Cheryl L'Hirondelle (aka Waynohtêw, Cheryl Koprek) is an Alberta-born but currently Vancouver based, halfbreed (Métis/Cree-non status/treaty, French, German, Polish) multi/interdisciplinary artist and musician.
Since the early 80s she has created, performed, collaborated and presented work in a variety of artistic disciplines: performance art, music (voice, percussion, keyboards, songwriter, arranger, producer), theatre (actor, writer), performance poetry, storytelling, installation art (site-specific, earthworks) video and new media (net.art, pirate radio, audio art).
Since the early 90s she has also worked as an arts programmer, cultural strategist/activist, arts consultant, facilitator/coordinator, administrator, assessor, workshop and sessional instructor and director/producer independently and within the national artist-run network, national independent music industry, various educational institutions, First Nations bands, tribal councils and government agencies (provincial & federal) in this land now known as Canada. Her practice is an investigation of the intersection of Cree worldview (nêhiyawin) and the inter/multidisciplinarity of creative expression inherent in other indigenous, world and youth cultures. As part of this investigation, L'Hirondelle develops performative physical endurances, infiltrations and interventions, site-specific installations, interactive net.art projects [www.ndnnrkey.net] and keeps singing, making rhythm, songs, dancing and telling stories whenever and wherever she can.
Cheryl also is part of the group M'Girl, an Aboriginal Women's Ensemble (with Renae Morriseau and Sheila Maracle) whose first album, Fusion of Two Worlds, garnered a 2006 Canadian Aboriginal Music Award (CAMA) for Best Female Traditional Roots Album of the Year Award and a Best Group Award again in 2007. She also still performs occasionally with her Saskatchewan based singing duo Nikamok (with Joseph Naytowhow) and is currently working on a solo project with Toronto based singer/songwriter and producer Gregory Hoskins.