FASHION Magazine

By Kate MacLennan

Photography by Maja Hajduk

Three years ago, if someone told you that Edmonton’s underground hip-hop scene was harbouring the country’s next R&B sensation, you’d think they were ill informed on all counts. But Kreesha Turner, arguably Canada’s fastest-rising star, will educate you otherwise.

As debut albums go, Turner’s Passion, a title that should be interpreted as autobiographical, is incredibly polished. She began recording it after winning first place in a local radio station’s singing contest in June 2005. That landed her a four-song recording contract with music producers Mike James and Troy Samson, which resulted in her first single, “Bounce with Me.” From there, she caught the ear of Nelly Furtado’s manager, Chris Smith, and by May 2006 she’d inked a deal with EMI / Virgin.

“Bounce with Me” was released last November and has popped up on Entourage, » Gossip Girl and ads for Lipstick Jungle and Desperate Housewives. Assertive and unapologetically catchy, it peaked on Billboard’s Canadian Hot 100 at 57, but insiders are hearing no fewer than seven singles from the rest of Passion, which will be released in June. The excitement surrounding the release of the album is justified. Although several songs veer satisfyingly into the world of teen drama and dance floors, in others Turner’s silky, jazz-trained, soulful vocal stylings (on MySpace, she cites Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday and Erykah Badu as influences) suggest a woman who has been singing a lot longer than seven years.

A committed dancer since age four (she attended a junior high school for the performing arts), she didn’t pick up a microphone until she moved to Jamaica, where she went for a year to get a real-time glimpse of her mother’s heritage (her father is Canadian).

“I always loved music, but I did it through the expression of movement instead of the expression of song or word. I would see those people on American Idol, and you know, you’d look in their eyes and they honest to God believe they can sing. So when I started singing and people would tell me I could sing, I didn’t believe them. I’m like, what if I’m just one of those people? What if you’re just my family and friends being nice to me?” remembers Turner, now 22.

Pressured by friends, Turner finally found her voice in a youth church choir in Portmore, Jamaica. Her audition for the choir, a sincere rendition of “O Canada,” was a harbinger of things to come. She returned to Edmonton and spent the last two years of high school singing the national anthem at events and opening ceremonies, and also discovering that her time in Jamaica revealed more than her ability to croon.

“In Jamaica, if you’re light-skinned, then you’re rich. So I had a lot of people who disliked me from the moment I walked in the door. I went through a lot of hard lessons. I got myself in trouble, unintentionally. When I got back to Edmonton, I had a kind of new sense of being. I still like to give people the benefit of the doubt most of the time, and it doesn’t hurt me as much when things happen. At the same time…,” she trails off, remembering.

The result of such life lessons, musically speaking, emanates loud and clear in Turner’s strong, affecting voice, not to mention a roster of lyrics lamenting failed relationships. But underneath the powerhouse voice and glossy exterior are hints of an innocent if adorable young woman, who reveals herself when asked if there’s a special someone in her life.

“I try to listen to my elders and believe they know what they are talking about. Chris is like, ‘You are going to be too busy for anything.’ So you know, I like to say I listen,” she giggles. “That’s all I have to say about that.”        

Photography by Maja Hajduk; Styling by Jordan Porter; Hair by Janet Jackson for Plutino Group/Joujou Studio; Makeup by Elizabeth Layton for M.A.C., Dress by Dolce & Gabbana; Bracelet by Alexis Bittar

Cheap and chic ways to get our favourite runway looks, straight to your inbox every Monday. 

What's your favourite way to wear red? 

Our guide to the best spas, boutiques and designers in the country.