Singing sisters vocal for women

By Lookout on Mar 08, 2021 with Comments 0

Canadian country musicians Julie Kennedy and Carli Kennedy have teamed up with singer-songwriter Mallory Johnson to create a new song and music video entitled Wise Woman in celebration of International Women’s Day. The video includes an appearance by CPO1 Line Laurendeau.

Peter Mallett
Staff Writer
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Female trailblazers from B.C., Newfoundland, and Tennessee are making an appearance in a new country music video by Twin Kennedy and singer and songwriter Mallory Johnson. Among them is CFB Esquimalt’s CPO1 Line Laurendeau.

The Royal Canadian Navy non-commissioned officer has a brief but relevant appearance in the soon-to-be-released music video Wise Woman, which celebrates International Women’s Day.

“It was a great honour for me to participate in this video and represent the Royal Canadian Navy, and to be quite honest I was flattered by the invitation,” says CPO1 Laurendeau. “There are so many female trailblazers in our Formation, and I am just one of many.”

Twin Kennedy are two sisters, Carli and Julie Kennedy, born and raised in Powell River, B.C. They grew up perfecting their harmonies, with Carli on guitar and Julie on fiddle. They both earned bachelor degrees in music performance from the University of Victoria. They are now based in Nashville, TN.

“Given that the video focuses on powerful women and their roles, she was a perfect fit, and we are so excited that Line agreed to be part of the video,” says Carli. “We have the utmost respect for military people, so to have a female member in a leadership role at CFB Esquimalt is something to be celebrated.”

Among the 50 women appearing in the video are locals LCdr (Retired) Frances Dearman, who served 23 years for naval reserve unit HMCS Malahat; Samantha Kryzwonos from the Esquimalt Military Resource Centre Board of Directors; Beth Dick, a drummer for the Lək̓ʷəŋən Traditional Dancers; Tiko Yoneda, a psychology instructor at the University of Victoria, and Daksha Narsing, owner and founder of Daksha’s Gourmet Spices.

“The video speaks of female empowerment and our dream of reaching equality in not only the music industry, but other previously male-dominated industries including the military,” says Mallory Johnson, originally from Newfoundland who has also moved to Nashville.

In CPO1 Laurendeau’s clip, she is filmed overlooking Dockyard and Esquimalt Harbour from a bluff in Naden wearing her full (1A) dress uniform. She says the video is proof that women can achieve anything if they put their mind to it.

“It’s flattering to be involved and become a role model for the younger generation. I hope I can be part of this effort by Twin Kennedy to help inspire other women to achieve the same success or greater and imagine themselves in careers they may never had considered before.”