“"The Princess of the Métis Fiddle"” - Calvin Vollrath - Grand Champion Fiddle player/ Canadian Music Legend
Darla Daniels
Contemporary Country | FOLK | roots
Darla Daniels is a Métis singer-songwriter, fiddler, composer, and championship Red River Jigger from Buffalo Lake Métis Settlement, Alberta. Blending contemporary country, folk, and roots with the traditions of Métis fiddle, Daniels has developed a sound that brings heartfelt songwriting, cultural connection, and dynamic musicianship together.
A lifelong performer, Daniels has carried Métis music and culture onto stages across Canada and the United States, while continuing to establish her own voice as a contemporary recording artist. Her songwriting explores family, identity, resilience, relationships, ancestry, and connection to the land, with fiddle remaining a defining part of her musical identity without limiting where her music can go.
Whether performing an intimate original song, stepping into a theatre production, or bringing audiences to their feet with fiddle and Red River jigging, Daniels creates performances that move between storytelling, emotion, humour, culture, and celebration. Her work reflects both the traditions that shaped her and the evolving artist she continues to become.
AWARDS & RECOGNITION
2025 — Country Music Alberta
Fans’ Choice Award — Finalist
Specialty Instrument Player of the Year — Fiddle — Provincial Top 5 Finalist
2024 — Country Music Alberta
Specialty Instrument Player of the Year — Fiddle — Provincial Top 5 Finalist
2023 — Métis Settlements General Council
Arts & Culture Award — Recipient
2011 — Alberta Aboriginal Youth Achievement Awards
Culture & Heritage — Finalist
2010 — Grant MacEwan University
Young Woman of Vision Award — Recipient
2009 — J.A. Fiddle Fest
Overall Grand Championship — Red River Jig
2008 — Canadian Native Friendship Centre
Aboriginal Youth Female Role Model Award — Recipient
NOTABLE PERFORMANCES
Edmonton Folk Music Festival
Mariposa Folk Festival
Hillside Festival
Salmon Arm ROOTSandBLUES
Stratford Festival — The Diviners — The Métis Fiddler
International Indigenous Music Summit
Back to Batoche Days
Winspear Centre
Newport Celtic Rock Festival
Mardi Gras — New Orleans
NOTABLE SHARED STAGES & FESTIVAL BILLS
Aysanabee • Dan Mangan • Snotty Nose Rez Kids • Gwenifer Raymond • Ashley MacIsaac • The Road Hammers • Gary Allan
Press photos