Music City: Nuela Charles climbs with 'Crumbling Down'

Music City, a new CBC series will be putting the spotlight on some ofEdmonton's best up and coming acts chronicling their burgeoning careers and their connections to Alberta's capital city.

For Nuela Charles, there's no place like home.

The Edmonton-based soul/R&B/pop singer and songwriter is among a handful of Alberta acts headed to Toronto this weekend for Canadian Music Week. The annual music industry conference and showcase is an opportunity for artists like Charles to reach out to a wider audience and to establish business connections.

'All roads lead to Edmonton'

A staunch do-it-yourself artist, Charles has developed a solid career locally and abroad through talent and hard work. Music from her three albums has been used in a dozen television programs and films in Canada and the U.S.

The release of her latest single Crumbling Downfound her quickly climbing the CBC Radio 2 Top 20 chart. And periodic trips to Europe have helped establish her name on that side of the pond. All of these milestones she achieved virtually on her own.

'I wouldn't want to leave'

8 years ago

Duration 1:22

For Nuela Charles, Edmonton-based soul/R&B/pop singer and songwriter, there's no place like home

Charles was born in Kenya. Her family spent several years in Switzerland and then in a number of western Canadian locales before settling in Edmonton. Charles is quick to praise her adopted home, citing strong support from the local music community.

• First Play:NuelaCharles, The Grand Hustle

"The support that I've gotten over the years, for me to go to another city and essentially start over, it just doesn't make a lot of sense and Iwouldn't want to leave," she said.

"Why ruin a good thing?"

Charles has recently enlisted a publicist. She hopes industry events like Canadian Music Week will help secure a booking agent.

The plan is to lessen the workload of songwriting, recording, production, marketing and the need for the occasional temporary job. Her goal is to get to where her whole career is in music.

"I just want to be able to create a life where music will sustain me 100 per cent."

Despite the need to go to Toronto, L.A. and Europe, for Charles all roads, music and business, lead to Edmonton.

Edmonton acts The Velveteins, Nature Of and Faith Healer are also showcasing at CMW 2017.