Cree one of 5 finalists in talent search
June 28, 2002 • By Will Nicholls
From over 4,000 entries in the C.B.C. Television's "Great Canadian Talent Search" Ouje Bougoumou's Richard Bosum has been chosen as one of it's five finalists.
Assisted by the Ouje-Bougoumou band council, Bosum first achieved his life-long goal of recording his music.
Kenny Mianscum, one of Bosum's closest friends, introduced him to Randall Prescott. Prescott, who has produced music for Susan Aglukark, Tom Jackson and Francine Weistche, was amazed by Bosum's talent and went on to produce his new c.d. Bosum's "labour of love" is finally complete and will be released early this summer.
Prescott heard about the talent search when management in Toronto asked him to be a judge in the Montreal finals. He submitted Richard's songs and then got the call. "You're no longer a judge in Montreal because your friend Richard Bosum was chosen to represent the best of Nunuvut and Quebec." Bosum's vocal and language skills, along with his original melodies, created a rich tapestry of sounds that caught the ears of Toronto's very critical selection panel.
At the Ouje-Bougoumou 10* anniversary "Beyond The Dream" concerts, both Florent Voilant and Claude MacKenzie heard Bosum's rough mixes and were blown away by them. In fact, Claude stayed at Bosum's place for days jamming and creating.
"All the people of James Bay can be proud of Richard Bosum," says Prescott. "Keep your eyes open for his shot at a Juno nomination next year."