New record a celebration of women, local music

South Osborne

Wolseley

Winnipeg

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This article was published 05/03/2025 (254 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A new recording project featuring some of the city’s top female and gender-diverse musical performers is being released to coincide with International Women’s Day.

Assembled by the Manitoba chapter of Women in Music Canada, the new album, called Her (204): Stories of One Great City Revisited, features performances by local artists Boniface, Andrina Turenne, Keri Latimer, Cara Luft, Jess Reimer, Keisha Booker, Kelly Bado, Rayannah, Jade Turner, Rhonda Head, and Desiree Dorion covering songs by iconic Winnipeg acts The Weakerthans, Chantal Kreviazuk, Eagle & Hawk, Sons of the Pioneers, Sebastian Gaskin, Crash Test Dummies, Chic Gamine, Gloria Desjarlais and Benoit Morier.

The project came about after a brainstorming session on how the local chapter of Women in Music could celebrate Winnipeg’s 150th anniversary last year.

“Winnipeg has some of the best songwriters, these long cold winters and these great stories. We wanted to celebrate that by putting it in the voices of women and gender-diverse folks, as well as opportunities for producers, and designers, and bringing our community together through this project,” said Robyn Stewart, executive director of Women in Music Canada and a co-producer of the project.

“Her (204) celebrates Manitoba’s incredible songwriting tradition by amplifying voices that reflect the province’s cultural diversity and creative depth,” said Kerri Stephens, head of the Manitoba chapter of WIMC and one of the project’s lead co-ordinators. “This project is a testament to the power of music to connect, inspire, and honour the stories of our community.”

While the group’s bid for a Winnipeg 150 grant fell short, enthusiasm for the project was contagious enough to see it through. Coun. Sherri Rollins (Fort Rouge-East Fort Garry) supported the idea from the get-go, and helped gather support from on Coun. Jason Schreyer (Elmwood-East Kildonan), the province, the Winnipeg Arts Council, Manitoba Film and Music, and more.

“Everyone was excited about the vision,” Stewart said.

“From folk to rock, from indie to pop, the diverse genres and talents that have come out of this city are awe-inspiring. I’m proud that we conclude our 150 celebration with an album that highlights our city’s musical contributions and showcases the incredible women who continue to shape that history,” Rollins said in a statement.

“I’m grateful to have been a part (of this), and come away from the experience feeling more inspired and empowered,” said Keri Latimer, a Wolseley resident who performs on the record and took on the role of producer for a number of tracks. “It gave me the opportunity to discover more excellent Manitoba songwriters, work with some mega-talented comrades I admire, and to gain more experience in production.”

Along with Latimer, Lana Winterhalt of The Good and Plenty Producers Club, Rayannah, and Michele ii acted as producers for the recordings, which were done at Private Ear Recording in Winnipeg.

The album’s release will be celebrated with a show at the Park Theatre on Sunday, March 9. Artists will perform the songs they recorded, as well as one or two original tunes, accompanied by an all-star band of Gaby Ocejo, Ashley Au and Joanna Miller. Doors open at 7 p.m., with the show at 8. Tickets are available at $15 in advance or $20 at the door, and can be purchased at ticketweb.ca/event/her-204-album-release-party-the-park-theatre-tickets/