SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
Leela Gilday is no stranger to success. The Yellowknife-born singer/songwriter started her musical career at the age of eight and has been taking the North and Canadian music scene by storm ever since.

Further enforced by her success at last Friday night's Aboriginal Peoples Choice Music Awards, Gilday took home the award for Best Female Entertainer of the Year. This was her second Aboriginal Peoples Choice Music Award, having won last year for Best Folk/Acoustic CD. Gilday has been nominated for Aboriginal Entertainer of the Year twice before in 2007 and 2008.

With three albums under her belt, the latest titled Calling all Warriors and released last year, Gilday is a very busy performer. Spending a week prior to the awards ceremony in Winnipeg as part of Aboriginal Music Week, Gilday had the opportunity to collaborate with six other artists from Arizona to New Zealand writing tunes and sharing ideas on musical fusion, something Gilday calls an "ab colab."

Thursday evening saw Gilday perform at a songwriters showcase. All of these events were part of Aboriginal Music Week which ramped up to the music awards ceremony.

After the awards ceremony, Gilday returned to Yellowknife briefly before heading to Hay River on Sunday evening to teach workshops for the Blues in the Schools program. Blues in the School is a program being spearheaded by Ontario musician Rick Fines. They are speaking with students on blues forms and Gilday says she is there to lend a vocal and song writing element. This program will continue in Inuvik next week.

Gilday said she didn't expect to win, being up against such musicians as hiphop artist JB the First Lady and folk artist Kristi Lane Sinclair, both of British Columbia.

"The other gals (nominated) have a really big fan base, and you never know who will vote ... I'm super happy."

The award for Aboriginal Female Entertainer of the Year is one of three categories that is juried through two rounds. The first, artists are nominated by peers, and the second determines the winner and is voted on by fans.

"It totally feels good," said Gilday on being recognized by fans and peers alike.

Gilday says she did not feel the same way as when her album Sedze won a Juno Award for Aboriginal Recording of the Year in 2007.

"Everything is really different. I'm in a much different place in my career. Back then, I felt extreme excitement, like it was opening a lot of doors," Gilday said.

"I got very emotional during my speech on Friday, I felt like it was my fans and friends saying, 'Yes, you're doing the right thing.'"

She credits her biggest success as being able to play music for a living, and doing what she loves. "Having people respond to it in a positive way, I wake up and say a prayer every day that I am so lucky."

Residents can see Gilday perform later this month at Twist as part of V-Day North's "Melodies for Mittens" fundraiser.