The sultry voice of Diana Braithwraite has been a mainstay in Blues since the 1990s. The Toronto born singer and historian is a descendant of Wellington County pioneers. Her ancestors escaped slavery by way of the underground railroad and were some of the first African-Canadian settlements in Ontario. She has taken her roots and applies it to her music and life as a constant advocate for Black representation in music and promotor of Black culture. She began her singing career at a young age, singing with her siblings, and began songwriting as a teenager. The dynamic singer takes inspiration from artists Nina Simone, Dinah Washington, Bessie Smith, Muddy Waters, and John Lee Hooker.

Throughout her career, Braithwaite has collected many accolades including multiple Maple Blues Awards one of which being a Lifetime Achievement In The Blues award, Best Female Vocalist from the Global Music Awards, Canada Council’s Musical Composer Award, Gemini Award, and the SOCAN Best Songwriter Award among many other nominations and wins. She has also had the honour of being the first African-Canadian keynote speaker at the Toronto Blues Society’s 2022 International Blues Summit. Braithwaite has taken her unique and expressive blues style internationally to the U.S., Russia, the U.K., France, Jamaica, Scotland, and The Netherlands. She has graced the stage of The Silver Dollar in Toronto, opened for John Lee Hooker in Toronto at the Brunswick House, hosted the Underground Railroad Music Festival, was chosen by Sarah Mclachlan to open the Lilith Fair, and has toured with Mel Brown, T-Model Ford, and Jeff Healey. She has since paired with multi-instrumentalist Chris Whiteley and the two operate as a musical duo.

Braithwraite honours her ancestry through her music. Her mother taught her the history of her ancestors from a young age and it continues to influence how she presents herself. Taking her accumulated knowledge, she educates youth about Black history and the Underground Railroad through workshops that includes a musical aspect. As an educator, musician, and historian, Diane Braithwaite is paramount to the Canadian Blues identity and has been, rightly so, dubbed a national treasure by Blues FM 91.1.

Awards

• Best Female Jazz Vocalist, Global Music Awards, 2018
• Gemini Award Winner
• Lifetime Achievement in the Blues Award, Maple Blues Awards, 2018
• Canada’s Council Musical Composer Award
• SOCAN Best Songwriter’s Award
• Jazz Report’s Album of the Year Award