Kym Gouchie is a prominent indigenous Canadian musician and visual artist. She plays the acoustic guitar and traditional hand drum, sings, composes songs, and tells stories. Her music often deals with First Nations, women's and environmental issues and promotes reconciliation and community building.[1]
Personal life and education edit
Gouchie was born in 1964 to Ernie Gouchie, a son of prominent elder Mary Gouchie, and Robin Gouchie. She is a member of the Lheidli T'enneh First Nation, a Dakelh nation whose territory includes the city of Prince George, British Columbia, where she lives.[2] She is of Dakelh (Carrier), Secwépemc (Shuswap), Cree and Irish ancestry.[3] She has four children and ten grandchildren.[1]
Kym received her training as an artist in the Fine Arts Diploma Program at the University College of the Cariboo, now Thompson Rivers University, in the Northwest Coast Native Art and Silk-screening program at the Prince George Native Friendship Centre, and in the National Aboriginal Professional Artist Training Program at the En’owkin Centre in Penticton, British Columbia.[1]
Artistic work edit
Gouchie performs frequently, both solo and as part of several groups, all over British Columbia as well as elsewhere in Canada and in the United States. [4][2][5] [6] [7] [8] Apple music characterizes her musical style as '‘alternative folk'’[9]
Most of her songs are in English, but Gouchie has also composed songs in her moribund ancestral Carrier language, working especially with her grandmother Mary Gouchie, one of the last fluent speakers of the Lheidli dialect, until her death in 2019 at the age of 97.[10] [11] In 2008 she received a C$8,000 grant from the Canada Council for the Arts to compose songs in the Lheidli dialect.[3] [12]
Influence edit
Gouchie's music has inspired others. Angela Rudden, principal violist with the National Ballet of Canada and music teacher at the Dixon Hall Music School in Toronto, was inspired by Gouchie's 2016 song "Cleansing the Highway of Tears" and played it to her class. She and her students then wrote an orchestral score to accompany the song. Gouchie subsequently recorded a new vocal track to accompany their score.[13]
Awards and honours edit
In August 2015 her single 'For the People' was included in a collection of information about the Canadian Indian residential school system, the Truth & Reconciliation Compilation CD. The same month her single 'Sister Rain' made it to the top of the NCIFM National Aboriginal Top 40 Music Countdown.[1]
In 2019 Gouchie received the Stingray Rising Star Award at the Mundial Montreal world music conference and festival.[14] The following year she was an invited speaker at the International Indigenous Music Summit in New Orleans, Louisiana.[1]
In 2022 Gouchie received the Jeanne Clark Local History Service Award from the Prince George Public Library for her efforts to preserve Lheidli T'enneh history, culture, language, and music. [15] [16] [17]
The same year, she received a gold medal for her contributions to the BC Summer Games, where she performed in the opening ceremonies and for which she designed the medal ribbons, with themes based on local wildlife.[18][19]
Discography edit
- Mountain of Youth (2014)
- Sister Rain (2015)
- In the Hearts of You & Me (2016)
- Northern Shining Star Woman (2017)
External links edit
References edit
- ^ a b c d e "Gouchie, Kym". Citizen Freak. Retrieved 2023-11-09.
- ^ a b Gurney, Michael (2022-06-05). "Kym Gouchie sings at High Beam Dreams June 8". Coast Reporter. Retrieved 2024-02-01.
- ^ a b "Gouchie working on children's album in ancestral languages". Prince George Citizen. 2021-01-10. Retrieved 2023-11-09.
- ^ Hudson, Andrew (2018-09-06). "Northern star set to shine on island". Haida Gwaii Observer. Retrieved 2023-11-09.
- ^ Forsyth, Kevin (2022-06-02). "Singer-songwriter Kym Gouchie to play at Parksville's Knox United Church". Parksville Qualicum Beach News. Retrieved 2023-11-09.
- ^ "Kym Gouchie performs in Burns Lake". Burns Lake Lakes District News. 2023-03-15. Retrieved 2023-11-09.
- ^ Wild, Hunter (2023-03-16). "Kym Gouchie and band receive standing ovation". Retrieved 2023-11-09.
- ^ Dalgleish, Christine (2023-04-11). "Symphony performance a dream come true for singer songwriter Kym Gouchie". Prince George Citizen. Retrieved 2023-11-09.
- ^ "Northern Shining Star Woman by Kym Gouchie". Apple Music. Retrieved 2023-11-09.
- ^ McKinnon, Audrey (2019-01-29). "One of the last fluent Dakelh speakers dies, taking 'a whole dictionary with her'". CBC News. Retrieved 2023-11-09.
- ^ Petersen, Hanna (2019-02-01). "Remembering Mary Gouchie, Lheidli T'enneh's eldest elder". Prince George Citizen. Retrieved 2023-11-09.
- ^ Atkinson, Cathryn (2008-10-14). "Making their language sing". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 2023-11-09.
- ^ Kurjata, Andrew; Tucker, Jordan (2017-02-11). "'Cleansing the Highway of Tears': Toronto students learn about MMIW in cross-country musical collaboration". CBC News. Retrieved 2023-11-09.
- ^ "Mundial Montreal: World Music Success Story". FYI Music News. 2019-11-27. Retrieved 2023-11-09.
- ^ "Kym Gouchie, Victoria author win Jeanne Clarke Local History Awards". Prince George Citizen. 2022-03-14. Retrieved 2023-11-09.
- ^ "Kym Gouchie: 2022 service award". Prince George Public Library. 2022. Retrieved 2023-11-09.
- ^ "Kym Gouchie wins the 2022 Jeanne Clark Service Award". BC Touring Council. 2022-03-15. Retrieved 2023-11-09.
- ^ Peters, Will (2022-09-16). "Artist Kym Gouchie receives surprise thank you gift from BC Summer Games organizers". My Prince George Now. Retrieved 2023-11-09.
- ^ Moulton, Jack (2022-09-17). "Lheidli T'enneh musician, artist Kym Gouchie presented with B.C. Summer Games gold medal". Prince George Post. Retrieved 2023-11-09.