- Maria Dunn (musician)
-
Maria Dunn Born Scotland Genres Celtic folk with North American bluegrass and country influences Occupations Musician
Singer-songwriterYears active Since 1998 Labels Independent Maria Dunn is a Canadian singer-songwriter. She has been described as "an arrestingly powerful singer-songwriter who writes great historical and social commentary."[1] Her music blends Celtic folk with North American bluegrass and country influences.
Contents
Early life
Born in Scotland, she moved as an infant with her family to Sarnia, Ontario. She was ten years old when the family relocated to Sherwood Park outside Edmonton, Alberta. She has made that city her base since that time.[2]
As a child she studied classical piano and she later studied psychology at the University of Alberta. While a student at U of A she started a folk music program on the campus radio which she continued for 12 years. Immersing herself in folk music in this way, she gravitated towards writing her own songs.[3] Her first album, From Where I Stand, was released in 1998 and her appearance at the 2000 Stan Rogers Folk Festival brought her to the attention of an East Coast Canadian audience that embraced her Celtic sound.[4]
Since then she has released three other albums including the Juno nominated For a Song (2002). She appears at folk festivals around the world, often performing with The McDades. In 2003 she appeared at the BBC Scotland "Live From Celtic Connections" in Glasgow, Scotland.[5] In 2008 she commenced a tour of the Netherlands.[5]
She appeared in the 2002 documentary CKUA: Radio Worth Fighting For.[6] Many artists have used her songs such as Niamh Parsons (The Peddler), Bob Bossin (We Were Good People), Aengus Finnan (Orphan Hand), The Outside Track (Poor Lonesome Hen) and others.[5]
Discography
- From Where I Stand (1998)
- For A Song (2001) (Juno nomination in the Roots/Traditional Solo category)
- We Were Good People (2004) (“struggles of working class people in Western Canada during the 20th Century”[7])
- The Peddler (2008) (Nominated in 2009 for the Canadian Folk Music Award Solo artist of the Year).
References
- ^ "Biography". sonicbids. 2009. http://www.sonicbids.com/epk/epk.aspx?epk_id=9107. Retrieved November 13, 2009.
- ^ "Maria Dunn". Ballads of a blind man. 2009. http://www.balladsofablindman.org/Maria_Dunn.html. Retrieved November 13, 2009.
- ^ Kerry Dexter (Dirty Linen #143 (September/October 2009). "Maria Dunn - Singer/Storyteller". Dirty Linen. http://www.dirtynelson.com/linen/143/143dunn.html. Retrieved November 13, 2009.[dead link]
- ^ "Maria Dunn". Festival Distribution Inc.. October 4, 2004. http://www.festival.bc.ca/top30/dunn.html. Retrieved November 13, 2009.
- ^ a b c "Bio". mariadunn.com. 2009. http://www.mariadunn.com/press/bio.htm. Retrieved November 13, 2009.
- ^ "CKUA: Radio Worth Fighting For". Lorna Thomas Productions. 2009. http://www.lornathomasproductions.com/ckua.htm. Retrieved November 13, 2009.
- ^ "Maria Dunn: We Were Good People.(Brief Article)(Sound Recording Review)". pub. March 22, 2005. http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G1-129812263.html. Retrieved November 13, 2009.
External links
Categories:- Canadian singer-songwriters
- Canadian folk singers
- Living people
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.