Christina Colyn, Manitoba born and raised, is coming home and will be ready to hit the stage with songs from her new album on June 2 at the West End Cultural Centre. Her album, Uncaged, is a reflection of her own journey of self-rediscovery and breaking away from personally imposed limitations.
“[The title] carries special meaning for me,” says Colyn. “I believe the biggest limitation to becoming the best versions of ourselves exist within our own heads. Creating this album was, in fact, a movement beyond the many limitations I had set for myself. It took a lot of effort to push myself back into a near-forgotten creative space. But arriving there felt like coming home to my true self. While I feel a great sense of personal connection to these songs, I want this project to serve as an inspiration to others on their own journey towards stepping beyond that which might be holding them back. These songs also speak well to the collective human experience. They are a gift for anyone who may find themselves within the stories they tell.”
Though she currently hails from the Calgary, Colyn was raised in New Bothwell and graduated from the Niverville Collegiate in 1995. Her peers back in the day will have known her as Christina Friesen, daughter of Bernard and Jo-Ann Friesen.
Hers was a musical family, her father the inspiration for her love of the guitar. Colyn’s been singing at public events since she was five years old and began writing her own music at the age of 12.
“Growing up, we would play southern gospel music as a family in local churches around the southeast,” Colyn fondly recalls. “In my teens I performed at various events such as local festivals, weddings, and funerals. I ended up marrying a musician and over the years we have performed together periodically in various settings.”
After the birth of their three daughters, Colyn took a hiatus from performing to dedicate herself to the job of parenting. She eventually integrated her musical skills into her motherhood role by offering weekly music therapy sessions in her daughter’s exceptional needs classroom.
Over the years, song-writing remained a constant in her life. In 2016, she was presented with an opportunity that would lead her down a new path—a Calgary area producer was interested in recording her collection of original songs.
“Since my daughters were approaching young adulthood, I decided it was time to pursue my passion for writing and performing again,” Colyn says. “So that is what I did. During this time, I have been playing in live music venues and at local summer festivals. When I was considering the release of this album, I felt it was important to come back to my home province and honour the place of my upbringing, where it all began for me.”
Colyn’s musical style is influenced by roots rock, blues, soul, and gospel music, all genres she has grown to love over the years. She’s comfortable performing with a full instrumental band or in more intimate acoustic settings.
“I believe that music is the language of the heart and soul,” Colyn adds. “Every song created invites the listener on a journey into various experiences contained within the lyrics. My songs tell stories. Some of them are mine, some belong to other people. I am a connector and music is my bridge to accomplish just that.”
Tickets for Colyn’s Saturday night performance are available online at her website (see below) or at the West End Cultural Centre immediately before the show.
