The Festival international de la chanson de Granby has said that it wishes to continue the dialogue with Samian and his representative so that he can attend its next edition, which will be held in August. The rapper revealed on Monday the linguistic conflict which opposes him to the event and which “dismays” the Assembly of First Nations Quebec-Labrador.
Posted at 1:21 p.m.
“Knowing that there are titles in French and titles in his first language in his repertoire, we told his representative that we were open so that he could perform songs in his two languages, taking into account the primary mission. of the festival which is to promote French-speaking music”, explains the event in a press release released on Tuesday.
The Festival international de la chanson de Granby (FICG) made this point the day after the publication, on Facebook, of a message from Samian denouncing his exclusion for linguistic reasons. “We demand that my concert must be 100% in French,” writes the rapper, whose latest album, Nikamo, is entirely in the Anishinabe language. “Do your homework”, quips the artist in his message.
Samian has been publishing albums in which he sings in French, but also in the Anishinabe language, for 15 years. He said he was amazed to learn that he could not participate in the FICG if his concert was not “100% in French”.
“Are indigenous languages still to be considered as foreign languages in 2022? These ancestral languages from here have nothing threatening for French! “he specifies, before adding that he was” royally fed up “of such a” colonial mentality “.
The Assembly of First Nations Quebec-Labrador said it was “dismayed” on Tuesday to learn that “one of its most influential artists” had been refused to participate in the FICG because of the language in which he speaks. expressed in his songs.