I was so saddened to hear about Kelly's passing. I had known her for over 2 years. That may not seem like a long time but she became a good friend and I truly felt that I had known her for much longer. I first heard her music while searching for Nunavut talent for OpenBroadcaster. She had such a great voice and awesome stage presence. I finally got to meet her in person when she came to perform in Toronto for Indie Week. Kelly didn't know many people here at the time and I ended up as her one man road crew, helping her with concerts, keeping an eye on her merchandise and other items, filming her and driving her around Toronto in my car. Those of you who know this city also know how bad the traffic here can be so we spent quite a bit of time in the car and I got to know her very well. Because of my work with OpenBroadcaster, I got her music played on many radio stations. I also ended up helping Kelly with her Facebook page and website. I learned so much about the Indigenous music scene from her and she also introduced me to many great people. I was privileged to get to know her not just as a performer but also as a friend who she often confided in. There were 2 very different sides to Kelly, one public and the other private and I got to know both. I was with her when she laughed and also when she cried. I met her many times when she came here and saw many of her concerts. We had many lunches and dinners together. Kelly was so passionate about her language and culture, something that brought us together because of my own work with the preservation and promotion of my first language, Estonian. Kelly was a true warrior who was never afraid to express her opinions, regardless of what others would think. I truly loved her honesty. She also had such a big heart and was always thinking of others. I will miss her warm hugs, her bright smile and her awesome concerts. Rest in peace my dear friend.

The Juno-nominated performer balanced her own aspirations with the goal to inspire other Indigenous youth. A look at her career:

https://www.theglobeandmail.co...

https://nunavutnews.com/nunavu...

GoFundMe raised in one day 17x more for the funeral than her Kickstarter for her album.

Ma kirjutan tema kohta ka eesti keeles kuna nagu mina, ta oli ka nii huvitatud kanada vähemuste keeltest ja kuidas neid hoida siin elus ja see kindlasti teeks tema vaimule suurt rõõmu. Kelly oli eesti rahva sõber kes tundis suurt huvi minu raadiosaatest, Eesti Pop. Tal maitses Kalevi shokolaad ja kui ma õpetasin talle mõne eesti keelse sõna siis ta alati hääldas seda perfektselt. Kui ma tema hääldamist kiitsin ta ütles "It's because I speak Inuktitut". Ta oli väga huvitatud esinemisest Eestis ja ma võtsin ühendust sealsete muusikafestivalidega ja klubidega. Plaan oli teha seal mõne kontserdi järgmisel aastal.Kahjuks nende plaanidest ei tule enam midagi. Mis eelmine kommenteeria postitas on tõsi ja ka kurb. GoFundMe sai palju rohkem matuse kui albumi raha. Kanadas on paljud tublid artistid ja rahvas võiks neid rohkem hinnata kui nad on ikka elus. Puhka rahus kallis Kelly.