Crystal Shawanda

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Crystal Shawanda
Crystal Shawanda at Scotiabank Place, Ottawa 14 Feb 2009, opening for Brad Paisley
Background information
Origin	Wikwemikong, Ontario, Canada
Genres	Country
Occupations	Singer-songwriter
Instruments	Vocals
Years active	2008—present
Labels	RCA Nashville, Sony Music Canada
Associated acts	Whitney Duncan Brad Paisley

Crystal Shawanda (born in Wikwemikong, Ontario, Canada) is a Canadian country music artist.^[1] CMT documented her rise to fame in the six-part series Crystal: Living the Dream, which aired in February 2008.^[2] Signed to RCA Records in 2007, she released her debut single, "You Can Let Go," in Canada in January 2008.^[3] It was the fastest climbing single on the Canadian Country Singles Chart since Carolyn Dawn Johnson's "Georgia" in 2000, reaching the Top 10 in 5 weeks.^[4] It was released in the United States on March 17, 2008.^[5]

Music career

Dawn of a New Day

Shawanda's debut album, Dawn of a New Day, was released in Canada on June 24, 2008; it was later released in the United States on August 19. The album debuted at #2 on the Canadian Country Albums chart, and #16 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart and became the highest charted album by a full-blooded Native American country artist in the SoundScan era.^[6]

Shawanda is a First Nations member of the Ojibwe band. Her surname translates to "Dawn of a New Day."^[7]

Shawanda will be touring in Canada and the United States with Brad Paisley and Dierks Bentley as a special guest on the Paisley Party 2009 tour. She had previously toured with various artists across Canada and the northern United States in 2008. As of January 2009, three singles have charted. "You Can Let Go", "What Do I Have to Do", and "My Roots Are Showing". The first reached #5 in Canada and #21 in the U.S., while "What Do I Have to Do" also reached #5 in Canada, but wasn't released in the United States. "My Roots Are Showing" peaked at #12 in Canada, as well as #57 on the U.S. charts. The title track and "Try" were then released as the fourth and fifth singles from the album in Canada only. In mid-2009, Shawanda was dropped from RCA Nashville and was moved to Sony Music Canada.

Discography

Studio albums

Singles

Guest singles

• ^ACurrent single.

Music videos

Awards and nominations

References