From Farm to Fame Catching-up With Three-time JUNO Award

Nominee Nuela Charles

By Lori Wiens

Canada’s 4-H alumni have found success in an array of careers at home and around the world. According to internationally acclaimed singer/songwriter Nuela Charles, the skills she learned in 4-H when she was young helped provide a foundation for a career that has garnered numerous accolades, including three consecutive Juno nominations.

For music afficionados, Edmonton, Alberta-based Nuela Charles is not easy to pigeonhole. Described as a pop, soul, jazz, hip hop, and rhythm & blues artist, her unique blend of music has earned her three consecutive JUNO Award nominations in the Adult Contemporary field along with numerous other music industry awards.

Fully cognizant that her music does not fit neatly into any single category, she has learned to create the music that allows her to express her own identity. “At the end of the day, I consider myself a singer/songwriter. It is just me and my acoustic guitar,” she said. “The lyrics are so important to me. I want them to say something. I use them to take back the power.”

Born in Kenya, Charles’ family lived in Switzerland before moving to Onward Ranch, eight miles southwest of Williams Lake, BC when she was six. It was there that she discovered the Chilcotin 4-H Club in the fourth grade, an experience that she credits for helping her establish skills and a desire to desire to succeed on her own terms that has served her well in her music career. “It made me the person I am today,” she said. “It was monumental to my development. I don’t know if I would be the same person if I wasn’t in 4-H.” Even though her experience in 4-H was based on raising animals, the lessons were relevant to any career. “There is a whole business side. You buy feed, learn to budget, and learn to keep the animal healthy. It was a massive responsibility