'Music is medicine': Shawnee Kish on her new EP, identifying as two-spirit
Edmonton-based singer and songwriter Shawnee Kish is performing live on Aug. 6 at Together Again -- after nearly two years of virtual concerts.
At the onset of the pandemic, the performer said her career was put on hold.
“The pandemic changed my entire career path. Everything sort of went into a screeching halt when we went into lockdown,” Kish said.
During moments of darkness and struggle, Kish uses music as a form of therapeutic healing.
“Music is powerful and music is medicine. Music can heal and provide a sense of safety and comfort," she said.
The product of that time at home is a new album. Kish describes the new EP as different from anything she has previously released.
“Through this EP, I am expressing my truth and my story. My voice has developed into this soul voice -- I am so happy and at peace and loving where this place in my career is.”
Kish is two-spirit -- a term used to describe Indigenous people with masculine and feminine spirits.
“That is something I transitioned into through my coming out process. It started when I was younger and when I reclaimed my heritage as an Indigenous person,” she said. “I’ve learned that being two spirit is celebrated through our ancestors and celebrated through our time, and it gives me peace, confidence, and comfort to know that.”
· Edmonton Olympian and musician married by Rachel Notley
The singer uses music as a form of expression and encourages others to be authentic and true to themselves. She hopes to use her platform to show others they belong and to embrace their unique identities.
“My EP is different than anything I’ve released in the past. I feel like I’ve really grown in these past few years. I’ve gone through a lot sort of through my career and also personal life,” Kish said.
She dedicated the album, which will be released June 25, to Indigenous people celebrating Pride Month.
The Together Again concert series takes place at the Edmonton Exhibition Lands. Tickets can be purchased online.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
How quietly promised law changes in the 2024 federal budget could impact your day-to-day life
The 2024 federal budget released last week includes numerous big spending promises that have garnered headlines. But, tucked into the 416-page document are also series of smaller items, such as promising to amend the law regarding infant formula and to force banks to label government rebates, that you may have missed.
Which foods have the most plastics? You may be surprised
'How much plastic will you have for dinner, sir? And you, ma'am?' While that may seem like a line from a satirical skit on Saturday Night Live, research is showing it's much too close to reality.
opinion I've been a criminal attorney for decades. Here's what I think about the case against Trump
Joey Jackson, a criminal defence attorney and a legal analyst for CNN, outlines what he thinks about the criminal case against Donald Trump in the 'hush money trial.'
$3.8M home in B.C.'s Okanagan has steel shell for extra wildfire protection
A home in B.C.'s Okanagan that features a weathering steel shell designed to provide some protection against wildfires has been listed for sale at $3.8 million.
Diver pinned under water by an alligator figured he had choice. Lose his arm or lose his life
An alligator attacked a diver on April 15 as he surfaced from his dive, nearly out of air. His tank emptied with the gator's jaws crushing the arm he put up in defence.
Psychologist becomes first person in Peru to die by euthanasia after fighting in court for years
A Peruvian psychologist who suffered from an incurable disease that weakened her muscles and had her confined to her bed for several years, died by euthanasia, her lawyer said Monday, becoming the first person in the country to obtain the right to die with medical assistance.
Mystery surrounds giant custom Canucks jerseys worn by Lions Gate Bridge statues
The giant stone statues guarding the Lions Gate Bridge have been dressed in custom Vancouver Canucks jerseys as the NHL playoffs get underway.
Celebrity designer sentenced to 18 months in prison for smuggling crocodile handbags
A leading fashion designer whose accessories were used by celebrities from Britney Spears to the cast of the 'Sex and the City' TV series was sentenced Monday to 18 months in prison after pleading guilty in Miami federal court on charges of smuggling crocodile handbags from her native Colombia.
Wildfire leads to evacuation order issued for northeast Alberta community
An evacuation order was issued on Monday afternoon for homes in the area of Cold Lake First Nation.