It’s a Good Life If…

FFFOT we watched the Canadian Juno Awards on Sunday night. The virtual presentation featured so many musicians in a myriad of genres. There was one artist “Jenn Arden” and one band “The Tragically Hip” that really proved that music has unbelievable powers.

Jenn Arden who was inducted into the Canadian Hall of Fame spoke of how she sought refuge from her father in the basement where she began listening to music. It was her solace and being. Later dealing with her mother’s dementia it was music that helped her deal with the reality. She sang the song “Insensitive”

The Tragically Hip fronted by singer Gord Downie who died of brain cancer is a unique group who won the Humanitarian award for their donations to environmental issues, to hospitals, foundations and research. They are a musical icon with their own spin on life.

The band brought attention to the plight of Canada’s indigenous population. Downie and his brother Mike, along with the Wenjack family, announced the founding of the Gord Downie and Chanie Wenjack Fund to support reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples. The fund is a part of Downie’s legacy and commitment to Canada’s First Peoples. Chanie Wenjack was a young indigenous boy who died trying to escape a residential school, who became the centre of Downie’s Secret Path project. The Gord Downie and Chanie Wenjack Fund is a registered charity.

The tragedy of finding young school children from the Catholic run indigenous schools buried in mass graves has evidenced a dark side in Canada’s history. A sincere apology from the Catholic Church would go a long way in healing the hurt, failing which the church will be regarded as Insensitive.

The lady who sings in the attchhed video is Leslie Feist better known by her stage name Feist who is a Canadian indie popsinger-songwriter and guitarist, performing both as a solo artist and as a member of the indie rockgroup “Broken Social Scene”. She is also a Juno award recipient.

This is an extract of some of the lyrics from the song “

Let’s swear that we will Get with the times In a current health to stay. Let’s get friendship right Get life day to day… …In a face so full of meaning… …And find somewhere to go. Go somewhere we’re needed Find somewhere to grow… …Go somewhere we’re needed Let’s go somewhere we’re needed Find somewhere to grow Go where we’re needed’ Cause in the forget-yer-skates dream You can hang your head in woe And this diverse as ever scene Know which way to go