Long Winter Nights – Northern Cree & friends, Vol. 5
(Canyon Records)

For the Native peoples of northern Saskatchewan and Alberta, Canada, winter is the season for traditional social events called round dances, where men and women, young and old dance in a wonderful display of community and harmony. Unlike most pow-wows which have become annual events promoted through modern marketing means, the round dances still come about relatively spontaneously through the age-old powers of ‘word of mouth’. People from far and wide gather for these nightlong indoor social dances, and noted round dance singers are invited through the giving of traditional gifts of tobacco.

Although round dances are actually well-marshalled to ensure that all the invited guest singers get an equal spot and the drummers and dancers don’t get out of hand, this CD recording clearly communicates the wild passion and sheer delight evident at this fun event. Apparently this very ‘live’ recording is of probably the largest round dance ever staged by one the most respected pow-wow groups in the USA and Canada, the Northern Cree Singers of Alberta. The atmosphere is electric – these guys really know how to party through the cold winter months, and in Alberta we mean cold!

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