Jenelle Duval
Stacey Howse
Kayla Stride
Danielle Benoit
Natasha Blackwood
Jaime O’Leary
Rebecca Sharr
Joanna Barker
Eastern Owl
Type of Art: Music
Date: Sept 19 th
Location: Grand Parade
Eastern Owl is an Indigenous-led, all nations group of women who blend the styles of First Nations drum music and contemporary folk to create their own innovative sound. Based primarily out of St. John’s, Newfoundland, the women of Eastern Owl hail from all across Ktaqamkuk (the island of Newfoundland). A powerful ensemble of eight vocalists, they have been captivating audiences across Canada since 2011.
With strong roots in community, Eastern Owl has committed to deepening their connection with their traditional practices while helping to educate Indigenous and non-Indigenous audiences through song.
They are the recipients of the 2016 ArtsNL CBC Emerging Artist award, the 2019 Music NL Indigenous Artist of the Year Award, and were most recently named the 2020 ECMA Indigenous Artist of the Year. Eastern Owl has taken the national stage during Canadian Music Week (ON), Coastal First Nations Dance Festival (BC), and Petapan (NB). In their hometown of St. John’s, they have played at festivals such as Identify, Out of Earshot, Spirit Song, and the Newfoundland and Labrador Folk Festival.
These women have been making waves following the release of their debut album Not Quite Like You in 2016, and are currently celebrating the release of their 2019 sophomore album Qama’si.