A Cree-Métis musician from the Moosomin First Nation recently performed at one of the most acclaimed jazz festivals in the world.
Joseph LaPlante, whose stage name is Joey Stylez, was one of the featured musicians at this year’s New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival.
“The show went very well,” he says “People were dancing and singing along and the organizers came up to me and said they really enjoyed my set.”
Stylez was asked to play the festival after Rachel Ornelas, the event’s cultural heritage coordinator, saw him play in Winnipeg.
“She was impressed with what I brought and she knew that it was something that belonged on that stage,” he says.
Stylez had an Indigenous dancer with him for the performance.
“We are known to have world-class dancers and world-class singers at powwows so having him on stage with me was just something that felt natural.”
LaPlante says the big shows are incredible but he will still continue to perform in remote Indigenous communities.
“It’s a part of what I do. I’m still going to play in small towns, communities, villages and reservations. My message is you can do it because I did it.”
(Photo: Joey Stylez performing at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. Photo courtesy of Joey Stylez, Facebook.)