The Great Canadian Song Quest

Dana Sipos, a Jewish Canadian musician who describes herself as "part poetry, part politics, part hip, part pop, with hints of the blues, a dash of soul and a whole lot of heart," is looking for your votes to represent the Northwest Territories in a songwriting contest put on by CBC Radio 2 called The Great Canadian Song Quest.

Dana turned to Heebonics in a bid to spread the word about the contest:

Once upon a time, a fellow Canadian (granted, she had been living in New York for some time,) accused me of being ‘really Canadian’… something I took as a compliment.

I feel blessed to live in the Northwest Territories, a part of the country that is unique, starkly beautiful and always inspiring. Whether its frosty nights at 40 below with the aurora borealis locked in a frenzied dance, the endless summer sky painted by the captivating midnight sun or the tinkling song of lake ice during spring breakup, there is no shortage of mysteries unraveling in the north that feed my fire as a songwriter.

Both poetic and political, there are also a handful of unique hardships that come with living in the north, on many levels. On a personal level, the Jewish community in Yellowknife is… small. Once, a large group of Jewish Armenian diamond cutters were up for a few months, and they hosted a wild Kabbalat Shabbat. Some friends of mine had a succah in their backyard this year, and we get together for holidays, but I do miss being a part of a vibrant and active Jewish community.

But now, I'm focused on my bid to represent the Northwest Territories in a songwriting contest put on by CBC Radio 2 called The Great Canadian Song Quest. Five songwriters from each province and territory are in the running to write a song about their part of the country, and I am in the running to compose a song about Yellowknife, Great Bear Lake, Great Slave Lake, Nahanni National Park or the pingos of Tuktoyaktuk! Which place would you like celebrated in song?

Check out this link to vote – voting ends Oct. 23. The final 13 with be revealed on Oct. 26.

You can also learn more about Dana by checking out her myspace page or on Youtube.