Skip to main content

Maverick Ad

Home

Main navigation

  • Home
  • Cover Stories
  • Features
  • News
  • Reviews
  • Cashbox Legacy Awards
  • Past Covers
  • Weekly Archive
Ann Vriend Wins Cobalt Prize At 2019 Maple Blues Awards

Breadcrumb

  • Home
  • Ann Vriend Wins Cobalt Prize At 2019 Maple Blues Awards
Ann Vriend
Fri Mar 08, 2019
Cashbox Canada

Big Win for Ann Vriend! Ann Vriend is more than thrilled that she has won the Toronto Blues Society’s COBALT PRIZE at the recent 2019 Maple Blues Awards event. The event took place Monday night at Toronto’s Koerner Hall where Vriend was handed the award for Contemporary Blues Composition/Songwriting for her song "It’s Happening." Commissioned for a school fundraiser, the students of Sifton Elementary School Choir accompany AV on this empowering and gritty, inner-city soul anthem. This is the second Cobalt prize win for Vriend, who also picked up the prestigious award in 2017 for "All That I Can" (Aporia Records).

As part of the same project, the song “FLAME” was recorded with Edmonton’s Highlands Junior High School

The Toronto Blues Society’s annual Cobalt Prize is judged on a song’s ability to creatively utilize blues traditions within the broad contemporary musical landscape. With a focus on melody, song structure, lyric etc. they also choose the song that “will refresh and enrich blues as an art form."

The Cobalt Prize judges decided that Edmonton-based Ann Vriend’s "It’s Happening" achieved just that, and selected it as first place winner among many entries from across Canada. Shocked and ecstatic from the win, Vriend chimed on a recent Facebook entry, “I am especially proud because of what the Cobalt Music Prize stands for, and because of what this song stands for, and that it apparently won WITHOUT the panel of very well respected blues music industry judges seeing the video or knowing the whole story behind it- it just won as a song, period. That means a lot to me.”

The children's choir AV recruited to sing the song “It’s Happening” with her, are living proof that as she sings, the change to a more inclusive and economically ethical society "is already happening." Propelled by an unstoppable and compelling electric piano groove, the lyrics describe the transcendence of tough circumstances, with a compassionate heart. With her voice sounding like that of the late Aretha Franklin in her very early Gospel days, AV offers a powerful, socially conscious exhortation.

“It’s Happening” was recorded June 4, 2018, with students from the Sifton Elementary School Choir. Sifton Elementary is a school in North Edmonton where some students come from war-torn countries and traumatizing and/or impoverished situations. The funding of this recording – as well as another song and video for the song “Flame” recorded as part of the same project and with Edmonton’s Highlands Junior High School – was made possible via an anonymous donor who saw the students and AV perform at a school fundraiser May 4, 2018. The donor was so moved and inspired by the performance of the song, that he immediately asked how it could be immortalized by a studio recording of it. A week later he graciously provided the funding for this endeavor. A month to the day after their debut performance, the students, AV, and her producer and videographer Tino Zolfo were in the recording studio recording the song and making a music video for it. None of the students had been in a recording studio prior to this date, but have since inspired many people with their talent, hope, and enthusiasm for this venture. AV and all involved in the making of this video would like to thank everyone for listening and being part of this experience.

https://www.annvriend.com/

Features
Music
Ann Vriend
Month: Nov 2017
Lest We Forget Nov 03
BTW - Nagata Shachu, Blake Reid Band, Avery Raquel, Winnie Brave, Jaymz Bee,… Nov 03
Month: Oct 2017
BTW-Iskwé, Melissa Bel, Rococode, Lemon Bucket Orkestra, The Olympic Symphonium… Oct 27
Kevin Breit Releases Johnny Goldtooth and The Chevy Casanovas Oct 27
Jim Cressman and Invictus Entertainment Group The Gold Standard Oct 27
Gord Downie 1964-2017 Oct 20
BTW- Joseph, Metz, Headstones, Blackie and the Rodeo Kings, Martha… Oct 20
Ken Whiteley’s Sunday Gospel Matinee @ Hugh’s Room Live Oct 20
Robert Plant Carry Fire Oct 20
As The Years Go By Randy Ray and Mark Kearney Oct 13
BTW-The Treble, Slow Leaves, The Pack A.D., Skydiggers, Trio Da Kali/… Oct 13
Giving Thanks for the Music Oct 06
BTW Terra Lightfoot, Little Miss Higgins, The New Pornographers, Primus,… Oct 06
Ronnie Earl Set to Release The Luckiest Man on Stony Plain Records Oct 06
Edmonton singer/songwriter Vissia releases Place Holder Oct 06
Souleye Wildman Oct 06
Month: Sep 2017
Betty's New Moon Comes Chrome Plated Sep 29
BTW Steve Martin and The Steep Canyon Rangers , Cold Specks, Tei Shi, Ol'… Sep 29
Proudly Canadian: Five Man Electrical Band (The Staccatos) Sep 29
BTW Greg Allman, Van William, Nick Hakim, The Wilderness of Manitoba, Chad… Sep 15

Pagination

  • First page « First
  • Previous page ‹ Previous
  • …
  • Page 62
  • Page 63
  • Page 64
  • Page 65
  • Current page 66
  • Page 67
  • Page 68
  • Page 69
  • Page 70
  • …
  • Next page Next ›
  • Last page Last »

CEO/PUBLISHER/EDITOR IN CHIEF
SANDY GRAHAM

email:sandygrahamemg@gmail.com 

Canadian Journalists:

Contributing Journalist - Canada and Global
Don Graham
email: dongrahamwriter@gmail.com

Contributing Journalist - Canada and Global
Lisa Hartt
email: lisahartt87@hotmail.com

Contributing Journalist - Canada 
Michael Williams
email: greydread@gmail.com

 

 

 

 

International Journalists:

Contributing Journalist - Sweden
Malin Osth
email: malin@musicdays.se

Contributing Journalist - Sweden
Jonas Tancred
email: jonas@musicdays.se

Contributing Journalist - USA
Rob Durkee 
email: rockster2746@gmail.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

Web Developer/Technical Support
Chris Wardman

email: info@chriswardman.com
website: chriswardman.com

Cashbox Cover Design and Graphic Artist
Jain McMillan

email: jainmcmillan@gmail.com

Contributing Photographer 
Tracey Savein - South Paw Productions
southpawproductions@rogers.com

 

 

 

Footer menu

  • Home
  • Features
  • News
  • Reviews
  • Cashbox Archive
  • Issue Archive
  • Past Covers