Biography
Charlotte Diamond stands apart from every other present-day children's entertainer in the attention she devotes to bilingual and multilingual young listeners. She performs in English, French, and Spanish, weaving the three tongues together with ease across both her studio recordings and her stage appearances. Young preschool audiences and their families regularly pack her shows, establishing her as one of the most in-demand children's artists across North America.
Born in Vancouver, British Columbia, in 1945, Diamond grew up in the same city and later studied at the University of British Columbia, concentrating in French and biology. She went on to teach languages, yet remained deeply drawn to music, particularly the work of Pete Seeger, Nana Mouskouri, and Judy Collins.
After attending the Vancouver International Children's Festival, she felt compelled to create songs of her own for children. Her first performances of original material took place in 1983; two years later she issued her debut recording, 10 Carrot Diamond, on her own Hug Bug Music imprint. The collection presented material depicting a typical preschool day across three languages, including the tracks "Four Hugs a Day" and "La Bamba." The album quickly found an audience, earning gold certification within ten years. For that initial release Diamond received the Juno Award, the Parent's Choice Award, and the American Library Association Award, confirming her place in the children's music field.
The following year she issued a second multilingual collection, Diamond in the Rough. Over the ensuing decade she produced eight additional pop and rock albums plus two videos—an impressive output for an independent children's artist. Every project continued to explore preschool themes in multiple languages. Two of those albums, Qu'il y ait toujours le soleil and Bonjour l'Hiver, appeared entirely in French, while Soy Una Pizza extended her reach to Spanish-speaking listeners. She also appeared in two national television specials produced by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.
Diamond maintains an active touring calendar. Beyond her recording honors, she has been presented with the Frannie Award by the Canadian Institute of Arts for Young Audiences in recognition of her significant contributions to the performing arts for children.
Born in Vancouver, British Columbia, in 1945, Diamond grew up in the same city and later studied at the University of British Columbia, concentrating in French and biology. She went on to teach languages, yet remained deeply drawn to music, particularly the work of Pete Seeger, Nana Mouskouri, and Judy Collins.
After attending the Vancouver International Children's Festival, she felt compelled to create songs of her own for children. Her first performances of original material took place in 1983; two years later she issued her debut recording, 10 Carrot Diamond, on her own Hug Bug Music imprint. The collection presented material depicting a typical preschool day across three languages, including the tracks "Four Hugs a Day" and "La Bamba." The album quickly found an audience, earning gold certification within ten years. For that initial release Diamond received the Juno Award, the Parent's Choice Award, and the American Library Association Award, confirming her place in the children's music field.
The following year she issued a second multilingual collection, Diamond in the Rough. Over the ensuing decade she produced eight additional pop and rock albums plus two videos—an impressive output for an independent children's artist. Every project continued to explore preschool themes in multiple languages. Two of those albums, Qu'il y ait toujours le soleil and Bonjour l'Hiver, appeared entirely in French, while Soy Una Pizza extended her reach to Spanish-speaking listeners. She also appeared in two national television specials produced by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.
Diamond maintains an active touring calendar. Beyond her recording honors, she has been presented with the Frannie Award by the Canadian Institute of Arts for Young Audiences in recognition of her significant contributions to the performing arts for children.
Albums