Aysanabee facts for kids
Aysanabee is an Oji-Cree singer-songwriter from Canada. His first album, Watin, came out in 2022.
About Aysanabee
Aysanabee is a member of the Sandy Lake First Nation. He was born Evan Pang. His mother chose a different last name for him to help protect him. He grew up in Kaministiquia, Ontario, which is near Thunder Bay.
When he became an adult, he took back his grandfather's last name, Aysanabee. As a teenager, he worked for a mining company. Later, he studied journalism. He also worked creating online content for CTV News.
Aysanabee played in different bands in his free time. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he started making his own music. He sent his music to the International Indigenous Music Summit. He was able to pay the fee after making some money from a cryptocurrency trade.
He was the first artist not already part of Ishkōdé Records to sign with them. This new music label was started in 2021. It was created by singer-songwriter Amanda Rheaume and ShoShonna Kish from the band Digging Roots.
His Music Career
Aysanabee's first album, Watin, was released on November 4, 2022. The album is named after his grandfather's first name. It includes recordings of his grandfather talking on the phone during the pandemic. These recordings are used as short spoken parts between songs.
Before the album, he released the song "Nomads". This song reached number one on the CBC Music Top 20 chart. It also became number one on the Alternative Rock chart in March 2023. This made Aysanabee the first Indigenous Canadian artist to top that chart.
CBC Music chose Watin as one of the best Canadian albums of 2022. They also named "Nomads" as one of the top ten Canadian songs that year.
Aysanabee was nominated for a Juno Award in 2023. He was nominated for Contemporary Indigenous Artist of the Year for his album Watin. He performed his song "We Were Here (It's in My Blood)" at the live awards show. He performed with the traditional Indigenous round dance group Northern Cree. People also praised his performance outfit. It was a long jacket designed by Travis Shilling. The jacket had feathers that represented the Canadian Indian residential school gravesites.
His album Watin was also chosen for the 2023 Polaris Music Prize. This award celebrates the best Canadian albums.
In 2023, he released an EP called Here and Now. An EP is like a mini-album with fewer songs.
Awards and Nominations
| Award | Year | Category | Nominee / work | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Juno Awards | 2023 | Contemporary Indigenous Artist of the Year | Watin | Nominated | |
| 2024 | Here and Now | Nominated | |||
| Alternative Album of the Year | Won | ||||
| Songwriter of the Year | "Alone", "Here and Now", "Somebody Else" | Won | |||
| Polaris Music Prize | 2023 | Polaris 2023 | Watin | Nominated |
