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Nelly Furtado: Big Hoops (Bigger The Better)

May 8, 2012 in Native American, Sounds

We’ve been waiting for this. We got excited when she was spotted walking on stilts and spotted in public with World Champion hoop dancer Tony Duncan. Then we heard the song, which had little to do with hoops, much less hooping, but learned she’d been working with Kevin and Violet Duncan as well – both amazing Native American hoop dancers in their own right. Well, now the wait is over and Nelly Furtado’s music video for her new single “Big Hoops (Bigger The Better) is finally here (and on iTunes). See it for yourself.

Lisa Odjig

May 4, 2012 in Canada, Native American, Videos

Lisa Odjig of the Ojibwe Nation, fresh from making the Top Ten on Canada’s Got Talent, performs at Seneca College – her alma mater. Her hoop dance here is amazing. Lisa is a two-time world champion Hoop Dancer who has also won an additional six Hoop Dance Championship titles throughout Canada and the United States. She was the first woman in the history of the Annual World Championship Hoop Dance contest to win World Champion Hoop Dancer in the adult female and male combined adult division as well. She lives in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Nelly Furtado Releases Big Hoops

April 30, 2012 in Canada, Native American, Sounds

Tony Duncan Talks Hoop Dance With Nelly Furtado

Tony Duncan Talks Hoop Dance With Nelly Furtado

Earlier this month we told you about “Big Hoops (Bigger the Better)” – the new single by Nelly Furtado. Nelly was caught on camera on stilts in downtown Los Angeles and World Champion Hoop Dancer Tony Duncan was in the mix so needless to say we were super curious. Well the track has been released digitally now in the U.S. as the lead single from her upcoming fifth studio album “The Spirit Indestructible”. The song certainly has a great groove, but while the lyrics are clear that bigger is better there is little mention of hoops and she appears to be referring to big hoop ear rings. And yet a new behind-the-scenes sneak peak at the making of the music video for the single has Nelly hanging out in Los Angeles with not just Tony Duncan, but his wife Violet Duncan and his brother Kevin Duncan as well. The Yellow Bird Productions hoop dancers talk a little about hoop dance and show off some of their skills as well and we can see they are clearly in the video. So needless to say we’re still intrigued. As for the new album Nelly says, “This album is all about positivity, youth, good energy and the relentlessness of the spirit. I want people to live this music the way we did when we wrote it. I want them to jump, dance, scream, laugh, cry, love and vibe to it, and to turn it up very loud everywhere.” Listen to the new single “Big Hoops (Bigger is Better) with lyrics below and check out the sneak peak at the making of the music video with the Duncans. Read the rest of this entry →

Lisa Odjig Makes Canada’s Got Talent Top 10

April 26, 2012 in Canada, Native American, Television

Lisa Odjig

Lisa Odjig

Lisa Odjig hoop danced with 17 hoops in the Top 10 Finals on Canada’s Got Talent. The two-time world champion hoop dancer who is also the first woman to ever win the renowned title in the male and female combined adult division often gives dance seminars to Aboriginal children all across Canada. “The hoops create symbols and designs of natures, such as plants, trees, animals and birds. It shows our connection with each other, the earth and all living creatures,” she told YorkRegion.com. On the show this week Lisa had 17 hoops on the go, using just about every part of her body, including her mouth. It was more hoops than she had used in her audition, but The Toronto Star felt the focus was diluted by having her surrounded by drummers and dancers this time around. Debra Yeo writes, “Whereas people leapt to their feet for Lisa at her audition, they stayed seated Sunday night.” Judge Martin Short said, “I’m not convinced this will make it to the very end because it was very similar to what I saw before. Moccio agreed the act probably wouldn’t win the competition, although he thanked Lisa for educating him about this aspect of native culture. Brueggergosman called the act “visually stunning” though and said it gave her goosebumps, but in the end Odjig did not move forward.

Nelly Furtado: Big Hoops (Bigger The Better)

April 9, 2012 in Native American, Sounds

Tony Duncan, Nelly Furtado and others

Tony Duncan, Nelly Furtado and others

Grammy-award-winning Canadian music artist Nelly Furtado is rolling in later this month with a brand new single called “Big Hoops (Bigger the Better)” and while we initially weren’t entirely sure what it was all about, when Nelly was spotted high atop a pair of stilts in downtown Los Angeles shooting her new music video for it, well needless to say we got very excited. Nelly tweeted “The higher the better!” as she wobbled her way down the sidewalk actually and given the title of the song, the stilts, her outfit, we were thinking the circus had to be in the house, and if that was the case, could the big hoops and hoopers be waiting in the wings? Given the cover art we weren’t entirely sure, it looked more like an earring, and her recently tweeted photo had us thinking otherwise. But then Nelly also tweeted a photo saying she was honored to be working with World Champion Native American Hoop Dancer Tony Duncan and his family – who is collaborating with her on what is destined to be one of the big hooping songs of 2012, no matter how you slice it. The track, produced by Rodney “Darkchild” Jerkins, is the lead single off her first English language album in six years, and is set to be released later this month. The new album, called T.S.I. which stands for The Spirit Indestructible, will be hitting the stores on June 19th. Check out the Big Hoops cover and a mini interview with Nelly about the new album below: Read the rest of this entry →

Mending The Sacred Hoop: The Movie

March 19, 2012 in Health and Spirit, Native American

Mending The Sacred Hoop is a new documentary film project that chronicles the wholesale plundering of a gentle people – and the often deadly attempt to forcefully eradicate Native traditions and culture. Yankton Sioux elders are interviewed who experienced the unspeakable and have healed through great inner strength to generously share their wisdom, customs and knowledge. Consider making a donation to support the film. Chief Blue Star Eagle says, “The Seventh generation is coming. They’re going to help save the world, the human heart and our spirituality.” Follow the film on Facebook.