Words by David C. Obenour
As the world gets smaller it also gets immeasurably larger.
With phones, cameras, recorders and computers in each of our pockets, we’ve never been more exposed to how vast the totality of human existence is. But within that broadcasted vastness, what once was unknown has evolved to foreign. Knowing of a thing’s existence connects us to those that brought it. New perspectives. Overlapping experiences. A fuller and closer to complete understanding. Foreign starts to become more familiar.
For those outside of their culture, Wisconsin’s Bizhiki is an amazing experience. Drawing from traditional indigenous pow-wow singing, Dylan Bizhikiins Jennings and Joe Rainey bring a lifetime of practice and passion into their art. The emotion and vision is vast and stretches across each track and back through generations. But it also is grounded in overlapping contemporary experiences. Working with singer and multi-instrumentalist S. Carey, the group utilizes modern production and instrumentation. Together, their album Unbound is intimately of the moment and generationally expansive.
Off Shelf: The press release talks about an invitation to work together with a festival taking place on Ojibwe’s ancestral homeland being a sort of pivotal moment in creating a spirit of collaboration. Can you talk about how that became and continues to exist in Bizhiki?
Dylan Bizhikiins Jennings: We were asked to come down to the Eaux Claire’s festival years ago and given the opportunity to collaborate with other artists and perform where, when, and how we wanted. We shared time and space with some very talented and gifted musicians – some of those on-the-spot collaborations flourished into strong relationships.
OS: One of the other singers in Bizhiki, can you talk a little about your history with Joe Rainey?
DBJ: Joey and I have known each other for a long time – since I was a kid. We both sang with the drum groups Midnite Express and IronBoy, singers from Minneapolis. One of our close brothers “Big Mac” passed away a few years back and it was difficult for everyone close to him. In many native communities, there are ceremonies that are meant to help with grief – including adoption ceremonies. Big Mac’s mother adopted the both of us and took us as sons. Through ceremony, Joey and I are also brothers.
OS: Both coming from the practice of pow-wow singing, can you talk about what you appreciate about Joe’s voices? What as a singer, you may be able to hear and appreciate that might not be apparent to the uninformed listener.
DBJ: Singing pow-wow is definitely a gift. We are taught at a young age that our voices are to be used to help the people. The way we were both taught to sing reflects the ability to hit high and sharp notes while transitioning to mids and low notes. Joey has the ability to harmonize extremely well and can sing pretty much any melody.
OS: For those unfamiliar and uninformed of the art of pow-wow singing, what would you draw their attention to? What would you hope they hear and appreciate about it as compared to or contrasted from other forms of singing?
DBJ: I think the range of our voices is very unique. Being able to hit the high notes, roll the voice and maintain volume are all areas to pay attention to.
OS: When incorporating modern sounds, voices of others, song structure, and instruments, what did you want to be cognizant of for Bizhiki?
DBJ: I think we approached things in a way which allowed our minds to be open to anything. No instruments or combinations were off limits. We also started this project in a really great space with a mutual foundation of respect for one-another. The energies in the room literally guided much of this project.
OS: How do you see this as sitting alongside of traditional pow-wow singing and music? Is it still traditional, just inside of a new context and approach, or do you think of it as something more apart or different?
DBJ: I think it’s definitely different – but it’s still the familiar pow-wow sounds. It’s familiar traditional sounds wrapped up in a contemporary vessel. It seems like in our communities we are always working to revitalize our language and culture through various channels. Normalizing our language and our sounds on mainstream platforms is also a part of this.
OS: Such a beautiful and ambitious album, was it daunting to have to edit the thoughts and expressions you wanted to have on Unbound? Were there other takes or approaches you had experimented with that may not have found it onto the album but could inform future work?
DBJ: We actually had a difficult time narrowing down this project. The ideas and possibilities were flowing like crazy – we had many other tracks that could have easily found their way on the album. It was a good problem to have. We work really well together as a team and found ways to edit and work through the messages and thoughts we wanted to share.
OS: Can you talk about the album cover for Unbound? Who created it, why you choose it, what it represents to you about the music?
DBJ: Our sister, Jennie Kappenman from Kryptonite Creations designed the cover. She’s an Ojibwe artist residing in Minneapolis – one of the most gifted sewers and designers that we know. Our friend Scott Pauli from Art and Sons based out of Madison helped us with the overall layout, design and flow. Ojibwe floral designs are important to us and to our communities. Historically our communities would use quills and eventually beads to recreate the flora and fauna that sustained them. You might bead the plants that you have a close relationship with or the plant/animal beings that help you on a medicinal level. Today many of our artists are utilizing graphic design as a mechanism to share our unique designs.
OS: What is a live Bizhiki experience like? Are there traditional elements of ceremony or culture you might want to embody outside or alongside of the music itself?
DBJ: I would say our shows are also another avenue for storytelling. The music is the major focus but we also have invested a lot of time in developing sharp videography that embodies our experiences as native people living in our communities.
OS: What do you hope observers leave a Bizhiki live experience with a greater appreciation or understanding of?
DBJ: It’s our hope that folks leave our shows feeling good, positive vibes. Hopefully they felt the energy in the air and maybe had a few good laughs as well. We also hope that folks leave the show knowing firmly that our native communities are thriving, and still very much present in this ever-changing society.