Danny Michel
Quick Facts
Biography
Danny Michel is a Canadian songwriter and producer.
Highlights
Between 2006 & 2015 Michel performed over 70 times as the musical guest on Stuart McLean's The Vinyl Cafe.
In 2008"Feather, Fur & Fin" landed on the Playlist for the Planet released by the David Suzuki Foundation. and Danny performed on Suzuki's Blue Dot tour as well as David's 75th Birthday party in 2011
In 2019 Danny performed for Dr. Jane Goodall at her 85th birthday party in Toronto.
Belize & The Garifuna Collective
In 2011 Michel relocated to Central America Belize to record with The Garifuna Collective, an Afro-Amerindian cultural group, on the album Black Birds Are Dancing Over Me. The album landed a Juno Award nomination in the world music category and a sold-out summer tour of North America with The Garifuna Collective as his band. In June 2013, the album was long-listed for the 2013 Polaris Music Prize and released in Canada on Six Shooter Records and worldwide on Cumbancha Records.
The Ocean Academy School Fund
While in Belize, Michel created "The Danny Michel Ocean Academy Fund", helping raise scholarships for the Caye Caulker Community School, a small non-profit community high school in Belize. To date, his fund has raised $103,945.16 USD for the school and volunteers there when he can.
The Arctic / Khlebnikov Project
In 2017 he released Khlebnikov, a classical-based album written and recorded with film composer Robert Carli aboard the Russian ice-breaker, Kapitan Khlebnikov, during an 18-day Arctic expedition through the Northwest Passage with Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield and a collection of artists from around the world. He won two Canadian Folk Music Awards for Khlebnikov at the 13th Canadian Folk Music Awards, for Producer of the Year (with Carli) and the Pushing the Boundaries award.
Dan's Space Van
Dan’s Space Van is a mobile web series created and hosted by Michel. The show takes place in an original customized 1978 GMC Vadura (airbrushed in 1980 in a Star Trek theme). The show features interesting people and musical guests who perform in the van. Past guests include Bahamas, Joel Plaskett, Sarah Harmer, Alan Doyle, Blue Rodeo, Barenaked Ladies, Fred Penner, Chris Hadfield, The Milk Carton Kids, Hawksley Workman, Steve Poltz, Kevin Briet, Irish Mythen, Alysha Brilla, Del Barber, Leeroy Stagger, Emm Gryner, Lindy Vopnfjord, Matt Mayes, 54-40, Dustin Bentall, Kendel Carson, Shane Koyczan, Barney Bental, Mark Lalama, Rose Cousins and more
Awards
1996 Won - Kitchener Waterloo Arts Awards
2003 Nominated - "New Artist of the Year" The Juno Awards
2007 Nominated -"Music dvd of The Year" The Juno Awards
2013 Nominated - "World Music Album Of The Year" The Juno Awards
2013 Nominated - Polaris Music Prize
2017 Won - "Producer of the Year" - Canadian Folk Music Awards
2017 Won - The Oliver Schroer "Pushing The Boundaries" Award - Canadian Folk Music Awards
Discography
Official Albums
- 1999 Fibsville - Independent
- 2001 In the Belly of a Whale - Independent
- 2003 Tales from the Invisible Man - Maple Music/Universal
- 2006 Valhalla - Maple Music/Universal
- 2008 Feather, Fur & Fin - Independent
- 2010 Sunset Sea - Independent
- 2012 Black Birds Are Dancing Over Me - Six Shooter Records/Stone Tree Records
- 2016 Matadora - Six Shooter Records
- 2017 Khlebnikov - Independent
- 2018 White & Gold - Independent
Others
- Loving the Alien, The Songs Of David Bowie (2004) Maple Music/Universal
- DM & the Black Tornados Live DVD (2007) Independent
- Live in Winnipeg (2010) Independent