KJIPUKTUK (Halifax) – Delighted to present something really special this weekend. The Rita Joe Song Project features young Indigenous youth from across Canada recording and performing unique songs inspired by the poem I Lost My Talk by Mi’kmaw elder and poet Rita Joe.
With some footage of Rita Joe, this is the wonderful interpretation by students of the Allison Bernard Memorial High School in Eskasoni of what is probably Rita Joe’s best known poem, I lost my talk.
Rita Joe lived in Eskasoni in the latter part of her life, and raised her family there.
The track features lead vocals by Kalolin Johnson, the rap styling of Devon Paul and powwow chanting by Thunder Herney.
Read I lost my voice and find out more about the Rita Joe song project here. You can read the lyrics and see all the video credits here.
This is really beautiful.
See also: Weekend video – Rita Joe, two fragments.
If you can, please support the Nova Scotia Advocate so that it can continue to cover issues such as poverty, racism, exclusion, workers’ rights and the environment in Nova Scotia. A pay wall is not an option since it would exclude many readers who don’t have any disposable income at all. We rely entirely on one-time donations and a tiny but mighty group of kindhearted monthly sustainers.
