The Canadian Folk Music Awards weekend, November 8-10, 2013, celebrates and promotes Canadian folk music in all its forms. The ninth annual Awards Gala will close the weekend, taking place on Sunday, November 10 at the University of Calgary’s University Theatre.
SaskMusic congratulates the Saskatchewan nominees for the 2013 Canadian Folk Music Awards:
French Songwriter of the Year – Saskatoon’s Alexis Normand for Mirador
Young Performer of the Year – Regina’s Keiffer Mclean for Keiffer Mclean
For more information, please visit www.canadianfolkmusicawards.ca.
ABOUT THE NOMINEES
Alexis Normand, Saskatoon SK
Alexis Normand completed her post-secondary studies in music and education at the University of Ottawa in 2007 before graduating from L’école nationale de la chanson – a school for francophone singer-songwriters where she worked with some of Québec’s most esteemed artists and musicians. After spending 6 years away from her native prairies, Alexis moved back home in 2008, where she remains very active in the Fransaskois community. On top of offering over 50 workshops to young francophone artists and musicians, she was the musical director of Chant’Ouest – an inter-provincial gala and singer-songwriting competition held in Moose Jaw in 2011. She was also the artistic director of the most recent edition of the Gala Nouvelle Scène in Saskatchewan. In 2010, she released her debut recording: an EP that was warmly received by francophone radio stations across the country. She has since travelled to many cities and festivals including Regina Folk Festival (SK), The Edmonton Chante Festival (AB) and Prairie Scene (Ottawa). Alexis has toured Western Canada (Octobre 2010), Eastern Canada (with Anique Granger, February 2012) and recently completed a school tour in Saskatchewan (January/March 2012). The Fransaskoise also represented Western Canada at the Festival en Chanson de Saint-Ambroise (Qc) and the prestigious Festival International de la Chanson de Granby (Qc). In January 2012 she won Radio-Canada Saskatchewan’s Contest called Fais-moi une chanson (Write me a song). Co-written with Shawn Jobin, Cet Horizon, the winning song, has become the official theme song of the provincial year of the Fransaskois 2012. Alexis released MIRADOR – her first full-length album – in January 2013, which is the result of a collaboration with visual artist Zoé Fortier. Alexis received two nominations at the Gala des Prix Trille or for Best New Artist from Western Canada and Best Album from Western Canada. Mirador was also recently nominated for Francophone Album of the Year at the Western Canadian Music Awards.
www.alexisnormand.com
Keiffer Mclean, Regina SK
Keiffer is a genuine prairie kid who is taking giant steps on the path of the folk/indie music scene. From his stories about skipping out of choir and learning the piano from his grandmother, to him recalling the impact a Bob Marley poster had on his music career, makes you appreciate how far he has come in such a short time. Keiffer’s lyrics and the simple melodic arrangements that he creates have a depth and meaningfulness that far exceeds his nineteen year old mind. Because he comes from a musical family, Keiffer is adept on many instruments including the piano, melodica, accordion and hand drums. His main instrument is the acoustic guitar. In his first year of actively performing, he has already made an impact on the Saskatchewan music scene, with upcoming performances in the summer of 2013 at the Regina Folk Festival, Gateway Festival and Ness Creek Music Festival. In addition, Keiffer performed at JunoFest 2013 held in Regina, Saskatchewan. Keiffer performs as a solo act or as part of the Curiosity Club Trio with Robert Mclean on hand percussion and Chris Pripch on stand-up bass. Keiffer recorded his first EP “Keiffer Mclean” during the winter of 2011/2012. He finished the recording in January 2012 at the age of 17.
