The Halluci Nation, formerly known as A Tribe Called Red, is a Canadian electronic music group who blend instrumental hip hop, reggae, moombahton and dubstep-influenced dance music with elements of
First Nations music
Indigenous music of Canada encompasses a wide variety of musical genres created by Aboriginal Canadians. Before European settlers came to what is now Canada, the region was occupied by many First Nations, including the West Coast Salish and Haid ...
National Post
The ''National Post'' is a Canadian English-language broadsheet newspaper available in several cities in central and western Canada. The paper is the flagship publication of Postmedia Network and is published Mondays through Saturdays, with M ...
'', August 23, 2011. Based in
Ottawa
Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core ...
, Ontario, the group consists of Tim "2oolman" Hill (Mohawk, of the
Six Nations of the Grand River
Six Nations (or Six Nations of the Grand River, french: Réserve des Six Nations, see, Ye:i’ Níónöëdzage:h) is demographically the largest First Nations reserve in Canada. As of the end of 2017, it has a total of 27,276 members, 12,848 of w ...
CBC Music
CBC Music (formerly known as CBC FM, CBC Stereo and CBC Radio 2) is a Canadian FM radio network operated by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. It used to concentrate on classical and jazz. In 2007 and 2008, the network transitioned towards a ...
, August 18, 2014. Co-founder Ian "DJ NDN" Campeau (of the Nipissing First Nation) left the band for health reasons in October 2017, with the band opting to remain a duo for the time being.
The group's former name was an homage to
A Tribe Called Quest
A Tribe Called Quest was an American hip hop group formed in Queens, New York City, in 1985,Q-Tip
, a hip hop group that also had songs that addressed African American social grievances.
The group's music has been labelled as "powwow-step", a style of contemporary
powwow
A powwow (also pow wow or pow-wow) is a gathering with dances held by many Native American and First Nations communities. Powwows today allow Indigenous people to socialize, dance, sing, and honor their cultures. Powwows may be private or pu ...
dance club
Dance is a performing art form consisting of sequences of movement, either improvised or purposefully selected. This movement has aesthetic and often symbolic value. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoire ...
scene; popularized by the media as a description of the band's unique style, the term originated as the title of one of the band's own earliest singles.
Origins
Inspired by parties for Korean and South Asian youth in Ottawa, DJ NDN (Ian Campeau), a nightclub bouncer turned DJ, became interested in a similar event for
Aboriginal
Aborigine, aborigine or aboriginal may refer to:
*Aborigines (mythology), in Roman mythology
* Indigenous peoples, general term for ethnic groups who are the earliest known inhabitants of an area
*One of several groups of indigenous peoples, see ...
youth. After discussing the idea with his friend, Bear Witness (Thomas Ehren Ramon), and fellow disc jockey Dee Jay Frame (Jon Limoges), they began the first night at Ottawa's Babylon nightclub in 2007, calling it Electric Pow Wow. Encouraged by the overwhelmingly positive response, the DJs began holding the event on the second weekend of every month — a schedule that lasted until December 2017. The parties featured a mixture of traditional
powwow
A powwow (also pow wow or pow-wow) is a gathering with dances held by many Native American and First Nations communities. Powwows today allow Indigenous people to socialize, dance, sing, and honor their cultures. Powwows may be private or pu ...
recordings from Campeau's youth, when he performed as a drummer, mixed with electronic music rhythms and genres such as dubstep, moombahton and
dancehall
Dancehall is a genre of Jamaican popular music that originated in the late 1970s. Initially, dancehall was a more sparse version of reggae than the roots style, which had dominated much of the 1970s.Barrow, Steve & Dalton, Peter (2004) "The Rou ...
. Bear Witness explained that the group was formed because its members wanted to throw parties for their community, and he also pointed out ATCR's political connotation: "To take over and Indigenize the club space is a really political act ..As First Nations people everything we do is political".
Music
After releasing a number of tracks online DJing at various dance and aboriginal events,"A Tribe Called Red" '' NOW'', February 7, 2013. the band released their self-titled debut album as a free internet download in 2012. The album was named as a long-listed nominee for the
Toronto Star
The ''Toronto Star'' is a Canadian English-language broadsheet daily newspaper. The newspaper is the country's largest daily newspaper by circulation. It is owned by Toronto Star Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary of Torstar Corporation and part ...
'', June 14, 2012. In December 2012, ATCR released "The Road" on SoundCloud (P.27), a track that garnered "upward of 50,000 plays within five months" and nearly 300,000 plays as of August 2018. The song's structure revolves around a series of " drops", an important component in electronic dance music derived from
Jamaican sound systems
Jamaican may refer to:
* Something or someone of, from, or related to the country of Jamaica
* Jamaicans, people from Jamaica
* Jamaican English, a variety of English spoken in Jamaica
* Jamaican Patois, an English-based creole language
* Culture ...
as well as syncopated "
trap
A trap is a mechanical device used to capture or restrain an animal for purposes such as hunting, pest control, or ecological research.
Trap or TRAP may also refer to:
Art and entertainment Films and television
* ''Trap'' (2015 film), Fil ...
bass drum
The bass drum is a large drum that produces a note of low definite or indefinite pitch. The instrument is typically cylindrical, with the drum's diameter much greater than the drum's depth, with a struck head at both ends of the cylinder. Th ...
and skittering
hi-hat
A hi-hat (hihat, high-hat, etc.) is a combination of two cymbals and a pedal, all mounted on a metal stand. It is a part of the standard drum kit used by drummers in many styles of music including rock, pop, jazz, and blues. Hi-hats consist o ...
s. At the time, ATCR "was working on its second record—what would become 2013's ''Nation II Nation''" and has since, for years now, been perceived as one of the leaders of an artistic Indigenous resurgence, exemplifying the remixing of tradition, bridging Indigenous history and futurity.
Their second album, ''Nation II Nation'', was released in 2013 and was named a long-listed nominee for the
2013 Polaris Music Prize The 2013 edition of the Canadian Polaris Music Prize was presented on September 23, 2013
on June 13, 2013;"Polaris Music Prize Unveils 2013 Long List" . ''
Exclaim!
''Exclaim!'' is a Canadian music and entertainment publisher based in Toronto, which features in-depth coverage of new music across all genres with a special focus on Canadian and emerging artists. The monthly Exclaim! print magazine publishes 7 ...
Canada Live
''Canada Live'' is a Canadian radio program aired on both CBC Radio One and CBC Radio 2 since 2007. It debuted on March 19, 2007 on CBC Radio 2,"Radio Two's new gig". ''The Globe and Mail'', March 19, 2007. and airs concert performances in a vari ...
CBC Radio 2
CBC Music (formerly known as CBC FM, CBC Stereo and CBC Radio 2) is a Canadian FM radio network operated by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. It used to concentrate on classical and jazz. In 2007 and 2008, the network transitioned towards a ...
Juno Award
The Juno Awards, more popularly known as the JUNOS, are awards presented annually to Canadian musical artists and bands to acknowledge their artistic and technical achievements in all aspects of music. New members of the Canadian Music Hall of ...
nominations at the Juno Awards of 2014, for Breakthrough Group of the Year and Electronic Album of the Year, winning the award for Breakthrough Group. The band specifically chose not to submit themselves for consideration in the Aboriginal Album of the Year category.
A Tribe Called Red have also collaborated on and produced one of the last known Das Racist songs, called "Indians From All Directions", as well as the song "A Tribe Called Red" on Angel Haze's album ''Dirty Gold''.
In 2014, they released "Burn Your Village to the Ground", a non-album protest song about the complicated aboriginal relationship with the
colonialist
Colonialism is a practice or policy of control by one people or power over other people or areas, often by establishing colonies and generally with the aim of economic dominance. In the process of colonisation, colonisers may impose their relig ...
connotations of Thanksgiving.
In 2015, they released pro-wrestling-themed EP ''Suplex'', with appearances from Smalltown DJs, as well as a remix of Buffy Sainte-Marie's song "Working for the Government". They also won for Best Music Video in 2015 by the Native American Music Awards.
In 2016, they released LP '' We Are the Halluci Nation'' in September. Guest collaborators on the album included Narcy, Yasiin Bey, Lido Pimienta,
Joseph Boyden
Joseph Boyden (born October 31, 1966) is a Canadian novelist and short story writer of Irish and Scottish descent. He also claims Indigenous descent, but this is widely disputed. Joseph Boyden is best known for writing about First Nations culture ...
and Black Bear.
The group won the Jack Richardson Producer of the Year Award at the Juno Awards of 2017.
The group won the Group of the Year award at the Juno Awards of 2018.
In April 2018 the band performed at a TED talk during TED2018.
Following the release of their 2016 album '' We Are the Halluci Nation'', the group released a number of singles in 2019.
In April 2019 the group released a remix of Keith Secola's song "NDN Kars". The group put a "modern twist" on the '90s hit. Following the release of the "NDN Kars" remix the group released "The OG', which was their first original song since the release of ''We Are the Halluci Nation''. A few months later the group released "Ba Na Na", which features Canadian rapper
Haviah Mighty
Haviah Mighty (born December 17, 1992) is a Canadian rapper from Brampton, Ontario. She rose to prominence in 2016 as a member of the hip hop group the Sorority, before releasing several EPs on her own, most notably ''Flower City'', in 2017. He ...
, singer Odario and Chippewa Travellers. In September 2019, the band released "Tanokumbia", a single featuring Texan DJ El Dusty and Canadian Pow Wow drummers and singers, Black Bear.
In 2020 A Tribe Called Red released "Land Back" during the
2020 Canadian pipeline and railway protests
The 2020 Canadian pipeline and railway protests were a series of civil disobedience protests held in Canada. The main issue behind the protests was the construction of the Coastal GasLink Pipeline (CGL) through of Wetʼsuwetʼen First Nations i ...
. "Land Back" features Boogey the Beat and Chippewa Travellers. The song was available for free and made in support of the
Wetʼsuwetʼen
The Wetʼsuwetʼen ( ) are a First Nation who live on the Bulkley River and around Burns Lake, Broman Lake, and François Lake in the northwestern Central Interior of British Columbia. The endonym Wetʼsuwetʼen means "People of the Wa Dzun ...
First Nations opposing the construction of a Coastal GasLink Pipeline. The song was intended for use by "anyone working to promote Indigenous land sovereignty and 'a true nation-to-nation discussion between the Indigenous nations of Turtle Island and our Canadian settlers.
On April 5, 2021, the group changed their name to The Halluci Nation.
Powwow-step
Powwow-step or pow wow step or sometimes electric powwow are the terms the band used to describe their music. The sound described under this term is characterized by the mixture of First Nations
pow wow
A powwow (also pow wow or pow-wow) is a gathering with dances held by many Native American and First Nations communities. Powwows today allow Indigenous people to socialize, dance, sing, and honor their cultures. Powwows may be private or pu ...
and electronic music styles. The name of the genre is derived from
pow wow
A powwow (also pow wow or pow-wow) is a gathering with dances held by many Native American and First Nations communities. Powwows today allow Indigenous people to socialize, dance, sing, and honor their cultures. Powwows may be private or pu ...
and dubstep. Ian Campeau of the group has said, regarding the genre, " l we really did was match up dance music with dance music".
Film and television
The band was featured prominently in the 2017 music documentary ''When They Awake,'' by filmmakers
P. J. Marcellino
P.J. Marcellino (born Pedro José-Marcelino, 24 October 1978) is a Portuguese-Canadian filmmaker.
Born in Lisbon, Portugal, to a Portuguese a family with Portuguese, Cape-Verdean and Italian roots, he is a journalist, children's author, politi ...
and Hermon Farahi. The film was the opening night gala selection at the 2017 Calgary International Film Festival.
In 2020, the Showtime mini-series ''The Good Lord Bird'' prominently featured "Electric Pow Wow Drum" (from the 2013 self-titled album) in their trailer and the soundtrack. That same year, the song "Sisters" was featured in the third season of the Netflix series '' Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts''.
The Halluci Nation co-composed music for the sitcom '' Rutherford Falls'', which premiered on NBC's streaming service Peacock in April 2021. The show centers on relationships between members of a northeastern town and a fictional Native American tribe.
Activism
The band found its roots when Bear Witness and Ian Campeau realized their home city of Ottawa had dance nights that represented every culture there but their own, so deciding to, "throw a party," was more than just for fun—these Electric Pow Wows were to portray their Aboriginal culture within urban centres where historically, its involvement has been erased. Thus, the band has been involved in activism from its very origin.
They have been vocal supporters of Idle No More, a peaceful revolution launched in November 2012 to protest the Harper government's introduction of Bill C-45, which critics, including many First Nations people, claimed threatened both the environment and Aboriginal sovereignty.
In 2013, they issued a public statement asking non-aboriginal fans to refrain from
cultural appropriation
Cultural appropriation is the inappropriate or unacknowledged adoption of an element or elements of one culture or identity by members of another culture or identity. This can be controversial when members of a dominant culture appropriate from ...
war paint War paint is paint ritually applied to the face and/or body prior to going into a battle.
War Paint or Warpaint may also refer to:
Music
* Warpaint (band), an American indie rock band from Los Angeles
** ''Warpaint'' (Warpaint album), 2014 album b ...
to their shows. Furthermore, Campeau filed a human rights complaint against an amateur football club in Ottawa that was using "Redskins" as its club name. Also, through its piece "The Road", the band provided "catalyzing soundtrack to the Idle No More movement sweeping across Turtle Island", advocating in favor of "Indigenous peoples reclaiming the land, moving to reverse the ongoing dispossessions of the settler state". The track has made some recall a series of walks along roads, like the " Longest Walk" from Alcatraz to Washington in 1978.
In 2014, the band withdrew from a scheduled performance at the official opening ceremonies of the
Canadian Museum for Human Rights
The Canadian Museum for Human Rights (CMHR; ) is a Canadian Crown corporation and national museum located in Winnipeg, Manitoba, adjacent to The Forks. The purpose of the museum is to "explore the subject of human rights with a special but not ex ...
, citing concerns about the museum's depiction of indigenous human rights issues.
Further than distinct actions like the aforementioned, the group is also activist through the expression of their music itself. "I think in our own community," Bear Witness told '' The National'' in 2013, "it's not something that people would have been ready for us to have been doing 10 or 15 years ago, to be sampling powwow music and bring it into clubs. I mean, that's really pushing boundaries." Using music as a platform to educate, they have broken away from homogenous genres and at once promoted appreciation and respect for First Nations cultures while combating stereotypes and appropriation.
"It's mind-blowing that this whole conversation that we've been having the past few decades about the portrayal of our people hasn't gone anywhere," said Bear Witness. "It hasn't changed." However, the band is positive about making a change moving forward. "All those things that we're trying to talk about with Idle No More, with aboriginal rights, you're feeling it and you're getting it without a word having to be said. Because when you feel that, you're feeling what we all feel."
In 2020, the band released "Land Back". The song was available for free and intended to show support to the
Wetʼsuwetʼen
The Wetʼsuwetʼen ( ) are a First Nation who live on the Bulkley River and around Burns Lake, Broman Lake, and François Lake in the northwestern Central Interior of British Columbia. The endonym Wetʼsuwetʼen means "People of the Wa Dzun ...
2020 Canadian pipeline and railway protests
The 2020 Canadian pipeline and railway protests were a series of civil disobedience protests held in Canada. The main issue behind the protests was the construction of the Coastal GasLink Pipeline (CGL) through of Wetʼsuwetʼen First Nations i ...
.
Albums
''A Tribe Called Red'' (2012)
This first album by ATCR was nominated for the 2012 Polaris Music Prize and it was in '' The Washington Post''s Top 10 albums of the year. After their debut, ATCR went on tour across North America and Europe, where they participated to the World Music Expo in Greece.
''Nation II Nation'' (2013)
ATCR's second album was nominated for a Polaris Prize and it also had a political inclination as it contributed to the conversation that revolves around Indigenous rights and cultural appropriation. The name of the album has two layers of meaning. On one hand, the members of the group are originally from different communities, as Campeau explained: "I'm Ojibway, Anishinaabe. The other two guys, Dan and Bear, are both Cayuga ..Historically, we're enemies. So together, in forming this group, that's a nation-to-nation relationship". On the other hand, there is a "nation-to-nation relationship from the settler nations to the First Nations" (Ian "DJ NDN" Campeau).
'' We Are the Halluci Nation'' (2016)
The third album of A Tribe Called Red was released in September 2016. The first voice that is heard in this album is that of John Trudell, a Native American activist, poet and musician. In fact, with this work ATCR wanted to celebrate contemporary Indigenous culture.
'' One More Saturday Night'' (2021)
The band, now called The Halluci Nation, released its fourth album in July 2021. They've collaborated with artists such as Black Bear, John Trudell, and Northern Voice whom they worked with on their 2016 album ''We Are the Halluci Nation''.