By Leena Sharma Seth
Twin Flames are coming to town at the end of the month, and I can barely contain my excitement!
Twin Flames is a Canadian rock and folk music band based in Ottawa, whose music truly transcends genres and geography, and who have been celebrated internationally. This, alongside their substantial body of work, make it clear that they have something special going on. In just seven years of recording and performing as Twin Flames, the duo has accumulated over 35 music awards and nominations.
From the beginning, this husband-and-wife duo, Jaaji (pronounced Yaa-Yee) and Chelsey June, has chosen to let their music speak for itself. Jaaji (Inuk from Nunavik and Mohawk from Kahnawake) and Chelsey (Algonquin, Métis, Cree, and settler) write songs delivered through a mix of English, French, and Inuttitut.
As a settler, entrepreneur, and consultant focused on inclusion, equity, anti-racism, and belonging, embodying my commitments to the calls to action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission has been an important priority to me. In the wake of the uncovering of the graves of thousands of Indigenous children at residential institutions, not only in Tk’emlúps (colonially known as Kamloops, B.C.), but across the country, reckoning with the true history and foundations of Canada is a fundamental settler responsibility now more than ever.
I strive to walk my talk and to hold a posture of humility as I work to be a better settler today than yesterday. Not only because justice, equity, and belonging are key values of mine, but importantly, as a part of my commitment to the calls for action for truth and reconciliation.
Some of you may recall that 2019 was declared the International Year of Indigenous Languages by the United Nations, to raise awareness of the great reduction in Indigenous languages around the world.
Twin Flames received the honour of being chosen to write, record, and perform the official 2019 UNESCO anthem. Human was the song that they gave to the world to celebrate this occasion. They wrote the song from an Indigenous perspective in the first instance, but in the spirit of more actively embodying reconciliation and inclusion, Chelsey and Jaaji wrote a second set of lyrics that non-Indigenous audiences can sing.
Lyrics from the song include:
Elders say we were given our languages
From the animals, From the trees
Yet we cut them down
Many things have been taken from our people
Yet we are still here
Our languages are not lost
But simply resting…
Waiting…
To be reawakened.
Their music honours their lineages, the voices of their ancestors, and also the real love and hope they embody when they perform together. If music is medicine, their work is a balm for the soul indeed.
The duo are fabulous storytellers and it comes through in their music, their performances, and now also their first children’s book, called Maakusie Loves Music. I co-host a show on YourTV Halton called Diverse Perspectives, and recently interviewed the duo. Check out this clip (below) of Chelsey and Jaaji talking about the role of storytelling in their artistry.
Chelsey and Jaaji also shared with me the special place that Burlington holds in their hearts, as they had a chance to perform at the Burlington Performing Arts Centre’s Tribute to Gord Downie in 2018 — a special evening to celebrate the man, the music, and his legacy one year after his passing. This event was also a fundraiser for the Gord Downie & Chanie Wenjack Fund, established as part of Downie’s legacy and his commitment, and that of his family, to improving the lives of the First Peoples of Canada.
Twin Flames are not only performing publicly on March 30, they are also offering a concert and conversation space on March 29 (sponsored by TD) for students across Halton Region from grades 4 to 8 and 9 to 12.
Their fourth studio album is forthcoming — can’t wait to hear it!
Leena Sharma Seth (she/her) is a settler and award-winning consultant, coach, trainer, and speaker at a firm she founded called Mending the Chasm. She works with businesses, organizations, and communities who are ready to create communities and workplaces that are inclusive, belonging-abundant, and safe for all members. When she’s not kicking at the darkness until it bleeds daylight, she’s enjoying road trips, 80s Bollywood music, and perfecting the art of baking cinnamon buns. She’s proud to call Burlington home and to be raising her children with her partner Sanjay.
