Canadian Country
tagStarted 1932Peak 1990s-2000sLast big hit still activeFrom Canada
Located in 1 route
Country sung with a flatter, clearer Canadian enunciation, fewer bluesy slurs, and a fondness for traveling songs and prairie/Maritime imagery. Spans Wilf Carter's yodeling cowboy ballads, Hank Snow's railroad twang, and the arena country-pop of Shania Twain, all with crisp acoustic guitar and pedal steel.
History
Victor signed Alberta's Wilf Carter in 1932, then Hank Snow in 1936; their lower, plain-spoken delivery set a distinct Canadian style. CBC's Tommy Hunter Show gave national exposure, Stompin' Tom Connors mythologized Canadian places, and 1990s stars k.d. lang and Shania Twain turned the scene into a global commercial force.
Defining artists
Essential listening
Sources
- Wikipedia: Canadian country music
- The Canadian Encyclopedia: Country and Western Music
- Canadian Country Music Association Hall of Fame