Aysanabee Had The Most Moving Performance At The Junos & His Outfit Was So Meaningful (VIDEO)

The First Nations artist just made Canadian history.

Aysanabee at the JUNO Awards 2023.

Aysanabee at the JUNO Awards 2023.

CARAS/iPhoto
Creator

Aysanabee stunned audiences with a moving performance at the JUNO Awards and there was so much meaning behind the whole thing right down to his outfit.

In an interview with Narcity, Aysanabee opened up about how the stunning performance which referenced residential schools in Canada, alongside Northern Cree, came together.

When it came down to planning the incredible JUNOS performance, Aysanabee said everything seen in the performance played a "very special important part." However, one idea didn't quite make the cut and that was including holograms.

Aysanabee performs 'We Were Here' with Northern Cree | 2023 Juno Awardswww.youtube.com

However because the expensive tech wasn't within the budget, they were instead able to project an image of Aysanabee's grandfather onto smoke during the introduction his song "We Were Here."

"The whole album was written off stories of my grandfather so having him be here in some way was important to me," he explained.

"To be able to bring him here and have this towering image in that smoke projected was the biggest moment," he added.

Another hugely important detail was Aysanabee's jacket, which was designed by Indigenous artist Travis Schilling, and had 122 painted feathers sewn onto it.

Each of the feathers was hand-stitched with a number by clothing brand Call and Response, which signified the number of unmarked graves.

"It was an emotional experience for them," he said.

Winning a JUNO wasn't the only reason Aysanabee had to celebrate. He recently became the first-ever Indigenous artist to hit number one on Mediabase's Alternative Rock chart for his single, 'Nomads.'

"It's kind of historic there too... I'm really grateful," he said.

  • Creator

    Charlie Hart was a Calgary-based Creator for Narcity Media. Hailing from London, U.K., Charlie moved to Calgary with a passion for learning more about what Canada has to offer. She studied Magazine Journalism at Cardiff University and has over five years of experience for titles including Supply Management, Elle UK and InStyle UK.

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