Amid Buy Canadian, Should We “Listen Canadian” Too?
Deep Dives
Explore related topics with these Wikipedia articles, rewritten for enjoyable reading:
-
Canadian content
12 min read
The article extensively discusses CanCon regulations and the MAPL system that determines what qualifies as Canadian music for broadcast quotas - understanding the full history and mechanics of these 1971 regulations is essential context
-
Maestro Fresh Wes
9 min read
Mentioned as an example of Black Canadian hip hop artists who had to sign record deals outside Canada due to systemic barriers - his story illustrates the specific challenges the article raises about racial inequity in Canadian music industry support
-
Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission
15 min read
The CRTC is mentioned at the end as currently deciding on Canadian content minimums for streaming services - understanding this regulatory body's role and powers is crucial for grasping the policy debate the article describes
iStock / Indieground Design, Unsplash / Ana Luisa O.J.
This story was originally published on thewalrus.ca
By Erin MacLeod
Earlier this year, I was invited to travel to Los Angeles to talk about Canadian music as an export commodity. I was to speak alongside folks discussing music from Sweden and South Korea. This seemed like a fun idea at the time.
As a long-time music journalist and a jury foreperson for the Polaris Prize, I take Canadian music pretty damn seriously. Thirty years ago, I remember staying up late to see the Tragically Hip on Saturday Night Live—introduced by Dan Aykroyd in a shirt emblazoned with “CANADA.” I wasn’t even that much of a fan, but there was something in me that wanted to root for a Canadian band attempting to make it in the United States of America.
In population and pop culture power, Canada is dwarfed by our neighbours to the south, but we’ve been able to punch above our weight for some time. From long-standing legends like Joni Mitchell, Oscar Peterson, Neil Young, and Céline Dion to more recent luminaries like Carly Rae Jepsen, the Weeknd, Tanya Tagaq, and, of course, Drake, it’s not hard to think of iconic musical Canucks. My initial plan was to discuss the successes and shifts, the history and trajectory, of our varied and successful music industry.
But then US president Donald Trump indicated that he wanted to get his hands on the True North Strong and Free. I knew that Trump’s fifty-first-state talk was being taken dead seriously when Canadians started booing the American anthem. As people told me I shouldn’t cross the border, and politicians started acting like hockey coaches entering a third period down by a couple goals, I realized that my lighthearted plans for the presentation needed to change.
Canada has been neglecting our (excellent and varied) music scene for the past decade. A post-pandemic evaluation of the government’s Canada Music Fund revealed that revenues are down: album sales fell by nearly 74 percent between 2015 and 2021. And according to data from the City of Toronto, live music venues are disappearing, with the city shuttering 15 percent of these spaces between 2020 and 2021.
There was an increase in pandemic-related support funding, but also a concern that this funding is nothing but temporary. In addition, the Department of Canadian Heritage, which is responsible for significant amounts
...This excerpt is provided for preview purposes. Full article content is available on the original publication.