Keeping Culture Alive Through Song — with Russell Wallace

Russell Wallace is a traditional Líl'wat singer, composer, and producer from Mount Currie. He has been singing and making music his whole life. He talks with host Am Johal about his musical roots — singing traditional songs for his community and beyond, alongside his mother and siblings, as the performance group Tzo'Kam.They discuss Tzo'Kam's longstanding collaborative relationship with the Japanese drumming group, Sawagi Taiko, as well as Russell's own endeavours as a composer and producer for film, television, and theatre. He has contributed to productions such as, 1491: The Untold History of the Americas Before Columbus, The Road Forward, Monkey Beach, and more. Russell also speaks to the public singing and drumming workshops he instructs at SFU, which have been put on hold during the pandemic.Resources:— Unceded Tongues album by Russell Wallace: https://russellwallace.bandcamp.com/album/unceded-tongues— "Grandmother Song" by Tzo'Kam: https://youtu.be/ZH8VK-EBChk— Sawagi Taiko: http://sawagitaiko.com/— Downtown Eastside Heart of the City Festival: http://www.heartofthecityfestival.com/—Monkey Beach: https://monkeybeachmovie.com/— The Road Forward: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8rkCmDkYjwE—1491: The Untold History of the Americas Before Columbus: https://www.aptn.ca/1491/