11/02/2026
Laila Biali can barely contain her enthusiasm when she talks about the Canadian stars whose songs will be included when she brings “Joni Mitchell & The Canadian Songbook Reimagined” on the road.
“Leonard Cohen! Neil Young! k.d. lang!” she exclaims. “When I tour in Europe, the love that people have for these artists is amazing. Ron Sexsmith is songwriting royalty there.”
And of course, if you’re talking Canadian songwriting royalty, the queen is Joni Mitchell. Mitchell is known for exploring different styles of music, and Biali loves that.
“I think it’s part of what drew me to her as an artist,” says Biali. “She cracks genre open wide. While she is a folk musician and has a great background in folk, she loves jazz, too. She comes by it honestly. She works with some of the finest jazz musicians of all time. To this day, she is embraced by jazz musicians as one of their own. She allows her creativity to take her in new directions.”
And Biali has her own theory about why Joni Mitchell is such a creative genius. “This comes from formative years in the prairies, I think. Something about those wide-open skies. It lets her imagination run wild.”
In 2007, Biali released From Sea To Sky, a Canadian songbook album that includes songs by Sarah McLachlan, Ron Sexsmith, Feist, Leonard Cohen, and more.
“The idea was to move beyond jazz into Canadian mainstream music from past decades,” she says. “It was fun to combine musicians who were new to me, with legends I grew up listening to and loving.”
She says when she asks people which Canadian songs they want to hear, the response is enthusiastic and diverse. “There will be another Canadian songbook offering. I think there will be a Joni Mitchell edition in the next few years. My own Canadian songbook is always getting new songs!”
Since Biali is a broadcaster and radio host herself, we can’t end our conversation without asking her about what radio means to her. “Community stations and campus radio play artists that might otherwise fall through the cracks. The crossover records. The art songs that don’t check commercial radio boxes. The wideness of CKUA’s programming allows me to reach so many ears in Alberta. It’s such a privilege.”
Laila Biali in Lakefield, November 22
Tickets: https://www.performingartslakefield.org/buy-tickets
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ughir9LXfME
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