iskwē

iskwē is a Cree Métis and a citizen of the Manitoba Métis Federation, and was born and raised in Winnipeg by her Cree/Dene mother and Irish father. Her full traditional name is Waseskwan Iskwew—which translates to "blue sky woman", and the name Iskwé (pronounced iss-kway) means 'woman' in her native language. The Winnipeg-bred Hamilton-based singer-songwriter weaves her cultures in a sound that combines jazz, trip-hop and R & B. She began seriously pursuing a music career following a 2003 audition for Canadian Idol, which took her to New York and Los Angeles before her eponymous debut was released a decade later. She released her debut album "iskwē" in 2013. The Cree/Dene and Irish IsKwé wants to shine a light on the violence against Indigenous women in Canada. Horrified by the slaying of 15-year-old Tina Fontaine, and inspired by a community coming together after the tragedy, she wrote "Nobody Knows". Her politically charged sophomore album, "The Fight Within"—released in November 2016—includes songs "Will I See" and "Nobody Knows" about Canada's missing and murdered women. She is a JUNO winner, a recipient of the Johanna Metcalf Performing Arts Award, and an ambassador for the PRS Keychange initiative. She occasionally teaches art to Ontario students as part of a project focusing on Indigenous culture and gender disparity. iskwē's powerful voice, her commitment to social justice, and her unique blend of Indigenous and contemporary musical influences have made her an important voice in Canadian music.

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