Bio
Singer. Mother. Song Writer. Wife. Artist.
Joanne Janzen knows that life is a balancing act- sometimes a walk on a high wire, sometimes a dazzling array of glitz and showmanship and nearly always three rings of melodic chaos – and she wouldn’t have it any other way.
Her latest album, Sad Circus, is a soulful examination of how music can feed all moods; it can help us soar when we’re happy and help us wallow when we’re down; some days we are the clowns and others the lion tamers but always we are the star of our own show and there is always a soundtrack that can sum up where we are at and our role for the day.
“The great thing about music is that it suits all of the times of our lives. It rolls on and there is always the music to match your mood…even if you’re in a crazy, mixed up sad circus of a day.”
With fans and influences spanning the globe, this Australian-Canadian gal pulls from her small town roots, her world travel experience and her family life to create a sublime roller-coaster album that elicits sorrow and smiles and embodies the energy of our big-top lives. Plucky rhythms and ukulele chords and honky-tonk steel guitars harken back to the small Australian sugar cane community where Jo grew up and her Dad introduced her to the love of music, belting out bar tunes with his band on the weekends. Knowing that music was in her blood and born to perform, in early adult years Joanne traveled the world with as a part of the musical Up with People. Building on her natural love for music Joanne learned that musical was truly a global experience and important the globe over. She also learned that Canadian boys were cute…or at least one boy from Saskatchewan was.
Settling in Alberta, Joanne raised her family, enjoyed her life and was blessed with two girls and continued to weave music into her life. Along side being proclaimed “world’s greatest Mom” by her kids, Joanne won Northlands “Country Vocal Spotlight” and earned a spot in the Global Rising Star program that pushed her further into the spotlight. With her family firmly behind her, she has enjoyed returning to her musical roots and her hard work has paid off. She was awarded both Female Entertainer and Female Vocalist of the year awards in 2006 at the North American Country Music International competition in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. Deciding to further her knowledge of the music industry she recently earned a Music Business certificate from Berklee College of Music in Boston.
Her powerful vocals portray her passion for music and bring to the surface the emotion in each song. This ability to deliver a musical accompaniment to all that life offers makes each song a special one and Sad Circus a wonderfully painful album, no matter your mood.
