The Red River Ramblers

The Red River Ramblers perform Métis fiddle music. While rooted in a deep respect for the Métis fiddle tradition, the music burns a new path for the genre. The Red River Ramblers set fire to fierce tempos and crooked metres. The guitar and bass drift between rhythmic and melodic. The hand drum, bass drum, spoons, and shaker carry the heart beat. The fiddle weaves timeless melodies.

Douglas Richard Sinclair is a citizen of the Métis Nation, registered with the Manitoba Metis Federation. In February of 2019, Sinclair founded The Red River Ramblers. He released the band’s first record titled “Métis Fiddle Music” on Saturday January 4th 2020. The record featured Sinclair’s arrangements of traditional fiddle tunes, including banjo renditions of tunes like Louis Riel Reel and Wigwam Polka.

Douglas Richard Sinclair released his record “Reverie” on January 8th 2023. The record features original compositions written and arranged by Sinclair. Each tune on the record tells a story through soundscapes, and burns a new path for Métis fiddle music. When interviewed about Reverie for an MMF Citizen Spotlight, Sinclair commented: “They tell the story of the Métis buffalo hunts, the great rendezvous. The tunes tell the story through sound. In Road to Pembina, the fiddle produces high and screeching sounds, akin to the sound of the Red River carts that could be heard far in the distance while they travelled across the plains.”

The Red River Ramblers received a nomination for Traditional Indigenous Artist of the Year for the 2024 Juno Awards. The band performed at the Juno Awards Honouring Ceremony at Pier 21 in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Since the nomination, the band has achieved highlight performances such as Metis Night at Blue Cross Park in Winnipeg, and TD Music Hall for the International Indigenous Music Summit in Toronto, and Riverfest Elora. The Red River Ramblers aim to perform at festivals and venues across North America, and beyond.