When You Were King

Born in a tent, raised in a two room cabin, classically trained in opera, turned independent songwriter and singer; Diyet's life is something that could only happen in the North. This sub-arctic Canadian-Yukoner is a mix of everything you'd think didn't go well together, but do and surprisingly well. Diyet discovered her voice on the school bus when the shy ten year old started singing for her friends as a joke, except nobody laughed; they were stunned. From humble beginnings Diyet went on to acquire a degree in music, she has songs published in Japan, Canada and Europe and in 2010 brought out her first album, The Breaking Point, which was debuted in Vancouver during the 2010 Winter Olympics on stages throughout the Games. The album went on to receive nominations for Best New Artist and Songwriter of the Year at the Aboriginal People's Choice Music Awards in 2010 and 2011, Album of the Year at the Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards and remained on the Canadian Aboriginal Music Countdown for 24 weeks. Sometimes you have to go back to the beginning to get to where you are going and that beginning for Diyet was in her hometown - actually the village where her family has been living for generations. Diyet moved back to Burwash Landing after living in Europe and Vancouver with the intention of focusing on her songwriting. Her music is highly influenced by what she sees and experiences in her rural, small town environment. Her lyrics paint a vivid picture of her surroundings and the happy and heartbreaking things that happen in her world. While she takes on some hard topics, Diyet maintains a humorous and cheeky demeanor that keeps her music from being too serious. In concert, Diyet engages audiences in an intimate and uplifting experience as she invites them into a soundscape of rhythm, melody and storytelling that is witty, thoughtful and moving with a resonant voice that conveys emotion, passion, and hope. Diyet's adventurous and sometimes chaotic life is on full display in her music and she often says, yesterday fishing for our dinner on the ice, the next day on the stage singing for you - how awesome is that?