When
indigenous singer-songwriters Jaaji and Chelsey June,
better known as Twin Flames, first met in 2014 they were
on completely different paths.
Jaaji
(pronounced Yah-yee) is an Inuit Mohawk who already had
an established audience in the Far North where his music
was loved and embraced by many. He was also married.
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Jaaji
and Chelsey June will perform as Twin Flames
on Saturday, Dec. 5 at the Shenkman Arts Centre.
Photo supplied
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Chelsey,
who is an Algonquin Cree M�tis from Ottawa, had intense
stage fright and had never performed in front of an audience
of more than one. She had also recently gone through a
painful break up and getting into another relationship
was the furthest thing from her mind.
Everything
changed later that fall when Jaaji returned home from
a Canadian tour and his wife filed for divorce. He ended
up moving to Montreal and was couch surfing between friends
when he decided to send Chelsey a random Facebook message.
One
thing led to another and before long the two ended up
jamming and writing songs together in Ottawa. The result
was Jaaji and Chelsey June Twin Flames which was
released on Dec. 1, 2015.
At
first the pair was worried their individual audiences
would fail to accept their collaboration. But they needn't
have worried because the CD received both critical and
popular acclaim. They were named Aboriginal Songwriters
of the Year at the 2016 Canadian Folk Music Awards and
they were nominated for Debut Duo of the Year and Best
Recording of the Year at the Native American Music Awards.
With
Jaaji`s support Chelsey June was able to get over her
stage fright and the pair began to tour together.
Since
the release of their debut album they have performed more
than 800 times across Canada and throughout North America.
In
June 2017 they released their much anticipated second
album Signal Fire with which they further expanded
their contemporary folk musical stylings while maintaining
their indigenous roots.
They
were named Aboriginal Songwriters of the year for the
second time at the 2017 Canadian Folk Music Awards and
they took home two Native American Music Awards � Best
Folk Album and Duo of the Year.
Their
video Broke Down Ski'tuuq was the first Inuttitut
music video to make it into the Best Music Video Category
at the Native American Music Awards. More importantly
they decided to join forces on the most intimate level
possible by tying the matrimonial not in September 2017.
Twin
Flames will bring their unique mix of contemporary folk,
traditional indigenous instrumentation and intimate presentation
to the Shenkman Arts Centre on Saturday, Dec. 8.
Besides
their original songs, the performance will also feature
a selection of holiday favourites, including Silent
Night sung in English, Inuktitut and French.
Tickets
can be purchased at the Shenk-man Arts Centre box office
or by visiting www.shenkmanarts.ca.
(This
story was made possible thanks to the generous support of
our local business partners.)
TARTARE NIGHT every Wednesday night at the Orléans Brewing Co. from 5-8 p.m. Beef, tuna and beet options. The Orléans Brewing Co. is located 4380 Innes Rd., next to McDonalds.
ORLEANS FARMERS MARKET every Thursday from 11 am to 4 pm in the parking lot at the Ray Friel Recreation Centre on Tenth Line Road. Shop the freshest seasonal produce, meat and dairy, baked goods, prepared foods, crafts and more while getting to know the folks who grew and made it.
ROYAL OAK ORLEANS presents live music with Ryan MacIntyre entertaining from 9 p.m. Come and enjoy our special Oak-toberfest menu. The Royal Oak Pub is located at 1981 St. Joseph Blvd. (corner of Jeanne d'Arc.)
CUMBERLAND FARMERS MARKET from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the R.J. Kennedy Arena in Cumberland Village with 85 local farmers and vendors ready to showcase their freshest produce, handmade goods, and unique finds.
90s HITS MUSICAL BINGO 7:30 p.m. at the Orléans Brewing Co. 4380 Innes Rd., next to McDonalds. Hosted by Shine..
