Cris Derksen Trio

The Cris Derksen Trio

January 16, 2017
PHOTOGRAPH : KATHY CAMPBELL

The Cris Derksen Trio is renowned for its riveting performances. The trio includes the talents of Juno-nominated cellist Cris Derksen, acclaimed Anishinaabe Hoop Dancer Nimkii Osawamick, and award-winning drummer Jesse Baird who ties the trio together with his signature pop culture beats and inventive improvisation.

The trio will perform at the Canada Council’s Annual Public Meeting on January 17, 2017.

Cris Derksen Bio:

Award winning and Juno nominated Canadian Aboriginal cellist Cris Derksen is known for building layers of sound into captivating performances. Her music braids the traditional and contemporary in multiple dimensions, weaving her classical training and her aboriginal ancestry with new school electronics, creating genre defying music. Originally from the North Tall Cree reserve in northern Alberta, Cris composes for film, television, and dance, and tours extensively nationally and internationally, performing and recording with an impressive array of musicians, including recent projects with Buffy Sainte Marie, Tanya Tagaq, and Kinnie Starr.

www.crisderksen.virb.com

Nimkii Osawamick Bio:

Nimkii Osawamick is an Anishinaabe dance artist from Wikwemikong, Unceded Reserve located in Manitoulin Island and is a member of the Wolf Clan. Nimkii has been dancing since the age of three years old. Now an active community member in powwow circles, Nimkii is well-known as a singer, hoop dancer, and champion powwow dancer. He has travelled extensively across North America sharing his gift of singing and dancing with the peoples of Turtle Island.

Nimkii is dedicated to the preservation and awareness of his people’s culture and history which is highlighted in his business DNA STAGE: Dedicated Native Awareness which helps bridge the cultural gap between First Nations people and inhabitants

www.dnastage.com

Jesse Baird Bio:

Jesse Baird grew up surrounded by the music industry from a young age. A 3rd generation drummer, he studied jazz performance at the University of Toronto & attended Banff Centre for the Arts. Since then he has travelled the globe touring with acts ranging in styles from jazz, latin, pop and rock music. Some of those performances included the Grammy's 50th anniversary show, Saturday Night Live and The Tonight Show. He has had the pleasure of working with some of Canada's pop/rock sensations such as Broken Social Scene, Steven Page (formerly of the Bare Naked Ladies) and Leslie Feist. It was with Feist that he received a Juno Award for his work on her second album "the reminder".