Crystal Shawanda

Born and raised in Wikwemikong First Nation, on Manatoulin Island in northern Ontario, Crystal was introduced to the blues by her eldest brother and to old-time country by her parents. “I was also into other styles of music that led me to the blues,” she says, citing everything from Elvis Presley’s “Hound Dog” – written by Big Mama Thornton – to R&B/Pop star Monica’s “Misty Blue” by Dorothy Moore.

Crystal’s first foray as a professional singer was in country music, not blues. She was in her early 20s and had immediate success after signing a U.S. record deal with RCA Nashville. 2008’s Dawn of a New Day, featuring the single “You Can Let Go,” reached #1 on the Canadian Country Album chart and #16 on the Billboard Top Country Albums – the highest-charting album by a full-blooded by an Indigenous Canadian country artist in the SoundScan era.

“I love all styles of music but there was just something drawing me to the blues,” she explains. “I had a country hit on the radio and I would show up at country music festivals and I’d do a BB King cover or Buddy Guy or Etta James. Within country music, as much as I loved it, I had to restrain my voice a lot. It’s very hard to hold back, and sometimes it was exhausting, whereas with the blues, I could just let it fly.”

Photo credit: Nora Canfield