Indigenous-Manitoba singer waves Winnipeg Jets flag at Grammys

Rhonda Head is pictured on Feb. 5, 2023 at the Grammy Awards waving a Winnipeg Jets flag. The Indigenous-Manitoba singer is a member of the Recording Academy, and has attended the star-studded awards ceremony twice before. (Source: Rhonda Head/Instagram)

A Manitoba singer brought a symphony of hometown pride to music’s biggest night, representing her Indigenous roots and her love of the Winnipeg Jets.

Rhonda Head is a classical singer from Opaskwayak Cree Nation, but found herself in Hollywood over the weekend for the 2023 Grammy Awards.

“(Sunday) night's show was the best I've ever seen, ever. There were so many amazing acts and musicians,” Head told CTV News Winnipeg by phone from Los Angeles, Calif.

It was Head’s third time attending the Grammys. She first went to the star-studded ceremony several years ago, after she became a member of the Recording Academy – the body of music professionals that puts on the awards.

Rhonda Head poses on the red carpet of the 2023 Grammy Awards. (Source: Rhonda Head/Instagram)

The mezzo-soprano vocalist has had a storied career as a classical and jazz singer, performing at Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center, releasing albums of standard opera and Cree hymns, and winning a slew of awards and accolades.

Head said the Grammys are a great opportunity to make connections in the ever-competitive music industry, and to represent on a global stage.

“Not only for my own province, but as an Indigenous person. It's very important for me to represent at such a high-profile event,” she said.

She brought that representation to the Grammy red carpet in 2022, when she posed for photos with an Every Child Matters flag, a phrase paying hommage to the Indigenous children who were taken from their homes to attend residential schools.

Rhonda Head poses with an Every Child Matters flag on the red carpet of the 2022 Grammys. The Opaskwayak Cree Nation-born singer is passionate about bringing Indigenous representation to the global stage. (Source: Rhonda Head/Instagram)

This year, she wanted to ‘do something fun.’ After she spotted a Jets flag during a shopping trip a few days before leaving for Los Angeles, she knew it would be the perfect accessory to her floor-length black dress, vibrant Indigenous-Canadian designed statement earrings and red pumps.

“I'm a huge Jets fan. I try and make a game every time I come to the city,” she said.

“Everyone at the Grammys were going ‘hey is that Winnipeg?’ And I said, ‘Yes, the Winnipeg Jets.’”

Head said the ceremony was full of incredible moments, but points to Sam Smith and Kim Petras’ performance and Grammy win as her high point.

She also rubbed shoulders with rock royalty at the after party.

“I got a photo op with Robert Trujillo, the bass player from Metallica,” she recalled.

“Flo Rida was there, too. Him and his band were the entertainment at the after party. It was so much fun and the energy there was great. As an artist, musician - it's so great to be in a room with other artists. You just feel that amazing energy. It’s really inspiring.”

Rhonda Head smiles for a photo with Metallica bassist Robert Trujillo. (Source: Rhonda Head/Instagram)