Members of the media click here to download an Electronic Press Kit containing biographical information and high-res photos of Krista Rey. Musical Rey of Sunshine See the original article in the Portage Daily Graphic. 20th NCI Jam ranks #1 with Aboriginal music lovers Mark Watson Thunder Voice News - October 2006 The first voices to fill the air with song in this land were native voices. Thousands of generations later, native voices still fill the night with wondrous musical expression and the NCI Jam, a celebration of amateur aboriginal singers, showcases the very finest of them and broadcasts their remarkable performances out over the airwaves for all us fortunate Manitobans to enjoy. After nearly 100 submissions including over 150 recorded songs NCI Jam 2006 was set to showcase its 25 finalists once again on September 2nd at the Centennial Concert Hall in downtown Winnipeg. Heralded as the foremost annual amateur aboriginal musician extravaganza in the province, the NCI Jam is in its 20th consecutive year and still going strong. With the staggering abundance of musical talent pouring forth from the aboriginal sector of Manitoba, there is never a shortage of extremely gifted amateur performers ready to take the stage and sing their hearts out in front of what is always, year after year, a capacity crowd at the Concert Hall. Opening with an exhilarating square dancing exhibition by Diggers Jiggers and emceed by NCI Program Manager Dave McLeod and some of your favorite NCI personalities such as Kimberley Dawn, Ray St. Germain,"Wild Bill " Flammond, Gerry Barrett and more, NCI FM hosted what many opine is the grandest NCI Jam ever with a little something for everyone. Gerry "The Big Bear" Barrett even took the stage, delighting the howling audience with a stirring "Elvis" performance. I only hope that the Big Bear can somehow resist the many poaching efforts that are sure to come from various brightly lit casinos in Vegas. Legendary instrumentalist Clint Dutiaume made his sixteenth appearance at the Jam this year with his ultra-talented cast of musicians to back the simply outstanding array of performers with flawless instrumentals, punctuated by stellar performances from this year's NCI "Single of the Year" nominees Tracy Bone – "Games", Terry McCaffrey – "Phoenix", and D.L.O. – "Northern Hillbilly". A special guest performance by First Nation hoop dancer, Bruce Fontaine, accompanied by Buffy Handel and her six year old daughter dazzled the spectators with the intricate manipulation of their hoops into stunning designs. Bruce Fontaine briefly took the podium to announce that this was to be his farewell performance as he plans to retire for an indefinite period of time in order to address personal health issues. Let us all pray for a short retirement and a speedy return to good health for this traditional dancer who has given us so much for so long. Another special guest appearance featured "Joe from Winnipeg" who casually settled before the centre stage microphone as if he were visiting us in the living room and shared a few earthy words of wisdom in his own dry satirical style, pulling laughter from us as smoothly and easily as a gifted fiddler draws a bow across his fiddle strings. And speaking of gifted fiddlers, two legendary fiddlers were inducted into the Aboriginal Music Hall of Fame at this year's Jam; Andy Desjarlis and Reg Bouvette. These two trailblazers have contributed immensely to the promotion and awareness of Métis music and culture with their fiery fiddles. In fact, it would be difficult to think of two others who have influenced and inspired more young fiddlers than these two icons. Though Mr. Desjarlis and Mr. Bouvette are no longer with us, our respect, awe and continued appreciation of their music has made them immortal. It's been said many times before that selecting the top 3 of the 25 finalists at the NCI Jam is one of the most difficult tasks a judge could possibly undertake. The honor of judging this amateur competition truly comes with a substantial burden. Usually, in talent competitions, many of the weaker performances can be culled from the main body, leaving a substantially reduced core from which to choose the most brightly shining stars. This initial culling usually makes the judges' task much easier. Not one of the 25 contestants made it any easier this year. Each and every one of them performed superbly from stage presentation to vocal dexterity and could easily have been taken for seasoned pros. I was not privy to the judges' score sheets but I can imagine the spread was extremely narrow. Some respite the judges may have been afforded in their arduous task, however, may have been the selection of Krista Rey as the NCI Jam 2006 winner. Krista's operatic vocal style blended beautifully with Faith Hill's "Lucky One". Every note was delivered with sweet perfection and her stage presentation was powerful and dynamic. In my books, Krista Rey was a shoe-in for first place. Displaying genuine humility following NCI's Awards ceremonies, however, Krista herself was visibly stunned. "I still can't believe it," said Krista. "Everybody who sang here tonight was just amazing. They were all so good I didn't even put a thought to winning; I just went up on stage and really enjoyed myself. I love singing so much and to be recognized and honored in a field of so many wonderful singers is so awesome! I'm overwhelmed. Singing is my life and having the support of the Aboriginal community makes this journey even more exhilarating." Krista intends to use her winnings to finance an upcoming trip to Nashville where she will audition for the Nashville Star competition and spend some time soaking in the ambience of North America's country music heartland. Best of luck to you Krista! I'm confidant that you will do Manitoba proud. Taking 2nd spot and many of the lady's hearts in the audience, was Joshua Whitford who absolutely aced Johnny Cash's "Get Rhythm". Joshua's strong, clear voice, confidence in the spot light and remarkable charisma mark him as a natural performer and a sure fire up-and-comer in the Manitoba music scene. Another Johnny Cash tune was represented by NCI Jam 2006's 3rd place winner, Gaitten Beaulieu. Gaitten took "Folsom Prison Blues" and made it his own. Time may drag on in Folsom Prison but it certainly didn't drag on with Gaitten on stage. That kid sure has some pipes! Joaquin Phoenix can count himself fortunate that there were no casting scouts up in this neck of the woods for that movie "Walk the Line". All in all, NCI Jam 2006 left those who were fortunate enough to be in attendance feeling as light as a feather when they left the concert hall. Hailing a cab proved to be next to impossible following the show so I just floated home. Aboriginal Entertainer of the Month: Krista Rey Mark Watson Thunder Voice News - June 2006 I first heard Krista Rey sing live at the 8th Annual Chief Big Bear Gathering last year and became an instant fan. The rich classical quality of her voice was simply amazing. Since that day I have been intimidated by her and shy to meet her. My feeling was that anyone with a voice like hers must surely be a huge star and would have little time in her life to be bothered by a scruffy old editor like me. I couldn't have been more wrong. Krista Rey, a country girl from a farm in St. Claude, Manitoba, is as beautiful and down-to-earth as a fresh bloomed rose. She may sing like a diva but has never abandoned her country roots nor lost her affable country charm. Applying the intense work ethic of a girl raised on a cattle ranch, Krista has valiantly and steadfastly stuck to the narrow thorny trail of musical success that awaits all aspiring musicians in Manitoba. It never ceases to amaze me just how hard a Manitoba musician must work to achieve even limited recognition despite the massive volume of talent that pours forth from our province. Born for the music industry, Krista was forever singing where ever she was, frequently singing in the hallways at school; singing as she walked or ran or played as a child; singing as she did her chores; singing as she slept... well, you get the picture. She began taking piano lessons when she was 5 years old and gave her first public piano performance at the Mountain School Division Music Festival at the age of 6. It was Krista's first stage experience and she has been drawn to the spotlight ever since. When she was 9 or 10, Krista delivered her first vocal performance on stage but it wasn't until she graduated from university, securing her education first, before Krista began singing in earnest and actively launching her pursuit of a career in the music industry. I guess there's no escaping that pragmatic country blood which surges in her veins. Krista has since performed at many Métis Winnipeg Region events, Folklorama, the Big Bear Gathering, and numerous other events including the Aboriginal Music Association Gala at Winnipeg's Friendship Centre. Musically, Krista Rey keeps herself very busy while simultaneously holding down two jobs. She is a social worker for the River East Transcona School Division and also works with Community & Youth Corrections. "I adore working with youths," says Krista. "They can teach you so much about yourself and life." Frequently called upon to give role model presentations before large audiences of students in school divisions, Krista often uses music as an effective communication tool. "I'm not much of a public speaker," she laughs, asserting that incorporating song into her lectures has proven to be an effective attention grabber, affording her greater opportunity to get her message across to the youth. "Country music has songs that relate to life," says Krista, maintaining that the right song can be extremely instrumental in illustrating any given point that she is trying to put forth in a lecture. "I always encourage youths to follow their dreams and overcome obstacles in their path; to never give up." "A smooth sea never made for a skilled sailor." There have been many positive experiences in Krista's musical career as well. She was delighted to have had the opportunity to perform in front of the Glint Dutiaume Band at the NCI Jam and found their work ethic very inspiring. "Those guys are amazing musicians," she states. "And they're so down to earth." Another high-light of Krista's budding career is her recording of "Proud to be Métis" at the Métis Club studio by Yvon Dumont. "I was so nervous," Krista recalls. "I was worried that Yvon would lose patience with me because I'm so fussy. I wanted every note to be perfect. Yvon was just great though. He set my mind at ease and assured me that we'd keep at it until I was completely satisfied, no matter how long that took." Krista's recording of "Proud to be Métis" has since enjoyed some air time on Yvon Dumont and Kevin Chief's Sunday afternoon NCI radio program, The Norman Chief Memorial Country Kitchen Jamboree and has since become somewhat of a trademark song for Krista Rey. She performs it routinely at many of the Winnipeg Region events, at many of her role model presentations and at the "Back to Batoche" Festival in Saskatchewan last year. "The response was phenomenal!" Krista recalls. "They treated it like a Métis national anthem! It was so exciting." Krista vows to never surrender her dream, enjoying the highs to the fullest and enduring the lows with steadfast Métis perseverance. Sing! Krista Rey Métis Youth Gazette - Spring 2006 The energy in the crowd was exhilarating-over 2,300 people gathered to hear some of the top Amateur Aboriginal Artists in the province and I had the glory of being included...as they announced my name, a feeling of pure excitement came over me...finally the opportunity to hit the stage and do what I loved most: SING! From a very young age music surrounded my life-I was enrolled in piano lessons at the age of five and in voice lessons at the age of nine. I could always be found humming along to a song on the radio or annoying my friends and family with my continuous singing-school hallways included! The first few years found me taking lessons at my school-St. Claude School Complex. I would always know exactly what day and time I was to be in a lesson as this was my favourite "subject" in school. For some it was gym and recess-for me it was music! Before I entered the seventh grade I had performed numerous times in the local music festival and at talent shows. I was also provided the opportunity to perform in town musicals including; Oliver Twist, Eye Bye Birdie and my all time favourite-Les Miserdbles (where I played the role of young Cossette). As the school years continued, my love for music persisted and I could be found performing at any event I could get myself into. The main genre of music I studied was classical- obtaining my Grade 8 piano and voice through the Royal Conservatory of Music the summer of 1999, just after graduation. The fall of 1999 found me at Brandon University preparing for my goal of obtaining my Bachelor of Social Work degree. While in Brandon I continued to study music with one of the top vocal professors in the country. What a wonderful and rewarding experience! Upon being accepted into the Faculty of Social Work at the University of Manitoba, I found myself having to reorganize myself regarding my music-who to study with and most importantly, where to perform!! I began taking lessons with Joanne Mercier and obtained my Grade 9 Voice in January of 2005. (I continue to study and am hoping to complete my Grade 10 by early 2007.) While in Winnipeg my love for country music was given a chance to shine. Cindi Cain took me on as one of her students and I began entering competitions; not for the winning, but for the opportunity to explore my "other" side and be on stage. The first couple of years were rewarding as well as challenging-starting out in a big city full of many talented artists and achieving comfort on stage as a country singer made for some interesting experiences! As the performances continued to occur, my love for singing and comfort on stage seemed to fall into place. Some of my recent accomplishments include: Finalist - Bud Country Talent Search 2004, 2005 and currently competing for the 2006 title Finalist - Winnipeg Star 2005 Finalist - NCI Jam 2004 & 2005 Semi-Finalist - Dauphin CountryFest 2004 Folklorama 2004 & 2005 Mé People Pavilion Runner-Up - Annual Asham Stomper Festival 2005 In the past couple of years I discovered a new love; RECORDING. Recording studios have become a favourite place of mine to spend time. I have recorded various songs as compilation projects and hope to have an album of original material recorded by fall of 2006. My greatest honour is being provided with numerous opportunities to perform in the Aboriginal community. Culture is extremely important to me and I feel like my singing is the way to connect and relate my culture to others. I had the extraordinary honour of being included in the "Mé Express" project with Ray St. Germain in September of 2005. Performing on the same stage as one of my music heroes was an experience I will never forget and having my name on a project for such a great cause makes this my most rewarding accomplishment to date. I have met some very inspiring individuals on my journey to achieve my goals and without them my determination, dedication, desire and most importantly vision of the dream would not be so strong. My friends and family have been my rock, shoulder and ear and I would not have the courage without them. A message to all: Two very special friends shared their journeys to success with me and one important lesson they both taught me was to never let go of the dream. Hard work is key and when that flame of desire burns strong, you need to do everything in your power to never let it extinguish. Thank you for your time and I hope to see you in the crowd!

Media Player Choose a song below When The Lights Go Down (clip) Lucky One (clip) Upcoming Shows December 12, 2009 Christmas Charity Concert 7:00pm Manitoba Métis Federation Head Office 150 Henry Avenue Winnipeg, MB December 15th, 16th and 17th, 2009 with Pot Pourri Singers 6:45pm - 7:15pm Dalnavert Museum 61 Carlton Street Winnipeg, Manitoba December 22, 2009 VoiceShack Christmas CD Release Party 7:00pm Sam's Place 159 Henderson Hwy Winnipeg, MB December 27, 2009 with Pot Pourri Singers Immaculate Conception Church Winnipeg, Manitoba Booking (204) 275-0785 booking@kristarey.com Join the Mailing List Subscribe Unsubscribe