Art and Politics — with Dalannah Gail Bowen

Dalannah Gail Bowen reflects on a lifetime of making music and convening community in the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver. A passionate singer, community arts administrator, and activist, Dalannah shares her philosophy of walking compassionately through the world and how she aims to make space for — and remove barriers to — finding connection through art making.

She and Am Johal discuss her work in community arts, her career as a musician, and how she interprets our political moment during the COVID-19 pandemic as a widespread awakening to social inequities. Dalannah gifts us with a song to close the episode.

Full episode details: https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/episodes/90-dalannah-gail-bowen.html

Read the transcript: https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/transcripts/90-dalannah-gail-bowen.html

Resources:
— Downtown Eastside Centre for the Arts: https://www.dtescentreforthearts.com/
— Videos of Dalannah Gail Bowen in concert: http://www.dalannah.com/music/videos.html
— Heart of the City Festival 2020: An Evening with Dalannah Gail Bowen: https://vimeo.com/473661581
— Germaine Tremmel on the Rise of Women Warriors at Standing Rock: https://www.sfu.ca/sfuwoodwards/community-engagement/blog/2017/germaine-tremmel-on-the-rise-of-women-warriors-at-standing-rock/
— The Issue of Mr. O’Dell: https://vimeo.com/251717171

Bio:
Born of African-Canadian/Cherokee heritage, Dalannah Gail Bowen has been music-making for forty years in the Canadian blues, rock and soul scene. Bowen started her musical career with the all-female group The Feminine Touch who toured Canada and the USA opening for acts such The Monkees and The Guess Who. As an in-demand vocalist, she has performed with or opened for other major artists including Led Zeppelin, B.B. King, Willie Dixon and many more. Her 2007 CD recording, Mamma’s Got The Blues, was released to wide acclaim and rave reviews from across the globe. Then in 2015, her Been Around A While CD was selected by Downbeat Magazine as one of the Best Albums of 2015. Dalannah Gail Bowen’s live performances are known for their powerful and energetic delivery while taking an old-school approach, as well as adding contemporary elements. As a versatile and knowledgeable artist, Bowen can also be heard performing in a wide- range of musical collaborations, including traditional drum group The Snowy Owl Drummers, Songs of Mahalia Jackson, a tribute to the world-renowned gospel singer and East Van Morrison, a jazz group that performs selections from Van Morrison’s repertoire.

Cite this episode:
Chicago Style

Johal, Am. “Art and Politics — with Dalannah Gail Bowen.” Below the Radar, SFU’s Vancity Office of Community Engagement. Podcast audio, November 19, 2020. https://www.sfu.ca/vancity-office-community-engagement/below-the-radar-podcast/episodes/90-dalannah-gail-bowen.html.