Derek Neary
Northern News Services

Fort Simpson (Oct 06/00) - The next time you hear drum songs it may not be at a leadership conference or a community feast, it may be coming from your home stereo.

The Deh Cho Drummers have released volume one of Deh Cho Drum music, marking the first time the material has been available to the public on CD.

"I thought it was a great idea," said drummer Dennis Deneron, of Trout Lake. "Already six people have approached me and asked me to order a copy for them."

The CD, which contains eight tracks and more than 60 minutes of drum songs, was a project that soundman Mike Chemerys was determined to pursue. He said the impetus came eight years ago during an evening drum dance at the inaugural Deh Cho Assembly in Kakisa.

"I thought just for the heck of it I'd try recording it to see how it would turn out," he recalled. "I played it the next day at coffee break and people asked for copies."

However, the original recording was on analogue tape and the sound quality was not nearly as good as digital, a format that Chemerys switched to a few years ago. As well, the Deh Cho Drummers have improved their performance over the years. Chemerys proposed the CD project to the Deh Cho First Nations in 1998 and it was approved.

He then recorded performances from leadership meetings and assemblies using the latest technology.

"It actually turned out really, really well," he said. "It's amazing what you can do with a computer these days."

A Calgary-based company was contracted to produce 1,000 CDs and 500 cassettes from Chemerys' master disc. Digital photos taken by DCFN employee James Sergeant were used for the CD cover and imprinted on the disc.

The tracks were selected by the elders' council and the CD was dedicated to the elders, Chemerys noted. The proceeds from sales are to be used to establish an arts and cultural foundation for the Deh Cho.

The disc has been well received, according to Chemerys.

"It's something the region has needed," he said.

There's supposedly some 1950s drumming recordings from the Deh Cho on file at the National Archives. He said there's interest in obtaining a copy of that material and any recorded tea dance songs so they can be revived.

Another volume of Deh Cho tunes isn't out of the question, either.