Crystal Shawanda facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Crystal Shawanda
|
|
|---|---|
Crystal Shawanda at Scotiabank Place, 14 February 2009, opening for Brad Paisley
|
|
| Background information | |
| Born | July 26, 1983 Wiikwemkoong, Ontario, Canada |
| Genres | Country, Blues |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, songwriter, producer |
| Instruments | Vocals, guitar |
| Years active | 2008—present |
| Labels | RCA Nashville, New Sun, True North Records |
Crystal Shawanda (born July 26, 1983) is a talented Canadian singer. She is known for her powerful voice in both blues and country music.
Crystal quickly became famous, and a TV show called Crystal: Living the Dream even showed her journey. She signed with RCA Nashville in 2007. Her first song, "You Can Let Go", became a hit in Canada very fast. It also did well in the United States.
Crystal is a trailblazer! She was the first full-blooded Indigenous woman to achieve many amazing things in music. She was the first to reach the Top 20 on the American Billboard Country chart. She also sold over 300,000 records. She was the first to sing at the famous Grand Ole Opry. In 2009, she won the CCMA for Female Artist of the Year. Later, in 2020, she won a Juno Award for "Blues Album of the Year." In 2022, she was the first full-blooded Indigenous person to appear in the Top 10 of the American Billboard Blues chart.
Contents
Growing Up and Starting Out
Crystal Shawanda was born in Wiikwemkoong First Nation, which is on Manitoulin Island in Ontario, Canada. She started performing when she was just 6 years old. By age 9, she was acting with a theater group called Debajemujig Theatre. She even started getting paid for her performances when she was 10!
When she was 13, Crystal recorded her first album in Nashville, Tennessee. She worked with Canadian producer Gary Buck. Her last name, Shawanda, means "Dawn of a New Day." This special meaning later inspired the title of her first album.
At 16, Crystal moved to Nashville, a big music city. She played music on street corners and at small shows to earn money. She moved back home to Wiikwemkoong for a few years. Then she went back to Nashville, and eventually made it her permanent home. She played music for tips at a famous place called Tootsie's Orchid Lounge.
Crystal's songs are often inspired by her strong connection to her home community. Part of her 2016 album was even recorded at the Debajehmujig Creation Centre. This center is in Manitowaning, also on Manitoulin Island.
Her Music Journey
Crystal's first album, Dawn of a New Day, came out in 2008. It quickly became popular in Canada and the United States. It was the highest-charting album by a full-blooded Canadian First Nations country artist ever!
In 2008 and 2009, Crystal toured with famous artists like Brad Paisley and Dierks Bentley. Her song "You Can Let Go" became a Top 25 hit. After a while, Crystal started her own record label called New Sun Records. Through her label, she released a Christmas album called I'll Be Home for Christmas.
In 2010, she released another song, "Beautiful Day." Crystal also performed at the big Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade that year. Her second studio album, Just Like You, came out in 2012. This album won a Juno Award for Aboriginal Album of the Year in 2013. Crystal became the first full-blooded Indigenous woman to be the CEO of a record label and achieve these big milestones.
In 2014, Crystal decided to try something new. She released a Blues album called "The Whole World's Got the Blues." Instead of singing traditional blues songs, she told her own stories. One song, "Pray Sister Pray," helped raise awareness about the important issue of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women in Canada. She even filmed a music video for it in her hometown. This video is now used in schools to teach about this issue.
Crystal continued to explore different music styles. In 2016, she released "Fish Out of Water," which mixed blues and country sounds. In 2017, she released "Voo Doo Woman," which had both classic blues songs and new ones she wrote.
In 2020, Crystal released "Church House Blues." This album was played a lot on blues radio stations. She also made history again by becoming the first Indigenous woman to win a Juno Award for "Blues Album of the Year."
Her 2022 album, "Midnight Blues," was also very successful. It reached number 8 on the American Billboard blues chart. This made her the first full-blooded Indigenous person to appear on that chart! This album was also nominated for a Juno Award.
Albums and Songs
Crystal Shawanda has released several albums and singles throughout her career.
- Dawn of a New Day (2008)
- I'll Be Home for Christmas (2009)
- Just Like You (2012)
- The Whole World's Got the Blues (2014)
- Fish Out of Water (2016)
- Voodoo Woman (2017)
- Church House Blues (2020)
- Midnight Blues (2022)
Some of her popular songs include "You Can Let Go," "What Do I Have to Do," and "My Roots Are Showing." She also sang on "In Your Arms Again" with George Canyon.
Awards and Recognitions
Crystal Shawanda has won many awards for her music.
- In 2008, she won several Aboriginal Peoples Choice Awards, including Best New Artist and Best Country Album.
- She also won multiple Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards in 2008, like Best Artist and Best Album.
- In 2009, she won the Canadian Country Music Association's Female Artist of the Year award.
- She won the Canadian Radio Music Award for Best New Country Artist in 2009.
- In 2013, she won a Juno Award for Aboriginal Album of the Year for her album Just Like You.
- In 2020, she won another Juno Award, this time for Blues Album of the Year for Church House Blues.
She has also been nominated for many other awards, showing how much her talent is recognized in the music world.
Images for kids
-
Crystal Shawanda at Scotiabank Place, 14 February 2009, opening for Brad Paisley
