George Leach to kick off 2014 North American Indigenous Games at Opening Ceremonies

Regina, SK – Today it was announced that 2014 Juno award winning artist George Leach will headline the opening ceremonies for the upcoming 2014 North American Indigenous Games (NAIG) which will take place on July 20-27 in Regina, SK.

At a press conference held at First Nations University of Canada (FNUniv), Greg Reynolds of 92.7 Big Dog FM (which is also a sponsor of the games) made the announcement saying the opening ceremonies will be a great way to experience Saskatchewan’s rich cultural diversity.

“These (opening) ceremonies will feature Indigenous cultural and contemporary performers, expressing themselves through dance, music, language and dress…providing a unique opportunity to experience the rich cultural diversity of our great province of Saskatchewan. When you buy a ticket to the opening ceremonies, you should also know you’re buying a ticket to see an award winning artist.”

George Leach was also in attendance and gave a special performance when he was announced as the headliner. With his acoustic guitar, he performed a couple songs, most notably, “Carry Me” from his Juno award winning album “Surrender”.

It has been a very successful year for the blues and rock singer originally from Lillooet, BC, who now resides in Regina, SK. Last summer, he won 3 Aboriginal Peoples Choice Music Awards and recently won a Juno for Aboriginal Album of the Year. So it is no surprise why NAIG hired him to kick off their opening ceremonies.

Leach talked about the message he would want translated through his music to the thousands of Indigenous youth athletes and spectators at the Opening Ceremonies.

“If I were to have an opportunity to say something…it would be to just be yourself and strive to be the best you are, I know there are competitive aspects in all industries…but to have a healthy competitive outlook on yourself is important. To pay attention to health and competitiveness, be yourself cause nobody can be you better than you,” said Leach.

Leach was also a former athlete having competed in one of the past Indigenous Games when he was younger and talked about the honour of giving back.

“It’s definitely a big honour having been an athlete back in the day, for fast ball and to be able to come back as an artist this stage of my career…to come here and do what I do best…hopefully what I do brings some good strong energy to support the games.”

NAIG CEO Ron Crowe talked about why they choose George Leach to headline.

“I think he brings a bit of a buzz, he’s certainly a charismatic individual, the fact that he won a Juno and is one of the Aboriginal entertainers, coupled with the fact he’s a past participant in the past Indigenous Games speaks well to the kind of development and leadership that the North American Indigenous Games can give individuals, so I think he’s a natural fit for the games this year” said Crowe.

Trish Watier of Sask Energy, who is also the Chair of the NAIG Volunteer Services Committee, also shared some words about anyone interested in volunteering.

“For those of you thinking about volunteering, I encourage you to sign up today for one of the best volunteer experiences this province has ever had to offer.”

Tickets are only $10.00 each for the Opening Ceremony which go on sale tomorrow (April 30^th at 10am) at all Ticketmaster Box Offices across Canada or online via the Ticketmaster website. They will also be available at the Brandt Centre Box Office during regular business hours.

Or you can simply sign up to volunteer for NAIG and your ticket to the opening ceremonies is free. The opening ceremonies will take place at Mosaic Stadium on Sunday, July 20th.

Story by Chris Tyrone Ross / Photos by Bill Stevenson

For more info on Geoge Leach check out his website; http://www.georgeleach.com/

Below is “You Got It” a track off his new album “Surrender”