ottawa, a producer/DJ crew influencing the global electronic scene with their signature style: Pow Wow Step. They were awarded the “Breakthrough Album of the Year” at the 2014 JUNO Awards.
• Ashley MacIsaac: An influential fiddle master from Cape Breton with a true passion for creating genre bending music. His roots are in traditional Celtic music, but he also references notes of rock, pop and everything in-between.
• Black & Grey: Boomy bass lines, dynamic percussion and compelling lyrics. An up-and-coming crew from Cape Breton, winning the ears of many major East Coast radio stations.
• Inez Jasper: An award-winning Sto:lo, Ojibway and Métis musician who harmonizes traditional Aboriginal sounds into her melodies. A guaranteed high energy pop performance from British Columbia.
• J. Hubert Francis & Eagle Feather: World-renowned for his creative knack to draw from traditional song and rock – fusing them with Mi’kmaq and English lyrics. A true Mi’kmaq vanguard from the Elsipogtog First Nation of New Brunswick.
• Joey Stylez: Based out of Los Angeles, he’s one of a select few who brought Aboriginal rap to the masses. His latest work, FEATHER + ROSARY, speaks to a global audience with references to young Aboriginal men’s struggles.
• Melissa Girvan: A fresh face and spirited singer-songwriter from northern New Brunswick. Her one-of-a-kind guitar style and alluring voice are layered with stories of love, life and good times.
• Radio Radio: A Montreal-based trio and creators of electro rap beats backed with Acadian-French lyrics. On the international grid with performances at festivals in the United States of America, France and Belgium.

In 2013, more than one million people were reached by the LIVE broadcast on APTN, APTN HD, Aboriginal radio stations across Canada and internationally via the livestream on aboriginaldaylive.com

For full details on Aboriginal Day Live & Celebration, visit aboriginaldaylive.com

ABOUT APTN:
September 1, 2013, marked the 14-year anniversary of the launch of the first national Aboriginal television network in the world with programming by, for and about Aboriginal Peoples to share with all Canadians and viewers around the world. APTN is available in approximately 10 million Canadian households and commercial establishments with cable, direct-to-home satellite, telco-delivered and fixed wireless television service providers. The network launched its high definition channel, APTN HD, in the spring of 2008. APTN does not receive government funding for operations but generates revenue through subscriber fees, advertising sales and strategic partnerships. APTN broadcasts programming with 56% offered in English, 16% in French and 28% in Aboriginal languages. For program schedule or for more information, please contact APTN at (204) 947-9331 or toll-free at 1-888-278-8862, or visit the website www.aptn.ca