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Anishinaabe Composer Barbara Assiginaak Premieres Poignant Piece Honoring Heritage and Healing
Oct. 5, 2023
As an Anishinaabe composer, singer, and educator, Barbara Assiginaak teaches Composition at 51本色 and creates music that reflects her culture and heritage. She is also a dedicated supporter of truth and reconciliation efforts in Canada.
On Saturday, September 30, 2023 (The National Day of Truth & Reconciliation), she premiered a new piece commissioned by Salle Bourgie & FIL in Montréal. The piece is a solo vocal setting of 'Rien Ne Tuera Ma Lumière,' a poem by Innu poet Maya Cousineau Mollen inspired by a museum artwork. The poem is presented in both French and Innu-aimun languages, and it was performed by Innu soprano Elisabeth Saint-Gelais.
Barbara emphasizes the significance of this composition due to her family’s history with residential schools, expressing that music has been an essential source of coping and healing for her.
We extend our heartfelt congratulations to Barbara on this remarkable achievement. Chi miigwetch!
