Lorraine Segato
For the past 35 years Lorraine Segato has fueled an impressive artistic career that produced some excellent and edgy cultural work. Segato's extensive experience as a respected Musician, Songwriter, Filmmaker, Event Producer, Artistic Director, Speechwriter, Lecturer and Social Justice Activist makes her one of Canada's leading cultural commentators and best known recording artists. As the co-founder and lead singer of The Parachute Club, one of the most critically lauded and commercially successful groups of the eighties, Segato enjoyed an impressive career in the music industry before turning her attention to other creative endeavours.
Even before her chart topping hits with Parachute Club, Segato had already staked a claim as one of the few female artists of the time able to succeed on her own terms. Ultimately, as one of Canada's most internationally renowned trans-cultural music bands, The Parachute Club garnered five Junos, five BMAC’s, five Casbys, two Platinum and one Gold record as well as a SOCAN Classic Award for "Rise Up." Most recently the band was honoured with the Indie Hall of Fame Award from CMW's Indie Music Awards and Rise Up was voted one of Canada’s Top 100 hit singles of all time. To this day, that iconic song as well as the groups' other hits At the Feet of the Moon, Love and Compassion and Love is Fire remain staples on Canadian radio.
Segato has released two critically praised solo recordings Luminous City and Phoenix and produced several eminent music scores. Segato has also devoted time to directing, writing, narrating and music editing a TV and festival documentary called Queen Street West (Q.S.W) The Rebel Zone with the Award-winning Rhombus Media International. She executive produced an accompanying Sony Records soundtrack CD which won her an award for most promising new female director at the Inside Out Film Festival.
Over the years Segato has alternated between singing, directing, speechwriting, and producing large cultural events, and now turns her talents to writing a one woman show Get Off My Dress. She has also recently released a new CD project entitled Invincible Decency.
Segato's work, no matter what the medium, remains consistently topical and relevant. Her passion, empathy and charisma have served a career, on stage and in production that has educated and inspired Canadians for 3 decades.
AWARDS
Over 15 awards : Best New Director Inside Out Film & Video Festival, SOCAN Classic Song Award, JUNO’S, CASBYS, & Black Music Association Awards - Most Promising Female Vocalist, Female Vocalist, Group Of The Year, LP of The Year, Single Of The Year, Best Video & Album Cover Design.
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR/PRODUCER
Regent Park Artist In Residency Projects (2014-2016)- Wild Women (Don’t Get The Blues) Series Featuring Established & Emerging women Artists , Legacy Salon Series
Hope Rising (2011-2012)-Gala Benefit Concerts For Stephen Lewis Foundation - Featuring Alicia Keys, Angelique Kidjo, Rufus Wainwright, K’Naan, Jully Black, Lorraine Segato, Annie Lennox, Sarah MacLauchlan, Angelique Kidjo, Grandmothers of Africa, D’Bi Young
House Party (2007)- A Campaign For The Homeless Featuring The Parachute Club, Snow,Liam Titcomb
Jack It Up (2003)- Jack Layton Election Campaign Fundraiser Featuring Jully Black, The Sadies, Stephen Page
Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards (2003 & 2004)
MUSICAL ACTIVISM & PERFORMANCE
Regent Park Film Festival Fundraiser, Regent Park School of Music Benefits, Homes First Foundation Fundraiser, 519 Gala Fundraisers, Hope Rising, Benefits for Stephen Lewis Foundation, Kumbaya (AIDS Hospices), African National Congress, Afro-Heat (Anti- Apartheid) with Harry Belafonte & Bishop Desmond Tutu, Project Indigenous with Daniel Lanois, Graham Green, Royal Command Performance For Duke And Duchess Of York, Tears Are Not Enough For Ethiopian Relief, World Literacy Day, Earth Day, Canadian Autoworkers National Media Campaign, Canadian Labour Congress, Casey House, David Suzuki Foundation, Temagami, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Disarmament, Battered Women's Shelters, Anti-Racism, Amnesty Concert, Pro-Choice Benefits, Canadian Pain Summit, World Wildlife Foundation, Big World (1987) Creation of a record and National Media campaign to bring awareness of Aboriginal title and cross-cut logging in the Stein valley, last virgin wilderness in British Columbia for Lytton and Mt. Currie Indian bands. Honoured by Chief Ruby Dunstan and Chief Leonard Andrews.
RECENT SPECIAL PROJECTS & APPEARANCES
Lowdown Tracks- (2014-2016) Acclaimed Hot Docs/ TVO Documentary. Directed by Emmy Winning Filmmaker Shelley Saywell. A film that honours the talent and brings dignity to lives of street musicians.
Producer: Songs from the Lowdown (2016)Music from the Acclaimed Documentary Lowdown Tracks. An anthropological CD of field recordings of songs from the housing challenged buskers from our Toronto Streets.
Producer , Performer, Songwriter : Invincible Decency CD (2015)
Inaugural Artist in Residence for 2 1/2 yrs Regent Park- (2013-2016): Invited by Daniels Corporation to bring focus and attention to rich reservoir of talent in Regent Park. Produced & Performed in Wild Women (Don’t Get the Blues) Series, Legacy Salon (Conversations with Cultural Icons), Regent Park School of Music Benefits, Regent Park Film Festival Fundraiser, Q.S.W The Rebel Zone Art Exhibit for 1st Myseum Festival.
Producer & Songwriter: NDP Campaign Song for Jack Layton Bringing all the People Together (2003)
Honouring Performance for Jack Layton State Funeral Rise Up (2011)
Toronto International Film Festival Event for film “Festival Express”. A special event performance with Janis Joplin’s band Full Tilt Boogie Band with special guests Bonnie Bramlett & Sylvia Tyson
MUSIC SOUNDTRACKS
“Status Quo-The Unfinished Business of Feminism in Canada”- Original Feature Length Music Score NFB Documentary (2012) Directed by Karen Cho. Produced by Ravida Din Musical Director (2004)
“Flatly Stacked” - Directed by Award Winning Documentarians Michael McNamara and Judy Holm Markham Street Films
“Apples & Oranges” Original Music Score 2003 for NFB film Directed by Award Winning Director Lynne Fernie. Produced by Tamara Lynch
Brother of Mine, Destiny to Order, CTV National Drug Test, Keep the Tribe Alive, Heartsongs, Mount Royal
MUSIC VIDEOS
Produced/Directed/Wrote & or Co-Directed 14 music videos with prominent filmmakers and cinematographers for: Don’t Give It Away, Givin’ It All We Got, Good Medicine, Love
& Compassion, Sexual Intelligence, Feet Of The Moon, Rise Up (1st & 2nd Version); Boys Club, Stealing Fire, Phoenix, Brother Of Mine, Don’t Give It Away, Love Is Fire
FILM: WRITING, DIRECTION & CO-DIRECTION
Q.S.W. - The Rebel Zone
Produced with Rhombus Media International. TV documentary. Chronicles the cultural history and art movement of Toronto's vibrant Queen St. West area during 1975-1985. Best New Director Award. Inside Out Film & Video Festival 2001) dvd/col/48min
Worth Every Minute Documentary about celebrated day care activist Pat Schultz. Co- directed with Catherine McLeod. Distributed by the NFB (1981) 30 min. 16 mm/col