A woman billed as “a 76-year-old AfroCanadian Cherokee force of nature” will be on the stage tonight for a Summer Happenings concert in downtown Maple Ridge.
Dalannah Gail Bowen will offer hall of fame blues music from 6-8 p.m. at Memorial Peace Park.
Bowen is a prolific singer, songwriter, actress, play writer, story teller, event producer, social activist, International Memphis Blues Awards semi-finalist (2017) and a Blues Hall of Fame Master Blues Artist (2015).
She has been performing for more than 50 years, and has been recognized for her art – in 2017 was given the key to the city by the City of Vancouver, with Dec. 11 officially declared Dalannah Gail Bowen Day.
Her journey started with an all-girl group called Feminine Touch in Winnipeg, and they toured Canada, opening for bands including The Guess Who and The Monkees. She was also part of the Thunderbird Blues Band, which was a regular opening act at Vancouver’s Commodore Ball Room.
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Bowen’s fascinating life has seen her take part in studies exploring cannabis legalization, and battled homelessness and addiction in California. A stroke and coma changed her life – what she calls a “cosmic kick in the butt” – and got her writing and performing again. She recorded “Mamma’s Got the Blues” in 2008.
In 2019, she released her sixth CD for Questrecords.ca, titled “In my Own Words.”
Her performance will be one of the regular Summer Happenings concerts and activities happening on Wednesdays and Fridays through the summer. They include this Wednesday’s family sports night on July 13 from 6-8 p.m. Full schedule details are available on the city website at mapleridge.ca
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