Sunday 5 February 2012

excessive indulgence in the practise of dancing



Buffalo Spirit ~ Russell Wallace

   
Inner City ~ Russell Wallace

Bloodlines~Dreamspeak 1991

Dream Song ~ Tzo'kam 
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Buffalo Spirit ~ Russell Wallace 
Uploaded by on 26 Dec 2011
 
A memo from Duncan Campbell Scott (Canadian poet and head of Department of Indian affairs in Canada) regarding Native Peoples and Dance. It was circulated to agents in the Department of Indian Affairs in December 1921 hoping "to dissuade the Indians from excessive indulgence in the practice of dancing..."

Composed by Russell Wallace for the Aboriginal Dance Project in 1996 (Choreographer and Program Director-Alejandro Ronceria). (source)


Inner City ~ Russell Wallace
Uploaded by on 2 Oct 2011
 
A composition for an Aboriginal Dance Production in 2003. Malcolm Lim - Percussion, Chris Bradley - Bass, John Sorenson - Guitar, Terry Townson - Trumpets, Russell Wallace -Piano and Keyboards.  (more here)


Bloodlines~Dreamspeak 1991
Uploaded by on 27 Jul 2011
 
From 1991. Banned from a certain music channel here in Canada. Video featured Darrell Gus, Donald Morin, Michelle Thrush, Russell Wallace, Cheri Maracle, Peter Jones, Tim Oye, and Emeline.

Dreamspeak was a group of Native Artists during the late 80's and early 90's that liked electronica and dance music. The single was produced by Greg Reely (who is known for his mixing work with Skinny Puppy and Frontline Assembly as well as his production work on Sarah McLaughlin's first album)

The song was written by Warren Arcan, Rosa John and Russell Wallace, originally for another band - Tears of the Moon.

Dana Claxton directed this video. (source: here)


Dream Song ~ Tzo'kam
Uploaded by on 10 May 2011
 
Traditional Salish song (from the Lil'wat) arranged by Russell Wallace and sung by Tzo'kam. Lead Vocal - Flora Wallace. (here)

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Ordinarily, poets are humble creatures, the sensitivity and reflective nature that sets them up to become gifted poets preventing them from running amok, except inasmuch as they may self-destruct, after too many years at the periphery of what is and saying what is to a reluctant collective ear & heart.

Every once in a while, however, the kaleidoscope of possibilities throws up one, such as Duncan Campbell Scott, whose ability to become an on-the-record, memorable poet, and whose ability to create form and change on a vast, vast cultural scale, run hand in hand. For generations, Scott will be studied in poetry classes, and ignored as a Conquerer par excellence, as Canada works to develop a shame-free highly forgetful image of itself.

The flow of war and resistance carries on apace, with the dancers dancing, the poets, singers and orators sharing what they will to whosoever shall see, hear, & party, and the filmmakers, of course, tossing their too sense in. For all forces of modernity and intervention and innovation, we have the countervalent forces of tradition, continuity, and replenishment~ radical, man.





film notes by russell wallace, http://www.youtube.com/user/russwall604
curating & end note commentary by joanne arnott

There are two more Russell Wallace compositions/short films permanently posted at the bottom of the blog page: scroll down for videopoem "The Snows" & upbeat "Upstream."

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