KWE! SHOW

From the Pikogan Anishinabeg community, DJ Jako performs at numerous Indigenous events and gatherings across Quebec. Specializing in crowd entertainment, his mixes blend modern beats with traditional sounds to get audiences of all ages moving.

The ceremony will kick off KWE show with speeches from dignitaries, followed by a performance of the hip-hop song "KWE! Put your hands up!". Created through a collaboration between Indigenous and non-Indigenous artists, this track celebrates the bringing together of nations through music.

An Innu soprano from the community of Pessamit, Elisabeth St-Gelais is one of the most awarded lyric artists of her generation. Winner of the 2023 Prix d’Europe and the Canadian Opera Company Competition, she recently distinguished herself at the Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition (Washington). She performs regularly with the Orchestre Métropolitain and the MSO. Her mission is to incorporate Indigenous works into the classical repertoire to promote reconciliation.

An Inuk singer-songwriter from Kuujjuaq, Yaa alias Johnny Saunders is a prominent figure on the Nunavik music scene. Performing primarily in his native language, Inuktitut, he blends folk, pop, and rock to share Northern realities and the resilience of his people. Known for his unique voice and profound lyrics, he has collaborated with the Nunajait collective and performed on major stages across Canada, including the Montreal First Peoples' Festival.

Violent Ground are two brothers from the Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach, a small community in the northern borderlands of Quebec and Labrador. As composers and lyricists, they aim to enlighten and inspire crowds with powerful lyrics and their unique brand of rap music. The group's name is inspired by the history of the land we live on and the issues Indigenous people face to this day.

At the 2024 KWE! Festival, Vince Grondin-Iserhoff "Wallace" and Antoine Lévesque "Slim Tony" took part in a hip-hop songwriting workshop. The goal was to build bridges between our nations through music. Mentored by artists Sensei H, Q-052, and Violent Ground, they collaborated to create the song KWE! Put your hands up!.

From the Algonquin community of Pikogan, Samian is a major figure on the cultural scene. Since his discovery through Wapikoni Mobile, he has championed the rights of his people through powerful, politically charged hip-hop. As a rapper, poet, actor, and host, he has traveled the world to share his culture. A recipient of the Artist for Peace award, Samian uses his words to build bridges between nations and generations.

Featuring Willows, Eadsé, and Sandrine Masse

Originally from Mashteuiatsh and based in Tiohtià:ke (Montréal), Soleil Launière is a transdisciplinary artist who weaves together singing, movement, theatre, and performance art. Her work explores the presence of the two-spirit body and draws inspiration from Innu cosmogony and the sacred spirit of animals.

Through her album Taueu, she addresses territory, femininity, gender identity, and matriarchy within a soul-roots universe infused with contemporary tones. Her creations blend multiple languages—French, English, Innu-aimun, and invented language—as part of a process of cultural and identity reclamation.

‍

‍

A Québec-based artist of Wendat and Guinean descent, Joseph Sarenhes seamlessly blends hip-hop, rock, and R&B with traditional Afro-Indigenous elements. For him, art is not merely an ambition, but a responsibility to carry forward a legacy of artists who reshaped the world through rhythm and movement. An accomplished multi-instrumentalist (piano, guitar, African percussion) and named Radio-Canada’s Musical Revelation of the Year (2023–2024), he delivers electrifying performances where ancestral dance meets modern artistry.