Space-clad jazz musicians and a gospel rapper are among the winners of this year’s Music NB Awards.
The 12th edition of the event took place Thursday evening, broadcast live from the Charlotte Street Arts Center in Fredericton and hosted by musician David Myles.
About 1,000 people had watched the show on Friday morning, said Jean Surette, general manager of Musique NB. It features five musical performances and is always available for viewing online.
“There was a lot of diversity in the music that was being celebrated,” said Surette.
The SOCAN Song of the Year award was presented to a veteran rapper who has lived and made music in the Moncton area for approximately 10 years.
Teah Bailey, whose stage name is One8tea, wrote “I guess it’s complicated” following the death of George Floyd and the protests that followed.
He describes a mental checklist that he goes through every time he leaves the house in an attempt to isolate himself from the racism around him.
“I told my wife where I will be – check / I have my ID – check / My pants are tight enough not to look like a threat – check … / Always smile … / Give you have enough time so that you don’t have to rush while you’re at it … / And say a prayer that you will come home safe today. “
Bailey said that if he’s going to win for anything, he’s glad this song is this one.
He saw a lot of divisions in the world and within his religious community and believed that he was in a good position to be able to communicate with a black and white audience.
“If you are just sharing your experiences, no one can argue with you,” he said.
“This is actually what my day is like.”
Bailey describes himself as a storyteller and says his style is very lyrical.
“I guess it’s complicated” is on his album, titled Ventilation 2. He is one of the two he released during the pandemic.
He made all of his albums available for free download on his One8tea.com website on Friday to celebrate the victory.
Bailey has said he is planning a live concert at some point, but is holding back from booking anything until he’s more confident it won’t end up being canceled.
He is one of 27 artists to record presentations with Musique NB this weekend to share with industry representatives at an online conference next month.
Artists and industry professionals will have the chance to network and attend professional development sessions from November 18 to 20, via the Gather platform.
It was a difficult time for performers on stage, said Surette, but New Brunswick musicians and industry professionals have been productive and innovative throughout this time.
Revolutionary Artist of the Year
The MoonTunes was one of three double winners Thursday night. They won the Revolutionary Artist of the Year and Best Video award for their song Paper Boat.
The group is made up of a group of friends who met at school and play music just for love, said trumpeter and bassist Monica Ouellette.
They describe their sound as “heavy soul”.
“It’s pretty groovy and there are a lot of different style hints,” Ouellette said.
“Some compare it to jazz and hip-hop,” she said, but they also have metal, pop and international influences.
“We like to mix it up.”
Ouellette said MoonTunes officially formed in 2015, after rapper Elijah Mackongo tricked them into making something other than jam in their parents’ basement.
The other members of the group are Miguel Dumaine, who sings, plays the piano “and tears the flute a bit”, Jérémie Poitras, who plays the saxophone and the synth, Samuel Frenette, who plays the bass and “does guitar shreding. on a few pieces ”, Patrick Gaudet on guitar and bass, and Martin Daigle and Marc-André Richard on percussion.
They came up with the name during a brainstorming session at the last practice before their first gig.
“It kind of reflects the kind of spatial use of our instruments that we do,” Ouellette said.
They “stepped out of their comfort zone” to share their music with more people and released a self-titled debut album this year.
They kicked it off with a “Live on the Moon” performance on Facebook, dressed in spacesuits and surrounded by papier-mâché moon rocks.
The same kind of low-budget do-it-yourself effects earned them the Video of the Year award.
“We installed a green screen in Miguel’s mother’s basement,” Ouellette said.
It took a long time to film everyone and they “laughed a lot” in the process.
Dumaine did the animation for the video and Poitras did it.
The group is “really proud” of the result.
Their music is available on most streaming services including Spotify and Apple Music.
They also have a YouTube channel and sell on BandCamp.
More winners
Other winners include:
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The CAP – Place and equal for the Innovator of the year
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Wolf Castle – Indigenous Artist and Tied for Record of the Year – Gold Rush
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Pallmer – Tied for Record of the Year – Quiet Clapping
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Chloé Breault – Record of the Year – Plage des crétins
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Cédric Vieno – SOCAN Song of the Year – Drop it
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East Track Mind – Champion of the Year for his initiative to create East Coast Playlists for places such as restaurants
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Charlotte Street Arts Center – tied for place of the year
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Acadie Rock – Festival / Event of the year
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Eva George – Music Industry Professional of the Year
