Jun 3, 2022
In Lena McKenzie’s words, she “inherited a fabric of beliefs, woven by generations of women…a fabric that tells stories of not just one family line, but a constellation of them.” Her memories of the bond forged between her mother from the Philippines and her paternal Grandmother, from Minneapolis, speak to a powerful wisdom co-created by a shared desire to embrace all there was to learn. A proud Filipina Canadian, Lena’s roots are in classical music, having studied voice in Manila before embarking on a professional career that has included TV, film, musical theatre and concert halls as soloist and member of Asia’s premiere classical crossover trio, the Opera Belles. In 2020, after spending a decade performing around the world, Lena found home on Salt Spring Island off the coast of Vancouver Island. Here she has found herself with the time and reflective space to return to her love of song writing and recently, released her first EP, Finding North, an ethereal reflection of her complex cultural background. She speaks of finding peace with the idea of ‘home’ even when home exists in many places, and how she finds beauty as an artist in embracing the idea of the amateur and the excitement of beginning again.