A unique evening celebrating Canadian West Coast music and culture is coming to Ladner’s Genesis Theatre next week.
Terri-Lynn Williams-Davidson, Bill Henderson and Claire Lawrence will perform music from their acclaimed album Grizzly Bear Town in a 7:30 p.m. concert on Friday, Nov. 16.
Williams-Davidson is a Haida musician, artist and lawyer who has dedicated herself to the continuation of Haida culture. Henderson and Lawrence are prominent musicians, best known for their work in Chilliwack, among other projects.
The trio performs music about place, spirit, culture and laws, enwrapped in guitar, sax and flute, expressed in the ancient Haida language.
They will be joined by Jodi Proznick on bass, and Saffron Henderson and Camille Henderson on background vocals.
“We like to help bridge cultures to help connect people of different backgrounds in the spirit of true reconciliation, and to have some fun on the way,” said Williams-Davidson.
Henderson and Williams-Davidson first collaborated on a project in 2008 recording traditional Haida songs by contemporary artists.
“It was part of a larger project in which I collected together every single archival Haida song out there and produced it for the Haida Gwaii Seniors’ Society,” Williams-Davidson told the Optimist.
“We wanted to create a box set of songs for young people to learn the songs. A few years ago Bill was being honoured at a BC Music event to raise money for music in Haida Gwaii. Bill was the only musician there willing to try and figure out how he could play guitar to a traditional Haida song. So we got together along with Claire and created two songs for the concert and really liked what we created, so we said we should get together and record.”
A few years ago they came together sharing music, lyrics and recordings and released Grizzly Bear Town last year.
“It’s a very different album in that most people are used to seeing Indigenous music with a lot of drums,” she said. “This is different because the music on the West Coast does not have a big drum feel. I hope people find it fresh and a new take on music.”
She said she has never performed in Ladner, and is looking forward to meeting this new audience.
“I have friends who have performed there who have said it is a wonderful theatre,” she said. “I like the idea that it is part of a school and we might reach that younger audience as well.”
Tickets are $30 and can be purchased online at: http://connect37.deltasd.bc.ca (search for word terri) or by calling 604-940-5550.
