Luba

Luba (born Luba Kowalchyk, 1958 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada) is a Canadian singer and songwriter. Growing up, she studied voice, guitar, flute, and piano; she later travelled across Canada to perform traditional Ukrainian folk songs at weddings and social gatherings.

In 1979 she formed the band Luba with drummer Peter Marunzak, guitarist Mark Lyman, bassist Mike Zwonok, guitarist John Nestorowich, and keyboardist Doug Short. They rose to fame in the early 1980s with the release of "Every Time I See Your Picture I Cry". Their debut EP followed, and in 1984 they released their first full-length album, entitled Secrets and Sins, which spawned the Canadian hit singles "Let it Go" (mixed by Richard James Burgess) and "Storm Before the Calm". The album, produced by Daniel Lanois earned her a Juno Award in 1985 for Best Female Vocalist.

Luba's follow up-release, Between the Earth and Sky included the single "How Many (Rivers to Cross)". Shortly after its release, the band was involved in a serious accident (she was not on board the bus at the time) that nearly killed several members, leading Luba to take some time off. In 1988 she returned with Over 60 Minutes with Luba, a compilation of her best hits of the day. She followed up in 1989 with All or Nothing, which included the singles "Giving Away A Miracle", "I'll Watch Over You", and "Little Salvation". This would be her last album for a decade. In 2000, Luba released From the Bitter to the Sweet. While the album won some critical acclaim, it did not produce as much sales and radio airplay as her earlier albums.

Luba earned Juno Awards for "Female Vocalist of the Year" in 1985, 1986, and 1987. She has also received Casby's and Felix awards, and a Black Music Association Award for "Female Entertainer of the Year" (one of the very few non-black persons to receive this honour). Most recently, her music has been featured on Canadian Idol.
Obtained from WikiPedia.org - 12.08.2006