Singer Falynn Baptiste to perform show to release new CD called Cree Christmas

“The album has been a work of heart,” she said. “It means a lot to me. I’m so excited for people to hear the music, and I am excited for people to sing along to the music.”

Baptiste has close roots to the Battlefords area. She previously taught at North Battleford Comprehensive High School, John Paul II Collegiate and North West College. She currently teaches Native Studies, and cultural arts and music at a high school in Saskatoon.

She previously sang Canada’s national anthem in Cree at the Red Pheasant Cree Nation Treaty Days celebrations, and the historic Treaty Medal Repatriation Ceremony last year.

Along with being passionate about the Cree language and wanting to promote it, Baptiste said, the recent birth of her daughter, Quinn, was also a motivating factor for her to finish the album, so that her child can hear the language and learn to speak it also.

“I just jumped two feet in, and took a leap of faith, and here I am,” Baptiste said of now being able to release the CD.

She said her parents are also First Language speakers so it’s important to her to keep the language alive.

“I hope that this kind of sparks an interest in people to learn the language, and to carry on the language for generations to come,” Baptiste said.

The first half hour of the show will be live-streamed by The Native Canadian Centre of Toronto for its event, 12 Days to Winter Solstice.

Baptiste will perform several songs in Cree, as well as some holiday songs in English later in the evening, and will be joined by a guitarist and pianist.

She invites people to also stop by the She-NANIGANS venue foyer on the evening of her show to purchase a CD if they are not able to attend the show. The album is also sold online.

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angela.brown@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @battlefordsNOW

by Angela Brown

Singer Falynn Baptiste to perform show to release new CD called Cree Christmas

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