Shy-Anne Hovorka’s win at the 2010 Aboriginal People’s Choice Music Awards, PSEUDO album release and tour of the James Bay coast is one of Wawatay’s top arts and culture stories of the year.
Hovorka was surprised to win Aboriginal female entertainer of the year at the 2010 Aboriginal People’s Choice Music Awards Nov. 5 in Winnipeg.
“Unreal, literally unreal,” said the Aboriginal Thunder Bay-based singer-songwriter who also won best producer/engineer at the awards. “I was just happy to be up in the top three but when they called my name, when I stood up, my legs went weak and I almost fell down out of shock.”
Hovorka “spoke from the heart” during her acceptance speech, where she described her upbringing as a foster child adopted at the age of six.
“I spoke a lot about kids who were in care and being told that you were nothing and to be able to fulfill your dreams and have faith in yourself,” Hovorka said. “I think that hit a lot of people. There’s been a lot of talk about the speech itself.”
Hovorka released PSEUDO at the Paramount Theatre May 29 in Thunder Bay and has since released a music video for the song Can’t Change the World.
The album, her second, is a mix of musical genres from pop to blues and jazz and the themes of the songs focus largely around issues surrounding today’s Aboriginal youth.
Hovorka and musicians Don Amero and Rob Benvegnu brought their music and positive messages of healthy living and following your dreams at all costs to Moosonee, Moose Factory, Attawapiskat and Kashechewan during the Jan. 27 to Feb. 8 James Bay coast tour.
“We want to expose these youth to a positive message,” Hovorka said. “We all want to show the youth you can be successful with clean music.”
The tour also included a talent search in each community.
“The students will be judged on talent but also the message their music has,” Hovorka said. “It must have a positive message.”
Hovorka is currently planning to travel to Brazil in April, where she will lead a group of Aboriginal singers at the 2011 Earth Day celebrations in Rio de Janiero and to do a winter road tour to remote fly-in communities across northern Ontario this winter.
With files from James Thom
When I was a boy growing up in my home community of Attawapiskat on the James Bay coast, I was deathly afraid of looking at the full moon.
When I was a boy growing up in my home community of Attawapiskat on the James Bay coast, I was deathly afraid of looking at the full moon.
I grew up...
I’m happy to see the ongoing support and assistance in our northern remote communities to help our people cope with so many lifelong and generational issues...