Women of Alberta
National Arts Centre, Fourth Stage
Saturday, April 30, 2005
at 2:00PM
We’ve brought together some of Alberta’s most exciting female singer-songwriters in a fabulously diverse showcase that will simply knock your socks off! Rachelle Van Zanten moved to Edmonton, Alberta in 1994 and with her strong musical talents, co-founded Painting Daisies. Van Zanten and her National Resophonic soon became a regular fixture at the gigs of local bluegrass heroes, Twang. She plans to embark on the Great Canadian Slide Guitar tour with such greats as Colin Linden, Doug Cox, and Lester Quitzau. When not performing solo, Alberta-based guitarist and singer/songwriter Chantal Vitalis plays with Kris Demeanor and Anne Loree. Originally a member of Calgary favourites, Same Difference, Chantal also co-founded the legendary all-girl band, maud. Chantal has performed at the Calgary, Winnipeg, Edmonton, and Dawson City music festivals, among others, and was a finalist in the CBC's Great Canadian Music Dream contest. Her CD, Today's Special, sees frequent air-time on CBC and various Alberta radio stations. Raucously catchy, emotionally searing, sweet and sorrowful, Wendy McNeill's guitar- and accordion-laden tunes take the listener on a mesmerizing journey into the past while simultaneously plunging us irresistibly into the always challenging and joyous vortex of the modern. Singer-songwriter and pianist Colleen Brown's new CD, A Peculiar Thing , has been attracting widespread attention as she has garnered attention across the province. Born and raised in southern Alberta ranch country, Doris Daley writes cowboy poetry. She’s been an emcee and featured performer at many prestigious cowboy festivals in Canada and the United States. Daley was recently named Best Cowboy Poet in North America—the first Canadian and the first woman ever to receive this honour. What a great addition to the Alberta Scene line-up!
Colleen Brown
Colleen Brown is an accomplished singer-songwriter and pianist whose talent and drive are as deep as her Lloydminster, Alberta roots. Having sung, played and composed music from a young age, Colleen is a recent graduate of Edmonton’s esteemed Grant MacEwan music program. Colleen writes catchy, melodic roots/pop music with a compositional and lyrical maturity that belies her youth. Her inspiration comes from everywhere – an elderly woman on the bus, a trip to the West Coast, the complexities of love... and the challenges of making a living as a musician! Her new CD is entitled A Peculiar Thing.
Doris Daley
Born and raised in southern Alberta ranch country, Doris Daley writes cowboy poetry that celebrates the humour, history, and way of life of the west. She’s been an emcee and featured performer at every cowboy festival in Canada as well as several in the United States. Daley was recently named Best Cowboy Poet in North America—the first Canadian and the first woman ever to receive this honour.
Wendy McNeill
Raucously catchy, emotionally searing, sweet and sorrowful, Wendy McNeill's guitar- and accordion-laden tunes take the listener on a mesmerizing journey into the past while simultaneously plunging us irresistibly into the always challenging and joyous vortex of the modern.
Featuring:
Wendy McNeill
