Eagle Flight Singers

TD MAINSTAGE BANDSHELL
THURSDAY 6:45 pm

TD MAINSTAGE BANDSHELL
FRIDAY 4:00pm-4:45pm

Eagle Flight Singers are a professional First Nations group based in and around London, Ontario, but with an extensive travel history in the Great Lakes region and beyond. Honored as World Music Group of the Year at the 2018 Forest City London Music Awards, the ensemble consists of fathers, sons and close friends of Plains Cree, Ojibway, and Haudenosaunee descent.

Eagle Flight sings in what’s known as “Straight Northern Original” in the pow-wow style, which originated in the western states and provinces. Their performances, at many educational and professional events as well as festivals, consist of structured vocal compositions (2-3 minutes in duration) accompanied by a raw hide drum.

This rhythmic combination is meant to invoke the spirit of the listener, as First Nation's people believe that feelings of elation are medicine for the mind, body, and soul. Pow-wow singing is derived from ancient ceremonial practises; however, after a half-century of gift giving and sharing, it has evolved into more of an intertribal ritual spread across North America.