By Will Yannacoulias
Monty Python’s Eric Idle once sang “the world today seems absolutely crackers”, and 43 years later those words ring truer than ever. Pandemics, lockdowns, hate groups, protests and counter-protests, have all led to the world being as crackers as ever. Art is often a reflection of life, and September 22 Saskatoon songwriter Christopher James Vasseur shared his reflections with the release of his latest single “Freedom Song”.
“Freedom Song” is a pointed criticism of the conspiracy-rooted reactionary conservative political movements that have found footing in Canada in the last few years. “I was angry at all the attention the stupid convoy was getting. There are reserves in this country that don’t have access to clean drinking water. There are literally children buried in the ground. There’s women buried in a landfill, but the convoy got all the attention. That really speaks to where society is headed, so I wanted to speak up. Reconciliation is important to me and I think above all there needs to be more love.”
“Freedom Song” is available on all streaming platforms. Christopher James Vasseur’s next appearance will be this Saturday at The Blackbird Sessions: An Evening of Truth and Reconciliation.
