Samuel Tremblay

Samian is the stage name of "Samuel Tremblay," a bilingual Algonquian-Canadian rapper from Amos, Quebec. Born to a Québécois father and Algonquin mother on July 11, 1983, he spent most of his childhood in Pikogan, an Indian reserve in western Quebec's Abitibi-Témiscamingue region. During his early 20s, he appeared in several film projects that highlighted the health issues and social challenges of the Abitibiwinni First Nation. "La Paix des Braves," his debut single, tackled similar issues, with the song's title referring to an historic agreement signed by the Government of Quebec and the Grand Council of the Crees in 2002. Released in 2006, the song earned attention from the French rap group Loco Locass, who invited Samian onstage to perform "La Paix des Braves" during a Montreal show. Before long, Samian was playing his own shows in support of his debut album, 2007's Face à soi-même. The record's accompanying tour took Samian around much of the world, including performances in China, Finland, and the 2010 Winter Olympics. 2010 also found him releasing his second album, Face à la musique. During the following years, Samian starred in the 2013 film Roche Papier Ciseaux and made multiple appearances on Canadian television, where he advocated for protection of the Algonquin language and served as a mentor for other Aboriginal musicians. In 2015, he appeared in the movie Scratch and released his third album, Enfant de la terre, which went gold in Canada. More movie roles followed, and received a nomination for "Indigenous Artist of the Year" at the Felix Awards in 2022.