Alberta-based BirdBelly will perform Saturday in the Hat

By ANNA SMITH Local Journalism Initiative on February 3, 2026.

asmith@medicinehatnews.com

Visiting the Gas City for the first time, Métis artist BirdBelly will play Note: Comfort Food + Drink this Saturday.

Currently on tour to support her debut album under this name, Alberta-based singer and songwriter Cynthia Hamar has been working as a musician for many years before beginning a fresh project as BirdBelly.

“I’ve been doing music for quite a long time under my own name. I’ve released a few albums under that name,” said Hamar, who is from the Edmonton area originally.

She adds that the new project is a way for her to step more fully into the persona of a performing artist and “wear a different hat,” something she finds more valuable as she gets older. The shift has also opened up new avenues of creativity for her, which she feels has been inspiring, if slightly nerve-wracking, to be starting fresh after so long.

The name itself comes from a childhood nickname, something she has carried with her fondly since she was young. Between that and an appreciation for the grace and artistry of birds themselves, it was a natural fit, says Hamar.

“I’d already registered the name for my personal studio at home, so I was doing some teaching under it. I just decided to kind of make it my whole thing,” said Hamar. “It was a little daunting at first, I won’t lie. I had to begin all new platforms; when you’re looking at the numbers and they’re like at zero when you go to release something, you’re really hoping it’s going to work. But I have a great team around me.”

Hamar’s music blends Americana Folk with something she refers to as “maybe a little bluesy, maybe a little jazz,” with raw emotion and a cinematic quality that makes its home right here on the Canadian Prairies.

Hatters will be able to hear her work for themselves this Saturday at Note: Comfort Food + Drink, starting at 7 p.m. Hamar promises for this to be an intimate experience, full of stories and original music. She describes the atmosphere she aims for as “hanging out in someone’s art studio and connecting with someone new.”

Thus far, the tour has treated Hamar well, with a wide variety of different cities and venues throughout Alberta and B.C. to let this new part of her career take flight.

Tickets are still available for the evening via EventBrite.

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