Burnt Project 1


Burnt Project 1 is a Canadian First Nations band from Winnipeg, Manitoba. An eleven-member musical collective, the band incorporates elements of rock music, blues, jazz, funk and traditional First Nations music into its style. African, Middle Eastern and Latin beats are also included in their songs, as is a big band sound from the horn section.

History and Influences

Burnt Project 1 was formed in 2001 by Kiwizenz-Tawagun, a.k.a. David Boulanger, who includes in his influences Queens of the Stoneage, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Dave Matthews, Jimi Hendrix, and Bob Marley. In 2003, they released their first album, The Avenue, which was nominated as Best Indigenous Music Album at the Juno Awards of 2004; the band's second album, Hometown, won Aboriginal Recording of the Year at the Juno Awards of 2006.
In June 2008, the band played a special concert at the Indian Residential School Museum of Canada, which was formerly a residential school itself. The Nanaandawe'iti Nagamonan: Healing Songs concert was performed and recorded at the Long Plains First Nation Reserve, located at Portage la Prairie in Manitoba. The CBC commissioned David Boulanger to write a song dedicated to residential school survivors. His mother, Cathy Boulanger, and friend Duncan Mercredi were both survivors and participated in the song's composition.
The band's third album, "The Black List", was nominated as Best Aboriginal Album at the Juno Awards of 2013.

Members