Twin Flames at Celtfest

After awhile I have begun to lag on my Celtfest photos, which is usually the only chance I have at concert photography in a year. For one thing, most bands play in the daylight, which is less interesting. For another, some of the groups are not as compelling as those that play near the end of the day.

There is one band that I absolutely loved, the penultimate performance last Saturday. It was a folk band called Twin Flames. Generally speaking, I would prefer genuine Celtic groups at Celtfest, but this folk band was wonderful. They are an indigenous group with both a lovely sound and a lovely spirit. To me, they presented one of the best Celtfest performances ever, and I think, definitely the most poignant and moving concert.

I will include a snippet from their website as well as a link at the end.

When a female performer comes on stage wearing red, my camera can't help but start clicking. Her name is Chelsey June and she is métis (Algonquin Cree) from Ottawa.

She sings well, and plays the native flute (above) and drum (below).

While one usually tries to avoid taking photos where the mic partly obscures the face, I really like this one (below) regardless. In fact. with the possible exception of the flute photo, I think this is my fave.

She could be quite animated and fun to watch as in this photo with the other twin Flame, her husband, Jaaji , who is Inuk and Mohawk from Nunavik.

Other band members were also rivetting to watch.

Before I post the snippet from the Twin Flames website, Permit me to add two crowd photos, the first of a young indigenous lad related to the band in some way. Although this is a candid portrait, he had some fine dance moves.

During their performance, which was all about inclusivity and all humans being the same, I thought it so poignant to see a Celtic-red-haired girl and a dark-skinned young lass dancing together. What a beautiful juxtaposition with the music.

Finally, for the addendum that I have been promising from the Twin Flames website.

Twin Flames band creates a sonic landscape that spans Canada and the Arctic. Honouring their ancestors, they sing songs in English, Inuttitut and French. Consecutive year winners 2016 and 2017 of The Canadian Folk Music Award; Aboriginal Songwriters of the year. This multi-award-winning husband and wife duo is made up of Chelsey June and Jaaji both of Indigenous Backgrounds. Jaaji is Inuk and Mohawk from Nunavik and Chelsey June métis (Algonquin Cree) from Ottawa. Twin Flames push the boundaries of “Contemporary Folk”, with songs that incorporate both Western and traditional instruments. Despite polar opposite backgrounds Twin Flames found a common musical language.

Twin Flames has now played over 800 shows in their short four years with performances that have taken them across Canada, remote Arctic communities, Greenland, The United States and France. What started as small flame turned into a raging fire, staying lit in the hearts of fans and listeners. Chelsey June and Jaaji write with a passion that comes from their souls and transcends into their musical creations. Together they share a great ability to wrap Indigenous/Inuit stories in traditional and non-traditional styles. Together they prove that music should be about how it makes the listener feel. With thought-provoking songs, they gently educate audiences on the realities of Indigenous, Inuit and métis history as well as current issues.

In 2015 They released their debut album Jaaji and Chelsey June Twin Flames. On Dec 1st 2015 Live at Cabaret la Basoche, they were chosen as favorite artists the album received a total of 5 nominations from several different award platforms and their first win as Aboriginal Songwriters of the year at the 2016 Canadian Folk Music Awards. Jaaji & Chelsey June Twin Flames also made it to the top of music charts with their song Porchlight that reached #1 on The Indigenous Music Countdown top 40.