Kat Harlton
Lead Photo: Johanne The Bee
Québec-based Afro-Indigenous artist Joseph Sarenhes recently returned with “Wendigo Hunt,” a hard-hitting new hip-hop single that channels ancestral legend into raw lyrical power. Released via The Orchard, the track is available now across all streaming platforms.
Driven by thunderous drums and razor-sharp bars, the track draws inspiration from the legendary Wendigo of Northern Indigenous storytelling — a powerful figure symbolizing fear, destruction, and the danger of losing oneself. On “Wendigo Hunt,” Joseph flips the narrative, transforming inherited fear into strength and emerging not as the hunted, but the hunter.
Sonically, the self-produced track hits with primal intensity. Traditional pow-wow and hand drums were recorded specifically for the project, grounding the production in Indigenous rhythm while driving a relentless hip-hop pulse that underscores Joseph’s commanding delivery.
“Wendigo Hunt” marks Joseph’s first new release in a few years and signals the start of a series of self-produced works arriving throughout 2026, representing a defining artistic era for the Québec-based artist.
A dynamic MC, singer, and multi-instrumentalist, Joseph Sarenhes is known for blending hip-hop with rock, R&B, and traditional Afro-Indigenous rhythms drawn from his Guinean and Huron-Wendat heritage alongside cinematic production. While some of his work moves fluidly across genres, “Wendigo Hunt” puts the spotlight firmly on his commanding presence as a rapper.
Over the past several years, Joseph has built a reputation as one of Québec’s most compelling emerging voices. He has opened for global artists including The Black Eyed Peas and Rick Ross, while his immersive live performances often feature Indigenous and African dancers in traditional regalia — merging ancestral rhythms with contemporary performance to create visually striking, multi-sensory experiences. He will bring this powerful live experience to stages across Québec this summer with a series of festivals and special performances to be announced soon.
His growing impact has earned widespread recognition. Joseph was named Radio-Canada’s Musical Revelation of the Year (2023–2024), selected as an RBCxMusic First Up Featured Artist, and honoured as a Black History Month Laureate by the City of Montreal in 2024. That same year, he received the Revelation Diaspora Award at the Victoire de la Musique Guinéenne (VDMG) in Africa and delivered a featured performance at the Grand Gala Dynastie. His work has now surpassed 4.9 million global streams and video views, reflecting a steadily expanding audience.
As he steps into this new phase of his career, Joseph Sarenhes continues to shape a musical world where cultural lineage and contemporary sound collide. With more self-produced releases arriving throughout 2026, “Wendigo Hunt” offers a powerful first statement from an artist turning heritage and resilience into music built for today’s global stage.
I had the opportunity to chat with Joseph about his latest single, what he hope fans connect with and what’s next.
Kat: Can you talk about the inspiration behind your latest single “Wendigo Hunt”?
Joseph: “Wendigo Hunt” is rooted in the figure of the Wendigo, which is often associated with fear, excess, and losing control of one’s humanity. What drew me to that concept was how well it translates into real life. The Wendigo is not just a creature. It represents something internal.
At the start of the song, I frame it like a classic hunt. You have this presence chasing you, something unknown, something threatening. That reflects moments in life where fear feels external, like it is coming for you, and you have no choice but to run. But as the track progresses, there is a shift. The hunter becomes the hunted. You start realizing that what you are running from might actually come from within.
That reversal is really the core inspiration. It is about confronting your own fears, your own destructive patterns, and recognizing how easy it is to lose yourself if you do not face them. Instead of staying in that victim mindset, the song pushes toward a moment of awareness where you turn around and face it.
Culturally, I also wanted to approach the idea with respect and depth. The Wendigo is part of Indigenous storytelling traditions, so I was careful not to treat it like a cliché horror element. For me, it is a powerful metaphor that connects personal struggle with something ancestral and symbolic.
Kat: What do you hope fans take from the track?
Joseph: Honestly, first and foremost, I just want this track to feel good. It is the kind of song that lifts you up in the gym, gives you the energy to dunk on someone on the court, or push harder and beat your friends on Strava.
Beyond that energy, what I hope people take from it is that facing your fears is unavoidable, but it is also where your power is. A lot of the time, we see our struggles as something external, like something happening to us. But “Wendigo Hunt” flips that perspective and invites you to look inward.
The idea is not to scare people or leave them in a dark place. It is to create that moment where you realize you are not just being chased. You have the ability to turn around and confront what is chasing you. That shift in mindset can change everything.
I also want listeners to feel seen. Everyone has something they are running from, whether it is doubt, anger, pressure, or past experiences. If the song can make someone feel less alone in that, then it has done its job.
At the end of the day, I hope it leaves people with a sense of strength. Not in a perfect or polished way, but in a real way. Growth comes from confrontation, and sometimes the hardest battles are the ones happening inside.
Kat: What do you find is the most challenging part of your creative process?
Joseph: The most challenging part of my creative process is definitely how hard I am on myself. I grew up in a very rigorous environment, especially musically, where I was trained around African rhythms that demand a high level of precision, discipline, and intensity. That stays with you. It shapes your ear, your timing, your standards. So when I am producing or composing, I am not the type to let things slide. I can spend a lot of time refining details because I want everything to feel right, not just technically, but emotionally too.
That perfectionism can be a strength, but it can also slow things down. You are constantly pushing yourself, questioning choices, and trying to reach a level that sometimes feels just out of reach. It is a balance I am still learning, knowing when to keep polishing and when to let something breathe and exist as it is.
Another challenge comes from the themes I choose to explore. When I work with traditional or ancestral stories, I cannot approach that lightly. It is important for me to take the time to speak with people from my communities and others, to make sure what I am creating makes sense and is grounded in something real and respectful. That process takes time, but it is necessary.
At the end of the day, both of those challenges come from the same place. It is about respect for the craft and respect for the culture. I would rather take longer and do it right than rush something that does not feel true.
Kat: What has been a career highlight for you so far? What have you learned along the way?
Joseph: One of the biggest career highlights for me so far has been being named Révélation musicale de l’année by Radio Canada for 2023 to 2024. It was a moment that felt like a real confirmation that the work, the discipline, and the risks I have been taking with my music were reaching people beyond my immediate circle. It also opened doors in Quebec and internationally in a way that pushed me to think bigger about what I can build as an artist.
Another highlight has been performing with full live elements, including dancers and musicians, and seeing audiences connect with that mix of hip hop, R&B, rock, and traditional influences. Those moments on stage remind me why I started in the first place. It is not just about songs on a platform; it is about energy in a room and cultural connection happening in real time.
What I have learned along the way is that consistency matters more than inspiration. The creative process is not always magical. A lot of it is showing up, doing the work, and being willing to revise something many times until it feels honest. I also learned that protecting authenticity is a responsibility. When you draw from cultural or ancestral themes, you cannot rush it or treat it lightly. It requires listening, research, and conversations with people who carry that knowledge.
Most importantly, I learned to trust my instincts more. Even with all the discipline and outside input, there has to be a point where I stop overthinking and allow the music to exist. That balance between precision and intuition is something I am still refining every day.
Kat: What do you love most about touring/performing live?
Joseph: What I love most about touring and performing live is honestly just having fun with people I love and being completely generous with that energy. There is nothing calculated about it in those moments. It is pure connection, pure chaos, and pure joy.
Most of the time, I have the incalculable chance to bring my family on stage with me. My sister, who is a traditional Indigenous dancer, moves like a tornado you cannot predict. My brother comes up too, and he has the best guitar fingers in Montreal, no debate. And my dad, who changed the face of West African dance in his own way, brings a presence that immediately grounds everything while still raising the intensity to another level.
When we are all on stage together, it stops feeling like a concert. It becomes something else entirely. It feels like history, culture, family, and power all colliding in real time. And I truly believe that no matter how big or famous any group in the world is, they could not recreate what we create in those moments. It is not just performance. It is something you feel in your chest and you carry with you after it is over.
Connect With Joseph:
https://www.instagram.com/josephsarenhes
https://www.facebook.com/people/Joseph-Sarenhes/61561347577461