Acclaimed Indigenous singer, songwriter, and interdisciplinary artist Cheryl L’Hirondelle announces the release of her powerful new project, ‘Why the Caged Bird Sings,’ out now via Miyoh Music. The collection is a deeply human, participatory collaboration that brings together the voices of incarcerated women, men, and detained youth from across the land now known as Canada.
A recipient of the 2021 Governor General’s Award in Visual and Media Arts and an honorary doctorate from Queen’s University in 2025, Edmonton-based L’Hirondelle continues her life’s work at the intersection of art, healing, and community. Rooted in her Cree/Halfbreed and Métis heritage, her music merges Indigenous and contemporary sounds into an artform of profound empathy and self-determination.
“Why the Caged Bird Sings” originated as a five-day songwriting and recording workshop engaging small groups of incarcerated individuals and their educators. Each song emerged through a collaborative process where participants contributed lines and melodies shaped by consensus, ensuring every voice was equally heard. The resulting works affirm freedom as both creative expression and self-ownership.
Listen on Spotify here: https://open.spotify.com/album/6boIU8A1orapfRuFK6sEaV?si=D07dqgGFR7Gp2NjBy2Ym6w&nd=1&dlsi=588806980a89421a
The first single, “Here I Am (Bless My Mouth),” co-composed with Gregory Hoskins and featuring the voices of twelve Indigenous female artists, is an anthem of resilience and reclamation. The song was originally written at the Okimaw Ohci Healing Lodge at Nekaneet First Nation and later recorded in studios across Canada, reflecting both the project’s breadth and its unifying vision.
Following in December, the second single, “Can’t Break Us,” co-produced by Mark Schmidt and Cheryl L’Hirondelle, was created with youth at the Paul Dojack Youth Detention Centre in Regina. With lyrics by young writers using aliases to protect their privacy, the song radiates hope and empowerment—asserting that voice and creativity remain unbreakable, even within confinement.
L’Hirondelle describes the collection as ‘freedom songs’—not in the traditional civil rights sense, but through the Cree understanding of tipēyimisowin, meaning self-determination and self-expression. Each song serves as a lyrical declaration of sovereignty, resilience, and the power of collective storytelling.
Among the project’s remarkable works are “The Beauty Within,” “Come My Sisters, Come,” and “Live the Life That Is Meant for Me,” each recorded live within correctional institutions in Saskatchewan. These songs blend hand drums, harmonies, and Indigenous chant traditions with contemporary arrangements by long-time collaborators Gregory Hoskins, Mark Schmidt, Glenn Ens, and David Travers-Smith.
The album’s accompanying videos expand its vision. Three performance films—”Here I Am, ” “The Journey Home, ” and “Live the Life That Is Meant for Me”—were filmed in Saskatoon, while experimental immersive videos for “Can’t Break Us, ” “The Beauty Within, ” and “To All Our Nations” tour as part of a multi-sensory exhibition amplifying the voices of participants through technology and art.
‘Why the Caged Bird Sings’ stands as a testament to the restorative power of music. Through this project, Cheryl L’Hirondelle transforms creative collaboration into a space of healing and reclamation, extending the reach of song beyond walls and borders.
https://cheryllhirondelle.com/music