obama's canadian playlist

It's the last day to vote! The CBC has invited us to put together a list of "49 songs from North of the 49th parallel" that would make up an inaugural present for Barack Obama.

What songs do you think of as quintessentially Canadian? Which ones would help educate the soon-to-be President about his neighbours up North ? What subtle (or not so subtle) messages would we like him to be playing on his mp3 player when he goes for a run?

The last day to nominate a song is Friday, January 9th (that's today) at 8pm ET. The CBC will then put together a list of their top 100, which they will post by January 12th. Voting for our favourites will close on January 16th.

You don't have to be Canadian to vote but the songs, or the singer or the songwriter must be Canadian. Send your suggestions to "obamasplaylist at cbc dot ca."

Here are my nominations, sent by email on December 30th:

1. "Kiri's Piano" by James Keelaghan. Keelaghan is a master storyteller and this is a part of Canadian history about which many Canadians remain sadly ignorant (the internment of Japanese Canadians and the expropriation of their land and possessions). Also, the song is hauntingly beautiful. My spouse and I had to pull the car over the first time we heard it (being played on the CBC) many years ago.

2."La complainte du phoque en Alaska" by Michel Rivard and Beau Dommage. Michel Rivard is another terrific song-writer and I think every Canadian francophone knows this song. The song has risen to prominence again recently with the ad "Culture en péril (Culture in Danger)" that Rivard made in support of arts funding (I have lost count of how many times I have been sent the link to this hilarious ad on YouTube).

What songs would you nominate?




Update: voting has started! "La complainte du phoque en Alaska" made the list! They have divided it into sections. You can vote once in each section every day until 8pm ET on January 16th.