Maureen Washington had to blink, had to double and triple check, had to cross-reference sources and hear it from the organizers.
The Prince George vocalist (she currently resides in Victoria) was shocked enough to be nominated as Best Jazz / Soul Act at the 2014 Black Canadian Awards. She was up against names that have appeared on the Juno nominees' list, family of Grammy winners, acts with major label support, and no differentiation between male or female performers.
The other nominees were Sharon Musgrave, KellyLee Evans, Saidah Baba Talibah,
Joseph Neale and Shakura S'Aida.
It would have been no shame or surprise, in her own mind, to see any of these names under the "winner" heading when the online voting closed this weekend. But she didn't. What she saw was the name Maureen Washington.
"I am in complete shock," said Washington from Mexico where she is on her honeymoon. Being there and unable to attend the ceremonies on Friday in Toronto meant she had to gather information as best she could from the internet. The first indication was a Twitter message that was vague but promising, so she clicked the link.
"And there on the Black Canadian Awards page is my name highlighted in orange with WINNER," she said. "I am flooded with tears of joy and believable unbelief. My heart is overwhelmed and full of such love and joy as I think of all the people who have supported me to make this happen. I have another wave of love as I think of all their encouraging words and notes keeping me informed that 'they were on it' and weren't backing down with their daily votes. I'm a million miles away from home, yet I am humbled with warmth and love for every single person."
As a completely independent musician from B.C., she was corporately and geographically an underdog to the urban music scene centred in Toronto where black musicians have been a force in the Canadian jazz and soul sectors. In many ways, her experiences growing up as a visible minority do not reflect that region's realities. In Prince George, growing up black simply meant you were the kid of the accountant or the plumber or the teacher. There weren't many, but the social forces were mundane.
"Born a Canadian, raised in central British Columbia, I didn't experience much racial discrimination - mostly normal kids stuff - and my parents being a mixed race was normal to me," she said. "But experience of life, education in schools and research of many Black American and Canadian musicians opened my eyes to their struggles. I am thankful for the hard work that has paved an 'easier' road for me. Thankful and proud that I am now a part of that journey paving the way for more Black Canadians to find their equal voice and place. Winning this award has made me proud to be a Black Canadian singer."
She thanked the many people - numbers were not disclosed by deadline - who voted for her, and called the award a reflection of what is possible when people work together on a common goal. She was grateful that she was the recipient of that spirit, in this case.
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