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 performed for Talking Stick Festival, Vancouver Jazz Fest, Music Waste Festival, Rogue Arts Festival, Barnside Harvest Festival, Shipyards Festival, Khatsahlano 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.


Baptiste’s sophomore LP is set to release in Summer of 2024. 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 Sənk̓lip, the Trickster

"Baptiste packs a lot of perspective into his music, sung in a mix of English and Nsyilxcən. His vulnerable folk rock songs about addiction and self-discovery are bluesy, bruised, and blossoming."

-The Georgia Straight

"Francis Baptiste is unsparingly candid on his new album, S​ə​nk​̓​lip, the Trickster, especially on the lushly hypnotic, '90s-style alt-rock single, 'Lazy Lake,' an ode to his origins, Osoyoos Indian Band. It's nostalgic and dreamy but there's an undercurrent of tension in the low hum of the strings."

-CBC Music

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

Videos

Performances


Release History