At 24, Nancy Dutra quit her job, deciding that she had to make music for a living. She didn’t really know how to play guitar, didn’t think she could sing, and had only written three songs.
Almost immediately, the Toronto roots and country community embraced her simple, poignant country songs of quiet dignity and uncommon grace, as well as her sweet, soulful voice. In heartbreaking songs like “I Cry” and “Weak, Weary and Worn,” Dutra quickly equalled such influences as Iris DeMent, Lynn Miles and Lucinda Williams.
The intensity of her songs is partly rooted in the spiritual fulfilment she finds in music, and partly in her Portuguese heritage. From an early age, she always enjoyed the lean, folk-blues feel of fado music, especially the saudade – the emotional peak of the song where the singer fully, truly reveals herself.
Award-winning, legendary country guitarist Wendell Ferguson soon became her regular accompanist, and she’s since opened shows for the likes of Ian Tyson, David Lindley and Jesse Winchester. She’s also been invited to play the Mariposa Folk Festival, taken songwriting workshops with Mary Gauthier and Darrell Scott, and co-written songs with Ron Sexsmith and Kevin Welch. She is currently recording her debut album with Les Cooper.
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Artist info obtained from public profile, artist website or social media
At 24, Nancy Dutra quit her job, deciding that she had to make music for a living. She didn’t really know how to play guitar, didn’t think she could sing, and had only written three songs.
Almost immediately, the Toronto roots and country community embraced her simple, poignant country songs of quiet dignity and uncommon grace, as well as her sweet, soulful voice. In heartbreaking songs like “I Cry” and “Weak, Weary and Worn,” Dutra quickly equalled such influences as Iris DeMent, Lynn Miles and Lucinda Williams.
The intensity of her songs is partly rooted in the spiritual fulfilment she finds in music, and partly in her Portuguese heritage. From an early age, she always enjoyed the lean, folk-blues feel of fado music, especially the saudade – the emotional peak of the song where the singer fully, truly reveals herself.
Award-winning, legendary country guitarist Wendell Ferguson soon became her regular accompanist, and she’s since opened shows for the likes of Ian Tyson, David Lindley and Jesse Winchester. She’s also been invited to play the Mariposa Folk Festival, taken songwriting workshops with Mary Gauthier and Darrell Scott, and co-written songs with Ron Sexsmith and Kevin Welch. She is currently recording her debut album with Les Cooper.
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Artist info obtained from public profile, artist website or social media
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