Kaia Kater

2024—Acclaimed singer, songwriter, and musician Kaïa Kater will release her anticipated new album, Strange Medicine, on May 17 via Free Dirt Records (pre-order/pre-save here). Ahead of the release, the new song “Fédon,” featuring Taj Mahal, is debuting today. Watch a new performance video for the song HERE.

The new album from young African-Canadian roots phenom Kaia Kater couldn’t come at a better time. As a new generation takes the reins, American roots music is needed more than ever to remind us of the troubled pathways of our own history. Born of African-Caribbean descent in Québec, Kaia Kater grew up between two worlds: one her family’s deep ties to Canadian folk music in her Toronto home; the other the years she spent learning and studying Appalachian music in West Virginia.

The Appalachian Mountains, perhaps the most iconic strongholds of traditional music in North American history, form a direct line running from eastern Canada down through Alabama. They are the backbone of a body of ballads and tunes that define Americana and have heavily influenced Canadian roots music as well.

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