Nurdjana is a Canmore, Canada-based vocalist, songwriter, and interdisciplinary artist born and raised in the Netherlands. Her music, which has been described as “delicate, yet soulful and jazzy” (Indie Artist Buzz) and “welcoming and filled with love” (Jasen’s Jamz), dreamily traverses the spectrum of love and sadness. Her solo project began as an exercise in coping with grief by reimagining the music she collaborated on with her late father, Dutch musician Rob de Rijcke. In 2019, after taking a 10-year hiatus from music following his passing, her immigration to Canada, and becoming a single mother, Nurdjana started to rework pieces from her father’s catalogue. The process of intuiting him through artistic expression bolstered her sense of belonging in her new small-town Alberta home while also preserving her bond with the land of her founding memories, building a bridge between her Dutch and Canadian identities.
In 2021, Nurdjana released her debut single, “Do the Right Thing”, a collaboration with producer Edward Renzi (Banff Centre). She subsequently released two more singles in 2021: “Ineffective Sharing”, which she co-produced with Dutch producer and multi-instrumentalist Lucas Meijers (Kraak & Smaak, Ntjam Rosie, Janne Schra) and “Pressure”, which she co-produced with James Clemens-Seely (Elizabeth Shepherd, Michael Occhipinti, Jens Lindemann). Her next effort, June 2022 debut EP Coming Home (co-produced with Meijers), was nominated for the R&B/Soul Recording of the Year at the YYC Music Awards. CBC Key of A radio host Tarik Robinson chose the EP’s second single, “She Gives Me Water”, as one of his favourite tracks from an Albertian artist in 2022. Nurdjana’s breezy summer single, “Dancing”, was released on August 16th, 2024.
Name:
Nurdjana
Genre:
Folk Jazz, Indie Folk, Folk Pop
Founded:
2020
# of Albums:
1
Latest Album:
Coming Home, my debut EP released in 2022.
Latest Single:
“Dancing”
Latest Video:
Favourite musician growing up:
Amália Rodrigues and Whitney Houston
Favourite musician now:
Jacob Collier and Boy Golden
Guilty pleasure song:
“We Found Love” by Rihanna
Live show ritual:
Warrior yoga poses, a lot of yawning, smiling at bandmates, and getting nervous 🙂
Favourite local musician:
Kate Stevens
EP or LP?
EP – I like to keep things compact!
Early bird or night owl?
Early Bird
Road or studio?
Road
Any shows or albums coming up?
I dropped my new single, “Dancing”, on Friday, August 16.
Where can we follow you?
Facebook | Instagram | Spotify | Apple Music | Website
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Rapid Fire Local Questions:
What is your favourite local restaurant?
Ramen Arashi in Canmore – I love noodles!
What is your favourite street in your city and why?
Main Street in Canmore in the morning when it’s nice and quiet.
What is your favourite park in your city and why?
Centennial Park in Canmore when the Folk Festival is going on.
What is your favourite music venue in your city?
The Palace Theatre in Calgary and artsPlace Canmore.
What is your favourite music store in your city?
The vinyl section in Stonewaters in Canmore.
