From The Beatles to Buffy Sainte-Marie: The many musical loves of Christa Couture
Christa Couture grew up in a musical family. Everyone — from her parents to her cousins — played an instrument or sang. She said music was even used to remember new addresses and phone numbers when they moved.
Her mother, a folk singer, exposed her to all kinds of music, from the Beatles to Buffy Sainte-Marie.
When asked to pick a few of her favourites to play, she started with songs tied to childhood memories and went from there.
The Beatles
I Wanna Hold Your Hand
"I remember thinking, wow, this is amazing. Something is happening inside me that I don't even understand. I just loved the sound and I loved the idea of it. I do want to hold your hand ... Mom!"
Buffy Sainte-Marie
She Used To Wanna Be A Ballerina
"It wasn't until I was older that I started to identify what cultural groups people were coming from. Buffy Sainte-Marie was big for us. This song is just so fun to sing along to. It's a good road trip song, it's a good highway song. It's one of my favourites."
Moe Clark
I Find Grace
"She's Métis, she's from Calgary, she's a spoken word artist, she's a writer, she's a poet, she's a singer, she's an arts educator. She is so smart and so funny and a remarkable performer. I'm always moved to tears by this woman and this song is just one of my favourites."
