Canadian Music Hall of Fame Ceremony Program
Loreena McKennitt's 'eclectic Celtic' music, which has evolved over three decades, has earned her critical acclaim in Canada and abroad. She has sold more than 16 million records worldwide.
The singer/songwriter/composer has won two JUNOS, a Billboard International Achievement Award, garnered two GRAMMY nominations and has been inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame. She has performed for royalty, various heads of state, and has headlined at some the most prestigious venues in the world, including Carnegie Hall, Royal Albert Hall, the Alhambra Palace in Granada, Spain and the Herodian at the Acropolis in Athens.
Her catalogue of eight studio recordings, three seasonal records, two live recordings, four compilations, a live in-concert DVD and two DVD documentaries have achieved Gold, Platinum and multi-Platinum status in 15 countries, across four continents.
Taking her inspiration from the history of the Celts, her music ranges from traditional Celtic folk tunes to original compositions incorporating exotic blends of Celtic, Spanish and Moroccan influences where she creates a rich musical tapestry, taking listeners through time and across continents.
McKennitt has been described as a kind of musical ambassador, since her music incorporates so many multi-cultural threads they inadvertently stitch people together and act as a unifying force.
A rarity in the music world, McKennitt is also a self-managed, self-produced artist who owns her own record label and mounts her own tours. A ground-breaking distribution deal with Warner Music Canada in 1991 for The Visit marked a turning point in her career and propelled her onto the international stage where she has comfortably remained ever since.
It was her 1997 recording, The Book of Secrets
Loreena McKennitt which spawned the Billboard Top 20 single and MTV video hit "The Mummers' Dance". The album, recorded at Peter Gabriel's Real World Studios near Bath, England, topped the Billboard World Music chart and became its most successful 'crossover' album ever. It also debuted at #1 on the national album charts in Greece and Turkey, and reached #3 in Canada, the Top 10 in Italy, New Zealand and Germany, as well as the Top 20 in the United States, Spain and France.
In 2006, McKennitt released the album An Ancient Muse, her debut recording under the auspices of a new global partnership with the storied Verve imprint and Universal Music. The album went on to earn her a GRAMMY nomination.
Born in Morden, Manitoba, McKennitt began her career singing in local folk clubs in Winnipeg. She moved to Stratford, Ontario in 1981 where she initially worked with the Stratford Festival. In 1985, she established her own record label, Quinlan Road, and during those early years ran the operation from her kitchen table, selling recordings by mail order, frequently busking and selling CDs at Toronto's St. Lawrence Market.
McKennitt has also shown herself to be an engaged citizen and philanthropist, setting up charitable foundations like the Cook-Rees Memorial Fund for Water Search and Safety, which has raised more than $4 million since 1998. In 2000, she bought a designated surplus public school in Stratford and transformed it into the Falstaff Family Centre, dedicated to the needs of local families and children. Through the centre, she also established The Stolen Child Project, focused on the impact of technology on children, and Wise Communities, a grassroots organization facilitating discussions surrounding democracy. The centre has also hosted multiple First Nations events, including those for The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
McKennitt is a member of The Order of Canada and the Order of Manitoba and has been awarded four honorary doctorates. She has