Robbie Robertson, the former singer-guitarist from The Band, was in Montreal in early December recording music with local boys Kashtin for an upcoming TV series. Robertson, who is half-Mohawk, worked with Kashtin on a song called Akua Tuta (Innu for “take care”) for a series on First Nations history produced by U.S. TV mogul Ted Turner. Born in Toronto, Robertson is just now rediscovering his First Nations roots, something that has influenced songs on his recent solo albums like Broken Arrow.
Robertson told a Montreal daily newspaper he’s trying to “send out to the world an impression of Indian music from this continent.” He added, “I’m trying to set the record straight and also give the proper impression that native music isn’t just lost in the past.”
