b'MUSICSTRIKING Three Indigenous songwriters are making their A CHORD mark on Canadas contemporary music sceneBy Matthew BradfordM usic has long been a potent medium forFrom contemporary folk artists to jazz aficionados, from festival Indigenous storytelling, entertainment andheadliners to social media stars, Canadas Indigenous music spectrum healing. Throughout history, Indigenousis richer and more diverse than ever. She is Wise explores how three musicians have used their distinct voicesIndigenous musical talents are blazing their own trail: two young and instruments to resonate with their communities and share theirup-and-coming talentsInuk singer-songwriter Brenda Montana and histories and teachings with the world.Ojibway/Cree songwriter Sara Kanutskias well as Cheri Maracle, of Mohawk-Irish descent, who has already built a successful musical (and Over the years, Canadas Indigenous music scene has been composedacting) career on stages across the world. of talented women representing a spectrum of styles, genres and perspectives. Modern trailblazers like Buffy Sainte-Marie, Susan Aglukark, Tanya Taqaq are helping to open the national stage to a newBRENDA MONTANAgeneration of equally talented singers, songwriters and performers.For emerging artists like Brenda Montana, making a name as a musi-cian means adapting old-school talents for modern audiences. This past August, the Inuk singer-songwriter took a digital step forward with the release of her debut album, Qaujimagit, for download. I was hitting refresh all day, and then, there it was, she recalls. I was so excitedit was out there! I think I cried about six times that day.Qaujimagit signals the arrival of a fresh voice in the Indigenous music scene and the start of a career that seemed inevitable since Montana was a child. Growing up in Rankin Inlet, Nunavut, Montana took quickly to learning guitar, piano and ukulele, while drawn to hitmakers on her radio (Shaun Mendes and Tash Sultana, to name a couple) and listening to impromptu performances by her guitar-playing Uncle Ken.Inuk singer-songwriter Brenda Montana represents a fresh new voice in the Indigenous music scene68Fall/Winter 2022'