CHETWYND, B.C — The first annual Sakâwînow Music Festival will be coming to Chetwynd, B.C., next month to celebrate different cultural experiences in the Peace region through music and dance.
Daniel Desjarlais, founder and owner of Sakâwînow, said his goal is to make this music festival the largest multicultural event in the Peace.
“As guardians of this land, we want to create a cultural space where every community feels welcomed and can express their feelings through music and dancing,” said Desjarlais.
The West Moberly First Nations member explained that the vision is to grow this festival yearly and promote Indigenous artists who need more exposure to express their art.
He also believes the event will focus on engaging different cultures through music.
The two-day music festival will be split into three styles: multicultural, local, and modern.
Desjarlais said this is a new kind of musical event that will focus on electronic, hip-hop, rap, rock, and pop music.
“This festival is about celebrating both the differences and similarities of communities in northeastern B.C, and also making sure indigenous identities remain intact, envisioning to make Indigenous culture and music mainstream,” said Desjarlais.
He believes engaging with local Indigenous youth through this musical festival will be essential for preserving the Indigenous traditional drumming and singing.
“The festival theme is to engage the youth with popular mainstream world culture but also focus on preserving Indigenous traditions in their original forms,” said Desjarlais.
The two-day music festival will have different genres of music, with multicultural dancing and music kicking off each day, showcasing talent from around the world.
The festival will be held at 9003 Highway 97 South, Chetwynd, from August 18th to 19th, and tickets are on sale now.
For more information or merch, visit the Sakâwînow Music Festival website.
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