The 2024 Juno Awards are mere weeks absent, and to celebrate we recorded the Juno Classes: a series where earlier and present Juno Award nominees and winners address songs by musicians who have been inducted into the Canadian Tunes Hall of Fame.
In the second instalment in the sequence, Toronto-based Oji-Cree singer-songwriter Aysanabee covered the Band’s typical 1968 monitor, “The Excess weight.” Aysanabee was nominated for three Juno Awards this year, together with songwriter of the calendar year, option album of the 12 months, and contemporary Indigenous artist of the year.
“It was excellent to be equipped to, as an Indigenous artist, go over one more Indigenous artist, you know, Robbie Robertson,” Aysanabee informed CBC New music. “I also have a small gentle location for common rock far too, due to the fact I grew up in these little northern towns the place [that music] is generally pretty much a little bit nostalgic.”
For his acquire on “The Fat,” Aysanabee shared singing responsibilities with his track record singers, Alina Lai and Kyla Constitution and guitarist Gina Kennedy. Their vocal performances are warm and soulful, playing up the gospel and blues sensibilities of the initial.
The Band was inducted into the Canadian Songs Hall of Fame in 1989. Whilst they under no circumstances gained a team Juno Award, songwriter and guitarist Robbie Roberston was nominated for 8 and gained 5 involving 1989 and 1999.
The late Robertson, who died in 2023, has a nicely-gained legacy as one particular of Canada’s finest songwriters, penning other notable tracks this kind of as “The Evening They Drove Aged Dixie Down” and “Someplace Down the Ridiculous River.”
With his rendition of “The Fat,” Aysanbee joins the ranks of several artists that have included this 1960s common, which includes Aretha Franklin, Diana Ross and the Supremes, and far more recently, the Black Keys.
Observe Aysanabee’s nostalgic protect of The Band’s “The Fat” above, and preserve an eye on cbcmusic.ca/junos for even more Juno Sessions covers.
Host Nelly Furtado is bringing the party to the 2024 Juno Awards on Sunday, March 24, at 8 p.m ET. Tune in on CBC-Tv set, CBC Gem, CBC Radio A single, CBC Tunes and CBC Listen, and stream globally on cbcmusic.ca/junos.

The Canadian Music Hall of Fame was proven by the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences in 1978 to admit artists who have made a impressive impact on Canadian music, both nationally and internationally. It is housed in Studio Bell, household of the National Music Centre in Calgary. The following various-induction ceremony will take position in October 2024, and will see inductees join the ranks of Canada’s most esteemed talent such as Oscar Peterson, Leonard Cohen, Alanis Morissette, Trooper, Shania Twain, Deborah Cox, the Tragically Hip, Hurry and much more. Visit canadianmusichalloffame.ca for additional facts.