JUNO AWARD NOMINATED & POLARIS MUSIC PRIZE SHORTLISTED COLLABORATION OF ZOON & STATUS / NON-STATUS RELEASE NEW SINGLE FROM UPCOMING ALBUM, SHAME, DUE OUT LATER THIS YEAR VIA ARTS & CRAFTS
LISTEN / SHARE “ZIIBI” HERE
BUY / STREAM “ZIIBI” HERE
Photo Credit : Natasha Roberts // DOWNLOAD HIGH-RES
Last month, OMBIIGIZI, the project of Canadian duo Adam Sturgeon (Status/Non-Status) and Daniel Monkman (Zoon), shared their first single of 2024, "Connecting." Today, they share their newest electrifying single, "Ziibi."
"Ziibi" is the apex of the raw, exultant harmony in the DNA of OMBIIGIZI, moccasin gaze band featuring Zoon and Status/Non-Status. Translating to ‘river’ in Anishinaabe, "Ziibi" pays homage to the power of the elements. “Scared to leave / what is a reservation,” they sing over layered acoustic guitars that accrue to electric, emotional heights in a timeless chorus. A cultural expression through noise, OMBIIGIZI explores the idea that Indigenous people have not been given a choice in how to define themselves.
Daniel Monkman (Zoon) discusses how they wrote “Ziibi” about the Red River that flows through Manitoba. “It’s a very long river all the way from the Mississippi. I grew up along the shore of that river looking into it. Watching as it would swallow up all our bikes and skateboards. My first realization of how powerful the elements are," adding that, "The river teaches us.”
LISTEN / SHARE “ZIIBI” HERE
BUY / STREAM “ZIIBI” HERE
OMBIIGIZI (pronounced om-BEE-ga-ZAY, meaning this is noisy) is an amalgam of the unique heritages and musical architectures that Daniel and Adam, Anishnaabe artists that imbue their impassioned and incisive art rock with the storytelling of their families. Of their resounding debut album Sewn Back Together, author Waubgeshig Rice wrote that OMBIIGIZI has "come together in the spirit of making noise in a good way for our people." Using the unbridled palette and energy of modern rock, in concert with the ancient melodies and rhythms of their ancestry, OMBIIGIZI "exquisitely conjure a hopeful future that will result from our current collective efforts to share our realities with each other and the world." The Anishnaabe revival is accelerating, and OMBIIGIZI is vital to the growing volume of Indigenous voices.
OMBIIGIZI's sophomore album is anticipated to arrive in late 2024.
WATCH / SHARE “CONNECTING” HERE
BUY / STREAM “CONNECTING” HERE
MORE ABOUT OMBIIGIZI
The Anishinaabe revival is accelerating. Our artists are becoming more resurgent in all realms: telling the stories, singing the songs, and creating the imagery to further solidify our everlasting presence on this land. The soundtrack to this movement is diverse, profound, and beautiful. The Anishinaabe sonic revolution is richly layered and wide-reaching, inspiring and influencing all generations to gather, sing, and speak, as we’ve always done. And at the core of this renewal are artists like Ombiigizi.
Adam Sturgeon and Daniel Monkman have come together in the spirit of making noise in a good way for our people. They have documented this moment in time while paying homage to the ancestors who kept our language and stories alive. There is a deep respect and love for Anishinaabe sounds and voices. They proudly tell family and community stories, and they exquisitely conjure a hopeful future that will result from our current collective efforts to share our realities with each other and the world. - Waubgeshig Rice