Interview with Vi Cordoni

In this interview conducted by Sean Griffin, Vi (Violet) Cordoni describes her history of singing for her community. Vi was born in 1938 in Drumheller, Alberta to Hungarian-Canadian parents. She describes her Hungarian family's experience of immigrating and then having to move several times to allow her father to work, particularly during the difficult Depression years.

As a child, Vi sang Hungarian folk songs and poems with her brother Les at cultural events organized by the Hungarian community. Through the years she has performed in singing groups, usually at occasions planned to bolster the spirits of attendees, including singing with her brother, Les, at local halls; singing with a small troop in 1948 to celebrate the anniversary of the formation of Hungary; singing labour and folk music at labour events and conventions and touring Vancouver Island with the Vancouver Youth Singers after moving to Vancouver in 1955; working and raising her family for a number of years before joining Solidarity Notes Choir, which was funded by the Vancouver and District Labour Council; and eventually assisting in the creation of the Left Coast Labour Choir, which has allowed her to improve her ability to sing harmony with a group.

In one way or another, all of Vi's singing has been to raise the spirits of her audiences, whether within a local community or for larger labour or human rights audiences.