One of the best parts of my jobs is meeting incredibly talented people.  Whether they are musicians, actors, dancers, writers, visual artists or chefs, I regularly get to meet artists who have vast amounts of talent – in many cases, they can do things that I can only dream of doing.

I recently wrapped up Northern Scene, the largest gathering of artists from Canada’s North ever held outside the region (which partly explains the three-month gap between posts).  Although the combined population of all three territories is only around 130,000, the number and diversity of artists who call the North home is staggering.

One of my favourite performers was Jay Gilday.  Originally from Yellowknife, Jay is currently living in Edmonton and is a fantastic singer-songwriter.  Before hearing him play at the festival, I had only seen him on a YouTube video, but that one clip was enough to convince me and my colleagues that he should definitely be invited.

Great guitar chops, and a distinctive, effortless voice – what more could you ask for?

Jay was recently involved in a cool CBC project.  Lights previewed some songs from her new acoustic album with an intimate concert at the igloo church in Inuvik, and Jay opened for her and sang with her on “Cactus in the Valley”.  CBC posted a clip from the rehearsal, and I really wish I’d been able to see this live.

Jay definitely falls into the category of “talent deserving of wider recognition”, and I hope good things are in store for him in the future.

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