The Black Canadian Awards are underway with their online voting. Canadians of African and Caribbean descent are being celebrated in a number of popular culture categories by The Diversity Advancement Network. One of them is Prince George's chanteuse Maureen Washington.
Although Washington now lives in Victoria, she has maintained her longtime roots in her northern hometown. When the award winners are announced June 7 she will be representing the northern capital as much as the official provincial capital.
"When I do come home I'm always emotional," she said. "So much of my career began there. It's the start of my fan base, and they are still with me, my parents are there, so many good friends, and it's home so if it doesn't work out I can always come home to where I'm loved and grounded. I'm a P.G. girl all the way."
She has noticed that in her category of nominees, all the others are from Ontario, with a heavy Toronto presence. She feels even more motivated to lobby for strong results because she is representing all of B.C.
She has already achieved a significant feat to reach the Top 6 having risen through the 20,000 initial nominees, the preliminary shortlists, and now it is up to online voting to decide on the overall winner.
"I don't know the other nominees except for KellyLee Evans, and she is a great, great singer with a great soul as a person, and wow, it is quite an honour to rub shoulders with her and the others. I'm quite in awe of it all," Washington said.
She is no dark horse nominee herself. She performed 99 shows in 2012 and another 80 last year, all based about as far west as one can get in North America. She is a two-time winner of the Monday Magazine Awards for the capital region's music scene and is up for another this year. She was also a nominee for the Best Live Act trophy at the 2012 Vancouver Island Music Awards.
Washington has seven albums to her name dating back to 2003, including a Christmas collection and one released with BOP, her Prince George ensemble.
Her two acclaimed most recent discs are Blues In the Night which assembled a set of bluesy standards she likes to wrap her vocals around, and Here We Go Again featuring longtime sideman Daniel Cook. He is another past P.G. resident who now calls Victoria home, as do other expatriate noted northern musicians. The most famous of these is Daniel Lapp, collaborator with a wide range of star musicians and featured during the 2010 Olympic opening ceremonies. Others include Lizzie Beattie, Art Napoleon and Carla Funk.
If it didn't before, Washington's name will now stand tall among these strong northern and strong Van-Isle talents. Her nomination in the Best Jazz and Soul Singer category (males and females mixed) puts her on some elite footing. This is a genre of music dominated over the years by Canadians of colour.
"This diversity event celebrates success stories and achievements of trail-blazers and leaders within our community. Awards will be given to our role models and individuals who have excelled in business, community, arts and entertainment," said a statement issued by the Diversity Advancement Network. "Knowledge is power, yet there are too many people who have little or no knowledge of the richness and depth of our history, culture and achievements in Canada both past and present. Therefore, we are committed to effect a change in this area through this awards ceremony."
The awards will be unveiled on June 7 at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre in Toronto at a star-studded red carpet event. Washington can't attend due to her previously-scheduled honeymoon, but she and her family will be tuned in from Mexico to hear the results.
The winners in each of the categories are selected by online voting. Fans and supporters can vote twice daily per email address. Washington has been lobbying daily to get her constituency tapping their computers on her behalf. Anyone wishing to vote can click the link on the front page of her website at www.maureenwashington.ca.
OPTIONAL SIDEBAR
2014 Black Canadian Awards
Best Jazz / Soul Act
Saidah Baba Talibah
Sharon Musgrave
Maureen Washington
Joseph Neale
Shakura S'Aida
KellyLee Evans
