Melody Diachun
Melody Diachun performs at "Music in the Park" concert in Trail, British Columbia, 2016
Melody Diachun performs at "Music in the Park" concert in Trail, British Columbia, 2016
Background information
Birth nameMelody Diachun
Born(1968-12-30)December 30, 1968
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
GenresJazz, Alternative Jazz, Contemporary Jazz, R&B, Pop
Occupation(s)Musician, vocalist, songwriter
Instrument(s)Vocals, percussion
Years active1992 to present
LabelsThird Beach Records, Cellar Live, independent
Websitemelodydiachun.com

Melody Diachun (born 30 December 1968) is a Canadian vocalist, songwriter, arranger, recording artist, and educator. She won the Jazz Artist of the Year award at the 2023 Western Canadian Music Awards.[1]

Biography

Diachun was born in Montréal, Québec and raised in Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia.[2] Singing from an early age accompanied by her father Bill Diachun, a part-time singer and piano player, she began piano lessons at age 6[2] and played French horn and electric bass through junior and senior high school. At age 15 she took her first professional singing gig.[2] At age 17 Diachun moved back to Montréal to attend McGill University where she was the first vocalist admitted to the school's Jazz Performance Program.[2][3] Diachun earned her Bachelor of Music degree "with distinction" in Jazz Voice in 1994.[2] After university, Diachun moved to New York City to study briefly with jazz vocalist Sheila Jordan[2][4] under a grant from the Canada Council for the Arts.[5]

In 1997, Diachun moved to Western Canada and began a long-term engagement at the Banff Springs Hotel where she met her future husband, guitarist, bassist, and mixing engineer Doug Stephenson.[4] From 2000 to 2012 Diachun worked as a freelance vocalist in Vancouver, British Columbia.[2] In 2012, Diachun began teaching at the Contemporary Music & Technology Program at Selkirk College in Nelson, British Columbia. She took on the role of School Chair of the School of the Arts[6] at Selkirk College in August 2022.

Awards and honours

Year Nominated work CategoryAward ResultNotesRef.
2023 Melody Diachun Jazz Artist of The Year Western Canadian Music Awards Won [1]
2019 Melody Diachun Artist of the Year Kootenay Music Awards Nominated [7]
2019 "Get Back to the Groove" Best R&B Song Kootenay Music Awards Nominated Songwriters: Melody Diachun, Doug Stephenson [8]
"High Definition Love" Best Pop Song Kootenay Music Awards Nominated Songwriters: Melody Diachun/Doug Stephenson [9]
2018 Melody Diachun Artist of the Year Kootenay Music Awards Nominated [10]
2018 "That’s What Delete Is For" Best Blues Song Kootenay Music Awards Nominated Songwriter: Melody Diachun [11]
2009 Melody Diachun Female Vocalist of the Year Canadian National Jazz Awards Nominated [12]
2008 Metaphora, Altered Laws Outstanding Jazz Recording of The Year Western Canadian Music Awards Won feat. Melody Diachun [13]
2008 Metaphora, Altered Laws Contemporary Jazz Album of the Year JUNO Awards Nominated feat. Melody Diachun [14]

Discography

As leader

  • Lullaby of the Leaves (self-release, 2002)
  • Dreams & Places (self-released, 2006)
  • EQ (Cellar Live, 2008)
  • Get Back to the Groove (Third Beach, 2018)
  • Sumner's Tales: The Music of Sting[15] (Third Beach, 2022)

As guest

  • Kris feat. Melody Diachun, Johanna Sillanpa, and Roger Mooking a.k.a. Roger Audio Truth Be Told (2006)
  • Altered Laws featuring the Babayaga String Quartet and Melody Diachun Metaphora[16] (Artist Jazz Records, 2007)
  • Gabriel Mark Hasselbach with Jeff Lorber, Victor Bailey, Warren Hill (musician), Melody Diachun, Alan "Lupe" Smithee and Rock Hendricks Cool Down (Wind Tunnel, 2008)
  • Dave Ronald So Alive (self-released, 2017)
  • Tom Keenlyside Quartet A Night at the Espresso (Cellar Live, 2022)

References

  1. 1 2 "2023 Artistic and Specialty Award Winners". breakoutwest.ca. 12 October 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Nation, Brian. "MELODY DIACHUN: Vancouver Jazz Who's Who & Discography". vancouverjazz.com. Retrieved 1 November 2017.
  3. ↑ The Edmonton Journal
  4. 1 2 Wilton, Lisa. "YYC Jazz showcases the 'sisters' with panel, shows fronted by women artists". calgaryherald.com. Retrieved 1 July 2018.
  5. ↑ Vancouver Lifestyles Magazine
  6. ↑ "Melody Diachun at Selkirk College". selkirk.ca. 15 November 2012. Retrieved 1 August 2022.
  7. ↑ "Kootenay Music Awards Artist of the Year 2019". kootenaymusicawards.ca//nominees-2/nominees/.
  8. ↑ "2019 Kootenay Music Awards Nominees". kootenaymusicawards.ca.
  9. ↑ "2019 Kootenay Music Awards Nominees". kootenaymusicawards.ca.
  10. ↑ "Kootenay Music Awards Artist of the Year 2018". soundcloud.com/kootenaymusicawards/sets/artist-of-the-year-2018.
  11. ↑ "2018 Kootenay Music Awards Nominees". kootenaymusicawards.ca.
  12. ↑ McLeod, Cindy. "Nominees Announced for National Jazz Awards Jazz Elements". jazzelements.com. Retrieved 14 March 2009.
  13. ↑ "2008 WCMA Winners". mail.breakoutwest.ca.
  14. ↑ JunoAwards.ca Category: Contemporary Jazz Album of the Year, "Metaphora" by Altered Laws (featuring the Babayaga String Quartet & Melody Diachun)
  15. ↑ "Singing "Russians" by Sting like it's a brand-new song". Rhythm Changes. 25 October 2022. Retrieved 25 October 2022.
  16. ↑ "Tom Keenlyside". AllMusic. Retrieved 18 November 2018.
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