Two-time JUNO Award winners Digging Roots have traveled the world with a joyful message of resistance, celebrating Anishinabe and Onkwehón:we traditions of round dance and interconnectedness. They have toured in Australia, the US, Mexico, Norway, England, France, and in almost every corner of Canada. They’ve played some of the world’s largest stages, including at the Glastonbury Festival in England, the Sydney Opera House in Australia and the Philadelphia Folk Festival in the US. On Saturday May 4th, they will be closing out the St. Lawrence Acoustic Stage’s 2023/24 Season at Morrisburg’s Upper Canada Playhouse.
This is Digging Roots second time playing at the St. Lawrence Acoustic Stage. “It’s been a decade since we last brought Digging Roots to our Stage and we are delighted to be able to get them back to Morrisburg,” said President and Artistic Director Sandra Whitworth.
Led by the electrifying current of husband-and-wife team, ShoShona Kish and Raven Kanatakta, the band responds to a majestic and spiritual call from ShoShona’s earthy vocals and Raven’s exhilarating guitar mastery through a fusion of blues, soul and rock n’roll. They take listeners on a journey through tall grasses, sweet waters, and into a joyous and powerful celebration of music.
Raven and ShoShona have also been recognized for their humanitarian efforts over the years. They were the winners of the 2023 Canadian Music Week Allan Slaight Humanitarian Spirit Award. As a recipient of this Award, The Slaight Family Foundation made a sizable donation to a charity of Digging Roots choice, and the funds were used to make Ground Penetrating Radar machines available to First Nation communities to find children who had been murdered in their traditional territories when mandated Residential Schools operated across Canada.
Digging Roots songs like ‘Cut My Hair’ and ’Sweetwater’ explore these issues in a live show that opens a space, wherever they may be in the world, for healing, compassion, unconditional love and Baamaadziwin (the good life). As Roots Music Canada says, the band is “…badass, empowering and hopeful all at the same time.”
Mike Celia will be opening this show. “Mike is part of the Digging Roots family,” said Whitworth. “He’s played guitar and sings back-up vocals for the band and will be releasing his third solo album later this summer, with some singles already available for streaming. We are delighted to hear what he’s been up to in his solo projects”.
The show promises to be a powerful wrap to a successful season for the St. Lawrence Acoustic Stage. Showtime is 7 pm on Saturday May 4th at Morrisburg’s Upper Canada Playhouse. Tickets are $35 in advance or $40 at the door. Advance tickets are available at the St. Lawrence Stage website: https://www.st-lawrencestage.com/shows.html
