In the native tongue of the Dene First Nation, “Sechile Sedare” (pronounced ‘seh-chee-leh’ 'seh-dahr-eh') means my younger brother, my older sister. Leela and Jay Gilday chose that simple, yet profound name for their musical collaboration because it is defined by their relationship with one another.
“I really love my little brother, so the name of our group is like a tribute to how interconnected we are as people,” says Leela. “In the Dene language, you can't refer to somebody as just ‘my brother’ or ‘my sister.’ You have to refer to them as ‘my older brother’ or ‘my older sister’ so you're always placing yourself in relationship with them.”
Both siblings are accomplished individual performers. Leela won the 2021 Juno Award for Indigenous Artist of the Year, while Jay earned a Western Canadian Music Award in 2017. They’ve only toured Canada as a pair for two years or so, but have already been brought even closer by the experience.
In stylistic terms, Sechile Sedare falls into the vein of folk. Its leads are appreciated by fans for their harmonically resonant voices and narrative-driven songwriting.
“We were going along in our solo careers and we still both perform with our own projects, but coming together to write music was a really meaningful and nourishing thing for both of us to do because it allowed us to look back on our family history, our collective place within the community, and tell some of those stories together,” Leela explains.
‘Proud to be Dene’
Storytelling is a cornerstone of many Indigenous cultures, and the Gildays are no exception. In their songs, they express authentic tales of their loved ones and their relationship to traditional lands, waterways, foods and customs. They appreciate their heritage deeply and use their platform to honour it.
Jay, who describes himself as “a vagabond turned mailman”, is based out of Edmonton, Alta. but spends a fair amount of time on the road. He’s immersed himself in a number of genres, including folk, blues, rock and soul.
For her part, Leela has been in the music industry for about 23 years. She’s co-releasing her sixth, currently untitled full-length album with Jay and is also working on her seventh, which will feature lyrics entirely in the Dene language. She’s spent a lot of time mentoring First Nations youths in songwriting and vocal empowerment as well.
“I'm very proud to be Dene,” says Leela. “I'm proud to be from the north, and I'm really happy to be able to share that worldview. For us, making that human connection with people is at the core of it. If people come to our shows who are not Indigenous and hear something they feel interested in or attracted by, that’s just the beautiful power of music in uniting people.”
Power of the land
Another type of power which has influenced Leela—both as a songwriter and as a person—is that possessed by nature.
Leela resides in Yellowknife with her husband and has relatives living around the Northwest Territories. Her family line can be traced back thousands of years there, and she cherishes the chance to literally walk in the footsteps of ancestors. Many gifted individuals can still be found up north today, from scientists and artists to “bush professors”: those who live off the land.
Said land, majestic though it may be, harbours danger.
“I've lost many friends and family to the land,” Leela admits. “When you're out on the land, you have to be aware of not only its bounty, but its power. Being raised in that kind of environment makes life seem more precious or more urgent, and you have a greater sense of how tiny you are in the larger scale of things. But it's also a very, very warm community.”
Jay and his family moved to Yellowknife for seven months amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. It was the first time his kids had experienced the home of their forefathers, and also the first time Jay and Leela had lived in the same city since adolescence. They began composing their first songs together in 2021, and Sechile Sedare was born.
The siblings have never performed in Whistler before, and eagerly await their opportunity to do so.
“One of the things that resonated with me when I lived in Vancouver [during the early 2000s] is that the beauty of the land and ocean is so strong in the Sea to Sky,” reminisces Leela. “You just look up at these giant mountains that have been there for millennia, and then you'll look out at this powerful ocean. Being in that environment raises similar feelings to what I have about the power of the north.”
Sechile Sedare plays March 23 at 8 p.m. in the Maury Young Arts Centre. Tickets and more information can be found at https://artswhistler.com/calendar-upcoming/arts-whistler-live-presents-sechile-sedare.
