“We’re in the presence of Indigenous royalty,” said Jeremy Dutcher. Renowned Abenaki filmmaker Alanis Obomsawin, 92 years young, made a rare appearance to perform songs from Bush Lady, her only record, which has been performed live just three times since its release in 1988.
As Obomsawin took the stage in a bright red dress, the crowd rose to their feet to pay their respects. Accompanied by a talented ensemble of musicians, she sang with a depth of emotion that only her years of experience can provide. “Bush Lady part 1,” features a single steady drum beat along with Obomsawin’s piercing lyrics such as “I walk around with the sorrows of my race engraved upon my face.”
She shared a chant that came to her one day when she felt the river was talking to her, and ended with a lullaby, encouraging us to “fait dodo.” She laughed, “Now you’re all asleep.”
Dutcher surprised the crowd with one more song from Obomsawin as she joined him and his band for another beautiful lullaby, followed by an honour song from Dutcher during which the crowd rose in respect.
Fresh off his second Polaris Prize win, Dutcher was full of gratitude and energy, and a wonderful sense of humour. In another life he could have been a comedian. Just before Obomsawin left the stage, she said that Dutcher was Mi’kmaq and she was Abenaki. Dutcher turned to the crowd and said, “I’m not even gonna tell her I’m not Mi’kmaq; I’m gonna go with it. I hear people are doing that now.”
Many of Dutcher’s songs are in the Maliseet-Passamaquoddy language. As he explained, the language is in danger as there are less than 100 fluent speakers. Through his music, he’s helping to keep the language alive. He also makes a point to “bring in the ancestors” in his show, with archival recordings of singing elders. This adds to the rich tapestry of sound that was a non-stop stream flowing from one song to the next.
“Take My Hand,” one of the most popular songs from his latest album, Motewolonuwok, was a stunning bevy of emotions. Songs like that, and performers like Dutcher, are why live music is such an immersive experience compared to listing to a recording.
At one point, Dutcher realized he’d broken the pedal on the piano. He handled the setback with ease, changing plans and singing without the piano. Soon enough, one of the theatre staff was on the scene to quickly repair it and the show carried on.
The sold-out crowd was eager for an encore, and Dutcher barrel rolled onto centre stage. He talked to the audience a bit, saying things like “The Museum of Anthrolology is right there—we could go take our stuff back.” The crowd seemed to like the idea, but he said, “I’m not going to jail for you!” He performed one more song, in French, dedicated to Obomsawin who was watching from the audience. The crowd was begging for another song, but he came back on stage one last time to say, “They told me I have to go home, so you do too!”
Aside from his double-Polaris worthy music, Dutcher’s stage presence is captivating and inspiring. If you have a chance to see a Jeremy Dutcher show, take it.
