One of the thousands caught and immobilised between countries at the start of the Covid-19 Pandemic, Orit Shimoni found herself in Manitoba, unable to get to where she wanted to be. While it was frustrating, it gave her pause for thought, and her single, ‘Winnipeg’, captures the hopes, and confusion of that time, for not just the Canadian folk and acoustic blues singer-songwriter, but for much of the world who experienced it.
More than just a metaphor for waiting for an opportunity to leave one place for a better and more familiar one, ‘Winnipeg’ sees Orit Shimoni captures the frustrations, hopes, and confusion of that time in human history.
While prohibited from touring, Shimoni documented her experience, with in tight, emotional, unforgettable melody and verse, reflecting candidly on her circumstances.
Writing with disarming frankness, she tells a story with the poet’s grace and conversational ease. While she’s accompanied by fiddle, banjo, and percussion, as well as her acoustic guitar the intimacy of the track is a reflection of the very isolation in which it was written.
The music video for ‘Winnipeg’ sees Shimoni in her isolation. Sitting in a brightly lit room, stark and bare – only a potplant to keep her company – she dreams of the train she’ll take to see her loved ones once more. The lighting conveys the confusion experienced during the pandemic; not knowing what lays ahead, and the cabin fever of not being able to go anywhere.
You can watch the incredible video for ‘Winnipeg’ below, and find out more about Orit Shimoni and her music online on her official website, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
