Maja Bannerman

Maja Bannerman is a Canadian singer, songwriter, poet, writer and performing artist whose work emerged from Toronto’s Queen Street West arts scene in the 1980s. Rather than remaining within a conventional singer-songwriter format, Bannerman developed a distinctive blend of original music, spoken word, poetry and theatrical performance. She subsequently toured across Canada, appearing both as a solo performer and in collaboration with other artists.

An early self-titled demo cassette featured three original songs—‘Black Sheep’, ‘Knock On My Door’ and ‘Call Me’—performed with guitarist Rusty McCarthy, bassist and guitarist Shane Adams, and drummer Benjamin Cleveland. Adams also produced the recording.

Now based in Ontario’s Niagara region, Bannerman continues to write, record and perform. She works regularly with her partner, guitarist and composer Rusty McCarthy, as Rusty & Maja, and created the theatrical production This Is Anne ~ Older & Wiser ~, portraying an older Anne Shirley reflecting upon her life. Her later work includes the fifteen-song album What a World, continuing her combination of personal storytelling and social observation.