Francis Baptiste

Heritage On the Mend

A washed-up, divorced, recovering alcoholic tries to balance being a single father and being a middle-aged musician.


In 2022 Indigenous songwriter Francis Baptiste released his debut album, Sneqsilx (Family), an album that features songs sung in his native language Nsyilxcən [nah-silk-sen], the endangered language of the Syilx [see-ilks] people. The 10-song album was his effort to preserve and connect with his heritage. The chance to reconnect with his roots helped him through turbulent times.


Following the release, Baptiste got to play the best gigs of his life, performing for Talking Stick Festival, Vancouver Jazz Fest, Music Waste Festival, and the PNE. Singles from Sneqsilx (Family) were played on CBC Radio, SiriusXM, and college radio stations across the country. The album received press in Exclaim Magazine, the Vancouver Sun, Discorder Magazine, the Times Chronicle, and several music blogs.


With a renewed focus on sobriety in 2023, Baptiste continues to work on the next album, due out late-Spring 2023. The new work continues to feature songs in the endangered language of Nsyilxcen. It also continues to explore themes of addiction and Indigenous identity in the face of estrangement and assimilation.



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Praise for Sneqsilx (Family)

"A deeply personal record that holds immense cultural weight at its heart"

-Exclaim Magazine

"Baptiste’s tone and gravitas suggest hope in Nsyilxcən’s revival while acknowledging that its extinction never had to happen."

-Dominionated

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Performances


Release History