Melody Diachun
Canadian singer
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Melody Diachun (born December 30, 1968) is a Canadian singer, songwriter and recording artist. She won the Jazz Artist of the Year award at the 2023 Western Canadian Music Awards[1] and was named the 2026 Cultural Ambassador for the City of Nelson, British Columbia.[2]
December 30, 1968
Melody Diachun
| |
|---|---|
| Born | Melody Diachun December 30, 1968 Montreal, Québec, Canada |
| Genres | Jazz, alternative jazz, contemporary jazz, R&B, pop |
| Occupations | Singer, songwriter, arranger, performer |
| Years active | 1992–present |
| Labels | Third Beach Records, Cellar Live, independent |
| Awards | Jazz Artist of the Year, 2023 Western Canadian Music Awards |
| Website | melodydiachun |
Biography
Diachun was born in Montréal, Québec and raised in Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia.[3] Singing from an early age and accompanied by her father Bill Diachun, a part-time singer and piano player, she began piano lessons at age 6[3] and played French horn and electric bass through junior and senior high school. At age 15 she took her first professional singing gig.[3] At age 17 Diachun moved back to Montréal to attend McGill University where she was the first vocalist admitted to the school's Jazz Performance Program.[3][4] Diachun earned her Bachelor of Music degree "with distinction" in Jazz Voice in 1994.[3] After university, Diachun moved to New York City to study briefly with jazz vocalist Sheila Jordan[3][5] under a grant from the Canada Council for the Arts.[6]
In 1997, Diachun moved to Western Canada and began a long-term engagement at the Banff Springs Hotel where she met her future husband, guitarist, bassist, and mixing engineer Doug Stephenson.[5] From 2000 to 2012 Diachun worked as a freelance vocalist in Vancouver, British Columbia.[3] In 2012, Diachun began teaching at the Contemporary Music & Technology Program at Selkirk College in Nelson, British Columbia. She took on the role of School Chair of the School of Arts & Technology[7] at Selkirk College in August 2022.
Awards and honours
| Year | Nominated work | Category | Award | Result | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Melody Diachun | City of Nelson, British Columbia Awards | Cultural Ambassador Award | Won | [1] | |
| 2023 | Melody Diachun | Jazz Artist of The Year | Western Canadian Music Awards | Won | [1] | |
| 2019 | Melody Diachun | Artist of the Year | Kootenay Music Awards | Nominated | [8] | |
| 2019 | "Get Back to the Groove" | Best R&B Song | Kootenay Music Awards | Nominated | Songwriters: Melody Diachun, Doug Stephenson | [9] |
| "High Definition Love" | Best Pop Song | Kootenay Music Awards | Nominated | Songwriters: Melody Diachun/Doug Stephenson | [10] | |
| 2018 | Melody Diachun | Artist of the Year | Kootenay Music Awards | Nominated | [11] | |
| 2018 | "That's What Delete Is For" | Best Blues Song | Kootenay Music Awards | Nominated | Songwriter: Melody Diachun | [12] |
| 2009 | Melody Diachun | Female Vocalist of the Year | Canadian National Jazz Awards | Nominated | [13] | |
| 2008 | Metaphora, Altered Laws | Outstanding Jazz Recording of The Year | Western Canadian Music Awards | Won | feat. Melody Diachun | [14] |
| 2008 | Metaphora, Altered Laws | Contemporary Jazz Album of the Year | JUNO Awards | Nominated | feat. Melody Diachun | [15] |
Discography
As leader
- Lullaby of the Leaves (self-release, 2002)
- Dreams & Places (self-released, 2006)
- EQ (Cellar Live, 2008)
- Get Back to the Groove (Third Beach, 2018)
- Sumner's Tales: The Music of Sting[16] (Third Beach, 2022)
As guest
- Kris feat. Melody Diachun, Johanna Sillanpa, and Roger Mooking a.k.a. Roger Audio Truth Be Told (2006)
- Altered Laws featuring the Babayaga String Quartet and Melody Diachun Metaphora[17] (Artist Jazz Records, 2007)
- Gabriel Mark Hasselbach with Jeff Lorber, Victor Bailey, Warren Hill (musician), Melody Diachun, Alan "Lupe" Smithee and Rock Hendricks Cool Down (Wind Tunnel, 2008)
- Dave Ronald So Alive (self-released, 2017)
- Tom Keenlyside Quartet A Night at the Espresso (Cellar Live, 2022)
