Top 6 Canadian Women

Yes, I have absolutely nothing more interesting to do! But whatever, I woke up today with Diana Krall's version of the American classic Cry Me A River and realized she's a Canadian doing American music; also came to my mind that some of the best examples of American music [being that Jazz, Blues, Rock etc] artists are not American, i. e. The Beatles, Joni Mitchell, Pamela Anderson [yes, I'm joking]. Okay this is nonsensical, but fuck it, I got me thinking of Canada this morning as I listened to Diana's voice, also when remembered Mitchell's A Case Of You ["On the back of a cartoon coaster/In the blue tv screen light/I drew a map of Canada/Oh Canada/And your face sketched on it twice"], so as aforementioned I have nothing better to do, I decided to do a list of my current favorite Canadians.

6. Kim Cattrall

Alright, you know I'm talking about Samantha Jones! Cattrall was actually born in Widnes in England, however her family emigrated to Courtenay [British Columbia - Canada] and truth be told I know nothing else of her besides Miss Jones. [Hmm... I did watch Crossroads but we'll all just ignore that]. Oui oui shame on me, but who cares?! I mean, Samantha Jones is G-d! She's the dream of liberation of every modern woman and queer I know. Cattrall's screen presence is so strong that even the prudest of viewers couldn't help adoring Samantha's charm and sass. As for me: I worship her and Cattrall could not fail to be here for giving life to such a wonderful character.

5. Rachel McAdams
This London [Ontario] born actress got me by surprise in her stellar turn in 2004's Mean Girls. My main goal in watching the movie was to see Lindsay Lohan's first critic praised role, but on my first screening of the movie, even loving Lohan's job it was McAdams and her wonderful Regina George who got me. McAdams gave us a character so diabolically funny that you could not not love her; Regina's meanness always felt real and tangible even when the film got goofy and over-the-top and Rachel ended up creating an icon. You felt like Cady, hating that horrible bitch but at the same time desiring to be around her. Later I totally fell in love with the woman: I rented The Notebook - meh movie wonderful performances, - ran crazily to the movies to see her captivating and heartpounding job in Red Eye and absolutely loved her sarcasm in The Family Stone. Things I didn't know: she was considered for the role of Andrea Sachs in Prada and turned down MI3 [good girl!] and Cassino Royale [she's forgiven, Eva Green was perfect].

4. Sarah McLachlan

When I became an Alanis Morissette freak and started a downloading spree I came across the name of the Halifax [Nova Scotia] born Sarah McLachlan. I remember being kinda intrigued because back then I didn't know how to pronounce her name. A while later Alais introduced me to her music and I had a beautiful surprise when I discovered she was the writer and performer of a song that for a while had been touching my emotions and bullying my curiosity [to know who sung it]: Angel. This now overplayed tune caught me crying the very first time I heard it, on an Alias 1st season episode. As I dived into McLachlan's discography, she became the woman of heartfelt and beautiful lyrics and touching and stunning performances. It's common sense that her voice presents a beautiful sorrow that it is hard not to be awed by it; even the ho cried with Wintersong!

3. Diana Krall

When I first saw Diana Krall [Nanaimo - British Columbia] I must confess that my first reaction was: "whaaa... she ain't black!" It was no racist remark of mine, maybe a bit prejudiceful, but not racist. I said that because when I 1st heard Krall [before knowing her face] I pictured a woman in the likes of India.Arie, or Des'ree, and suddenly I was facing a blonde chick with an imperative presence and a groove that white people don't often have. But really, what's much to say of Krall? Everyone seems to love her but not in a pejorative-hyped way [like The Black Eyed Peas]; her public goes from new and young jazz listeners, getting in touch with the art, to mothers who loves a romantic [almost] suggary love song. She performed in Brasil last year; do I hate myself for missing it? Whadda think?

2. Alanis Morissette

One of the most overplayed and hyped artists from the late 90's, the Ottawa born Alanis Morissette totally deserved [almost] everything she got with her adult career [for those who don't know, Morissette was a teen star back in the 80's in Canada]. Recently I said I don't longer consider her as a main G-d from my polytheistic pop culture religion, but I guess I was overreacting. Nowadays I still don't feel like listening to her songs, but I've recently been in contact with her geniusness with her latest MadTv appearance [video bellow]. And coming to think of it she's a helluva an artist! She's always delivered somehow beautiful pop/rock gems; her lyrics are true descriptive poetry [doubters, if there's any: listen to Ironic, I Was Hoping, Joining You, Flinch and 21 Things I Want In A Lover] and her attitude's always been appealing and charming. My favorite album of hers is Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie [SFIJ], her sophomore [post 90's]; the 17-song gem is filled with exciting and beautiful arrangements but are the lyrics that shine throughout it. Most of them, even if came from Alanis's deep and imaginative mind, sound personal and autobiographical - but in a way that you relate yourself to them, making them even more powerful. Lately she's been accused of losing her creativity by repeating herself. Bullshit! Alright, her last album, So-Called Chaos, was a lot inferior to her previous ones, sometimes sounding like an Under Rug Swept's leftover; but still you can find the beautifuly written lyrics and some songs are really cool ["Excuses"]. Then she re-released her 1st international hit Jagged Little Pill [JLP] in acoustic form - some called repetitive exploitation, I called reinvention; in my opinion JLP got an even nicer and pleasing sound as an acoustic album, not to mention that her voice was way better than back in 1995. Aside all the controversy, it's common sense that Morissette is an icon from the 90's; she's been inspiring a great deal of people who love music, lyrics and artists with intelligent and deep kicks.

1. Nelly Furtado

Nelly Kim Furtado. She was the first Canadian [Victoria - British Columbia] I fell in love with; at least the first that I knew who was Canadian. When I'm Like A Bird hit Brasil I instantly fell; there was a restlessness and eager desire on those raspery vocals, and such a honesty into those shining blue eyes! Most of the people I knew hated her acute vocals and didn't get her quirky creativity [mud/feijoada dance? Bring it on!] but for me she was a ride of joy. I remember back then two things that most excited me about her was a) that she was half Portuguese and knew a lot of Brazillian music and culture and b) my dad loved her! She then came to Brasil with her Burning In the Spotlight Tour and of course I couldn't see her live, but stayed awake in a week day till late like a silly fan waiting for her interview on a Brazillian late nite talk show. But it was Furtado's sophomore album that firmed me as a die-hard fan. The woman simply reinvented herself completely! After motherhood she assumed a darker and more mature tone and image; of course that the change didn't please me as much as I wanted, but her work was still charming and amazingly produced. Then, last year she did [imo] the coolest move in her career: she grew up for real! She became a hot woman who wasn't afraid to tell everyone she wants to have fun and that she has a sexuality; she was no longer a grown-up wannabe like Folklore felt sometimes. For all these reasons, I praise this woman shamelessly; her creativity is a great mixture of artistic freedom and accessibility; some might've thought Loose a desperate turn to make money, but not everyone can notice a good reinvention when showed. OFF WITH THEIR HEADS!