Mimi O’Bonsawin

Award-winning alt-folk singer-songwriter Mimi O’Bonsawin (MEE-MEE O-BON-SA-WIN) delivers a high-energy, rhythm-driven live experience that effortlessly bridges contemporary roots, rich storytelling, and playful groove. A French-Canadian and W8banaki (Abénaki) artist from the Odanak First Nation, her music is deeply tied to the land—leading audiences into a woodland world where music and nature are inseparable.

Performing as a duo alongside her husband, drummer, and co-producer Ryan Schurman, O’Bonsawin crafts an intimate yet surprisingly expansive live sound that feels like a full band. Dressed in her custom, upcycled stage attire, her infectious stage energy and rhythmic ukulele and guitar work create an uplifting atmosphere that gets crowds singing, dancing, and connecting. Mimi’s show is also available as a trio ensemble (featuring lead guitar).

Named Solo Artist of the Year at the 2025 Trille Or Awards and holding four Northern Ontario Music & Film Award (NOMFA) nominations, O’Bonsawin enters a bold new era with her album EVOKE (out August 28). Anchored by her #1 Indigenous Music Countdown single “Steady,” the new show features vibrant collaborations, songs in her ancestral Abenaki language (“P8GWAS”), and bilingual storytelling.

A seasoned performer on major stages across Canada and Australia—including Mariposa, Hillside, Vancouver Folk, Woodford, and Francos de Montréal—she has shared stages with Aysanabee, Elisapie, Beverly Glenn-Copeland, and Basia Bulat. Grounded in the belief that “music, like a garden, is meant to be shared,” Mimi brings pure “good medicine” to every mainstage and hall she plays.