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By Paula E. Kirman
Windspeaker.com Contributor
Buffy Sainte-Marie performed to a sold-out audience on Nov. 19 at Festival Place in Sherwood Park. A unique aspect of the concert was the fact she performed without her band, although she paid tribute to them with a presentation of a few videos before she took to the stage.
With her voice, guitars, mouth bow, and computer/keyboard setup, Sainte-Marie played a whirlwind hour-and-a-half of many of her best-known songs, a number of which appear in new versions on her latest album "Medicine Songs." A collection of activist and protest songs, Sainte-Marie took the time to explain the meanings and stories behind some of her lyrics about peace, human rights, and Indigenous struggles.
At 76, with more than 50 years of performing behind her, Sainte-Marie's energy showed no sign of diminishing, as the multi-generational audience sang along and showed their emotion at songs that have retained their power and relevance over the decades.