Yovan Nagwetch

Yovan Nagwetch is a Canadian-Finnish songwriter, musician and activist.

Biography

He was born in the Gaspésie village of Chandler, Quebec and grew up in Montreal. He is a Métis of Wabanaki ancestry, a hoop of small Native American nations located on the Atlantic shore of Canada and the USA. Later he emigrated to France and to Finland, before spending many years performing and travelling elsewhere in many places across the continent.

Ethnically Nagwetch is a Canadian Wabanaki Métis. The homeland of the Wabanaki Métis consists of the eastern region of the North American continent, generally described as being New England in the United States, plus Quebec and the Maritimes in Canada. Their history dates back to the sixteenth century when the first Europeans, mainly French, married within local tribes and adopted the “Indian” way of life.

After arriving in Finland Nagwetch started to explore the musical heritage of his Wabanaki ancestors resulting in the creation of Wabanag, a concept band gathering young musicians of different ethnic backgrounds and playing Nagwetch's music. Surrounded by music his whole life he started composing songs when he was five years old. Starting with serious songwriting when he was 12 years old and picking up the guitar at age 16. Though he has no formal education in music, he is self-learned in various fields of music, from producing music in Montreal to playing on the streets of Europe, to learning and eventually teaching African drums in Paris. He is also known for his use of flutes and frame-drums.

Nagwetch has toured widely in Finland with his band Wabanag, and in 2005 The Bands album Ulodi was nominated as Best International Album at the Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards winning them recognition and airplay also in the USA and Canada.

Nagwetch is also a known as a traditionalist and activist for the cause of Native and Métis peoples.

Discography

with Wabanag:
2004 Ulodi

External links

Official Website
Myspace
Finnish-Canadian Society_Nagwetch
Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards