Sitting down for a virtual cup of coffee with singer-songwriter Leela Gilday was essential for an issue dedicated to the North. Gilday, a member of the Dene Nation, was born in the Northwest Territories. Her family is from Délįnę, a community on the storied shore of Great Bear Lake.
During her 20-year career, she has written lifeblood lyrics about the “land that created her” and the rugged emotions that match the landscape. She released her fifth album in 2019, continuing a spiritual storytelling legacy that has taken her to festivals and concert halls in every province and territory in Canada. She also has passport stamps from the U.S., Greenland, Australia, New Zealand and Europe.
She’s pure pop, rock and blues, but the true harmony is recognized in her relationship with the environment and her rich Dene heritage. Traditional Dene
