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‘Northern Echoes’ Spotlights Homegrown Canadian Talent at National Parks Throughout the Country

Amazon Music Canada's new collaboration with Parks Canada features emerging talent Barrin May, Levoy, Morgan Robertson and Nick Bellingshausen performing in breathtaking natural settings.

Barrin May

Barrin May

Courtesy Photo

Amazon Music Canada has unveiled Northern Echoes, a new program showcasing emerging Canadian talent and highlighting the country's natural sites.

The series debuted earlier this month with four powerful performances from artists Barrin May, Levoy, Morgan Robertson and Nick Bellingshausen. In partnership with Parks Canada, the videos are filmed at gorgeous landmarks across the country, including national sites, parks and marine conservation areas.


The series promotes hidden talent from remote Canadian communities through an open submission process, which concluded last September. The result is a collection of four original songs, released as Amazon Music Originals, featuring artists on the brink of their musical careers.

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Each episode takes viewers on an intimate journey through each artist's story, exploring how their communities have shaped their musical identity. With Northern Echoes, the series provides the rising musicians with a massive platform to reach audiences across Canada and beyond.

"Through the voices of Levoy, Morgan Robertson, Barrin May, and Nick Bellingshausen, we're not just showcasing undiscovered artists, but also celebrating the diverse landscapes and cultures that shape their music,” says Tyler Tasson, brand and artist marketing lead, Amazon Music Canada.

Northern Echoes promotes Amazon Music's continued investment in Canada, in addition to its Breakthrough Artists to Watch program. Last year’s edition featured rising Canadian talent like Punjabi Canadian singer Jonita Gandhi and country singer Owen Riegling.

Here are the four Northern Echoes performers:

Barrin May

Against the stunning backdrop of Clear Lake in Riding Mountain National Park, Barrin May delivers a powerful and emotionally charged performance of his original song "Maria." Representing his home community of St. Theresa Point in Northern Manitoba, May's heartfelt composition showcases the profound musical talent emerging from Canada's remote First Nations communities.


Levoy

Filmed overlooking Quebec's Saguenay–St. Lawrence Marine Park, Levoy delivers a haunting performance of "Chute libre" that echoes the raw power of his surroundings. The proud francophone artist's deeply personal composition draws from his roots in La Baie, where his connection to the land and its heritage runs deep through his family's ties to the Wolastoqiyik territory.

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Morgan Robertson

Under the vast skies of Grasslands National Park, Saskatchewan, Morgan Robertson's stripped-down performance of “Crude” captures the untamed spirit of Canada's prairies. Her voice, as authentic as her hometown of Carlyle, Saskatchewan, brings a raw emotionality to this original composition that speaks to the heart of rural Canadian life.

Nick Bellingshausen

Making his musical debut, Nick Bellingshausen performs “Overtime” from Rouge National Urban Park, Canada's largest urban park spanning an impressive 79km². Hailing from Moonstone, Ontario, Bellingshausen’s love of music was cultivated by his family growing up, although he only started writing original music in the last two years.

The four Northern Echoes performances are available to watch now on YouTube and Instagram, and each song is available to stream on Amazon Music.

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Chuck Negron, founding member and lead vocalist of Three Dog Night.
Courtesy Photo

Chuck Negron, founding member and lead vocalist of Three Dog Night.

FYI

Obituaries: Three Dog Night Vocalist Chuck Negron, Television & Blondie Bassist Fred Smith

This week we also acknowledge the passing of Manitoban country artist and producer Dale Russell and Three Doors Down singer Brad Arnold.

Dale Russell, a Winnipeg-based country singer/songwriter and producer, died on Feb. 5, at age 77.

Larry Delaney at Cancountry sent Billboard Canada this obituary: "Born in 1948 in St. Boniface, Manitoba, and raised in Portage La Prairie, Dale Russell enjoyed success in many music categories. As a recording artist he released his debut album She Don't Like The Highway in 1980 on Sunshine Records. A single release of the album's title track tune peaked at No. 28 on the RPM Country Charts. An earlier release, 'Feel It,' was a Top 50 chart hit in 1978."

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