Montreal-born Grenadian Canadian Kaia Kater grew up between two worlds: her family’s deep ties to folk music and the years she spent soaking up Appalachian music in West Virginia. Her banjo-picking skills, deft arrangements, and songwriting abilities have landed her in the spotlight in North America and the UK, garnering critical acclaim from NPR’s Tiny Desk, The Guardian, Rolling Stone and No Depression.

Kater’s latest album Strange Medicine expands her creative scope. Guest artists including Taj Mahal, Allison Russell and Aoife O’Donovan help Kater realize unexpected musical ideas drawn from genres as diverse as minimalist composition, jazz drumming, and film scores.

Kaia started early, crafting her first EP, Old Soul, in 2013, when she was just out of high school. Since then, she’s released several albums including 2018’s Caribbean-inspired Grenades, which was released by Smithsonian Folkways and nominated for a Juno and Polaris Music Prize.

At the York Theatre, Kaia performs with her trio.