"Sisters of Sheynville" Canadian folk vocal group of the year
It's been a month since Lenka posted to the Jewish-Music list, but it still feels exciting. Could there ever be a situation in this country where a Jewish band would win an award for singing Jewish music? (I'm very pleased for the Klezmatics over their Grammy win last year for the Woody Guthrie album--I just wish, if they were going to win in an ethnic category, that it was seen fit to acknowledge their incredible Jewish music, not their proof that they can play non-ethnic folk as well or better than anyone out there).
Okay, so where was I. Canadian Folk Music Association--vocal group of the year to Sisters of Sheynville. Other Jewish winners (what, this wasn't just a singleton fluke?) included: David Buchbinder's Odessa/Havana which got "World Group" of the year, and Montreal's klezmer/gypsy/jazz group Sagapool, which got the award for instrumental group of the year. So last month, Lenka Lichtenberg wrote:
… last night in St. John's, Newfoundland, at the Canadian Folk Music Awards, we (the Sisters of Sheynville) were presented with the "vocal group of the year" award. so now we are the proud owners of a (very heavy) beautiful glass sculpure… of course this is no competition to the American Music Awards, which were understandably given more room and attention even in Canadian media—but it was fun and we are thrilled!
Read more about it in the National Post: Klezmer In St. John's Puts 'Oy' In 'Boyo!', by Brad Frenette, on Nov 25, 2008