Wayne Lavallee is from the Métis Nation, born in Vancouver, B.C. He was the 2006 winner for “Best Aboriginal Songwriter” at the Canadian Folk Music Awards. His album Green Dress was nominated for a 2005 Juno Award for Best Aboriginal Recording, and it won the 2004 Canadian Aboriginal Music Award for Album of the Year.
The fusion of Wayne's “Rock n' roll Indian cowboy” sound with stylized Native chanting has made this west coast performer a unique and innovative artist. His unique vocals are heart-felt with an aggressive cutting-edge acoustic sound that evokes pure emotion, his haunting melodies & lyrics create a world of mysticism.
Wayne recently completed a new album with the generous support of the Canada Council for the Arts. Produced by John Ellis (Barney Bentall, Jeremy Fisher, Ridley Bent, Be Good Tanya’s) it represents a bold new musical direction for the artist. As always, his compositions are steeped in the traditions of his ancestry, but the raw “unplugged” sonic palette created on these amazing new tracks, shows Wayne’s artistry in a wholly new and compelling light.
Himself from the Métis nation -a distinct culture of his mixed Cree aboriginal and European ancestry- Wayne Lavallee is beholden to the spirit of his Métis ancestors, a spirit that embraces freedom, and a fierce self-determination that is not dictated by government and boundaries.
Lavallee roams from Indian chants to blues to rock to reggae with a sense of artistic freedom that transcends classification, leaving you with the distinct sensation that you’ve just crossed paths with an unusual singer-songwriter, and a major one at that.
Yet what makes Lavallee so atypical is his outstanding ability to express his communion with the essence of nature in a progressive manner. Based on his haunting melodic approach, the 2006 winner of the “Best Aboriginal Songwriter” award of the Canadian Folk Music Society creates a contemporary take on Native mysticism without reneging his own political agenda.
Clearly, Lavallee’s music is that of a survivor. That he is able to turn it into a tool for global fraternity is proof that the old fighting spirit of his ancestors is still very much alive. His sheer poetic force is a lesson in artistry we are much to be thankful for.
Wayne Lavalle - Trail Of Tears
