Few have succeeded in blending the past and present as artfully as classically-trained Jeremy Dutcher does in his new album, ‘Wolastoqiyik Lintuwakonawa‘.
The 11-track album is sung entirely in Dutcher’s native Wolastoq language and incorporates century-old wax cylinder recordings of his ancestors performing these traditional songs. It results in an ambitious collaboration that Dutcher strives to keep fresh by including modern classical influences.
Trained as an operatic tenor, Dutcher has no problem hitting every booming peak these songs have to offer. His classical background also lends itself to the flowing strings and piano that lift these traditional songs to new heights.
Dutcher’s work offers an experience very similar to classic Italian opera. Very few listeners would likely understand the language, but it doesn’t really matter. There’s enough emotion packed into every verse to move you no matter what language you speak.
An emotional high point comes early on in the track ‘Eqpahak’. The track begins with Dutcher interviewing someone, potentially an elder in his community, about the resurfacing of important cornerstones of their culture. The interview soon fades, replaced by Dutcher’s haunting vocals. It’s a powerful track that sets the tone for the album early on.
The use of the wax cylinder recordings adds an entirely new layer of emotion to the album. The recordings instill a feeling of nostalgia similar to that of watching an old home movie. Having a piece of history like that present in every song elevates the cultural importance of an album that’s already clearly so important to where Dutcher comes from.
All of these components work flawlessly together. Dutcher clearly works hard at his craft, and it shows on this unique blend of past culture and current musical style. The result is a beautiful album that will hopefully continue to shine a spotlight on the traditions of the Wolostoq First Nation.