Tannis Slimmon
Raised on a farm north of Oak Lake, Manitoba, Tannis grew up surrounded by three generations of musicians. She relocated to Guelph, Ontario in 1980 and began her professional career as a singer, songwriter and recording artist. After eleven years and three albums with the critically acclaimed female trio The Bird Sisters, her solo career was launched with the release of ‘Oak Lake’, followed up by the award winning ‘Lucky Blue’, a rich offering of songs and artwork influenced by travels to Mali, West Africa and Cuba. Tannis’ long-awaited third album 'In and Out of Harmony features guest appearances by many of her musical friends (David Francey, Ray Bonneville, Harry Manx, Katherine Wheatley, Jude Vadala, Malian musicians Abdoulaye and Sekou Kone, Mansa Sissoko (JUNO for World Music 2008), Rebecca Campbell, Rosemary Phelan, Anne Lindsay, Martin Tielli), as well as Tannis' 89 year old mother Ina.
Tannis was named Contemporary Vocalist of the Year at the Canadian Folk Music Awards in 2008. She has appeared on over 80 albums, including those by Willie P. Bennett, Valdy, David Francey and Rheostatics, and has been a guest artist with a number of choirs including Kingston’s Open Voices Community Choir, Guelph's Rainbow Chorus and the Guelph Chamber Choir.
'Lucky Blue' won an Independent Music Award for ‘Best Folk/Roots Song’ for ‘Ernest, Charlie & Allan’ and a nomination for ‘Best Folk/Roots Album’, and a place in the top 10 ‘Critics’ Albums of the Year’ by Canadian Folk Music Magazine ‘Penguin Eggs’
"A breathtaking vocalist with a bright, angelic disposition, Slimmon is a favourite folk attraction whose harmonies are as warm as her smile.” - Exclaim
www.tannis.ca
