If Woody Guthrie had been a woman, and lived in present day Alberta, he’d be Maria Dunn.
Maria writes and sings about the lives of working men and women. Her songs are perfectly created stories with richly drawn characters. Melding North American roots music with her Scottish-Irish heritage, Maria celebrates the resilience and grace of “ordinary” people, past and present.
Her new concept recording Piece By Piece (2012), is inspired by women working at a Canadian clothing factory. Maria’s 2004 project, We Were Good People, was her first concept recording to explore the stories of working people in Western Canada: tales of resilience and hope through experiences of immigration, internment, exploitation and The Depression. The stories on her second CD, For a Song (2001), range from The Lingan Strike, a rousing tale from Cape Breton’s labour history, to Take it Easy on Me, a gentle anthem for contemporary society.
A quick wit, an engaging stage presence in her own right, Maria will be joined at Summerfolk by celebrated fiddler Shannon Johnson of the McDades.