What was described as a significant, and somewhat unusual concert turned out to be a success after raising around $4,000 for the Aboriginal Coalition to End Homelessness and the Indian Residential School Survivors Society.
On Saturday, Feb. 8, Kwakwaka’wakw-Nuu-Cha-Nulth hip-hop artist Pindian and his band, the Nation of Creations Collective, joined the Gettin’ Higher Choir for the Sharing the Fire concert where they performed a unique blend of genres to a sold-out crowd at Broad View United Church.
Pindian, whose real name is Alex Taylor-McCallum, said he was approached to collaborate with the choir in November at a Housing Justice Day rally at the B.C. Legislature. After meeting with the choir directors, Cathy Baker and Dick Jackson, they suggested doing a collaborative fundraiser concert at the church.
“Almost all my grandparents went to residential school. Many of my elders went to residential school. And of course, I’ve been forever impacted by the effects of the church in our territory,” said Taylor-McCallum. “I was kind of apprehensive to say yes to performing in a church, but also part of me was like, ‘I really like the idea of bringing my music in there.'” As the Gettin’ Higher Choir holds a few charity concerts every year, he chose to donate to both charities to support residential school survivors and those who endured and faced the many “intergenerational traumatic effects of things like colonization, assimilation and genocide upon the Indigenous peoples.” Both Taylor-McCallum and choir members explained that they were in uncharted territories while working with each other, as hip-hop and choral music are typically seen as complete opposites. “It was a stretch, but we were totally willing to go there and have a good adventure,” said Baker, adding that many of the – predominantly White – members of the choir have had limited exposure to hip-hop music, and they may have had a negative impression of the music. “[We were] helping people understand that this grew out of often communities that we call, marginalized communities, or communities who haven’t been listened to in the mainstream. And there are lots of important and powerful things that need to be said,” she added. A bit different than many choirs in the city, the Gettin’ Higher Choir aims to sing songs about empowerment – like South African freedom songs – which is why they wanted to work with Taylor-McCallum, whose music largely touches on themes like intergenerational trauma, addiction and grief.