Competing with Eilish, Ronson for her song in “Killers of the Flower Moon”

The Osage artist, who created a musical composition for Martin Scorsese’s feature film “Killers of the Flower Moon,” is due to be in Los Angeles for the Oscars.

Scott George: From the Oklahoma Reservation to the Hollywood Spotlight

Living in the state of Oklahoma in the United States, Scott George is dedicated to helping Native American families with housing, in addition to enjoying singing during the festivals of his Osage people. This orderly daily life is about to be turned upside down. In fact, he is preparing to go to Los Angeles for the Oscars, where his music for Martin Scorsese’s film will be in competition. He finds himself facing off against celebrities like Billie Eilish and Mark Ronson. the situation appears to him “Virtually Unreal”The artist agrees.

The life of Scott George, originally from the indigenous Osage people, is now linked to film flower moon killer By Martin Scorsese. The film tells the tragic fate of this people, who suffered a series of murders committed to seize their oil wealth, based on real events that took place in Oklahoma in the early 20th century. Nominated for ten Oscars at the March 10 ceremony, the film features a soundtrack composed by Robbie Robertson, of Native American descent. However, Martin Scorsese was keen to include an authentic song of the Osage people to end his film.

“This is our heritage”

It was during a traditional program when Scott George and other musicians noticed the director’s presence. “When I realized he was watching us,” The singer declares, “I knew what he wanted when he asked us to compose music for his film. , However, the artist initially refused, saying that many Osage songs bore the names of ancient warriors and were therefore deeply connected to their heritage. “These are songs that are directly ours”, Scott George explains.

But after several discussions with the production team, the artist decided to create an original song for the film. The product of this work is Wahjaze (A Song for My People), a poignant anthem that urges the Osage people to stand tall and remain proud despite many trials. Released at a time when Osage elders are coming together to educate younger people about their history, the film and its song provide valuable support for them. Chief Geoffrey Standing Bear of the Osage Nation emphasizes that it reminds them that they are not a relic of the past.

“Music from home”

Being selected out of 15 pieces for the Oscar was already an achievement for him. The nomination of his song in the “Best Song” category further added to his happiness. “Isn’t it amazing?” , says Native American actress Lily Gladstone. “It was really important to me that an Osage be nominated,” she adds. For Scott George, emotions are more subtle. “Making music for my people is a source of great joy to me,” He accepted, “Besides, I’m broke… I don’t know what I really want.”

He still appreciates the opportunity it allows his music, often satirized in cartoons, to be recognized as an art form in its own right. “We know this is a special musical genre, and will probably remain that way, but we hope people can appreciate its full artistic richness,” He insists. It may well be that Scott George will be able to perform his anthem during the ceremony, as is often the case for finalists in this category.

Meanwhile, he has already attended several prestigious events in Hollywood and met some of his “rivals” such as Billie Eilish or Jon Batiste. “On the Zoom conference, we were all together, and I wondered who these people were and what my role was here,” He recalls, smiling.