A vacant seat on the SOCAN Board of Directors was recently filled by independent Québécoise singer-songwriter and producer Vilma Avila, according to the 2018 board election results, as required by SOCAN’s bylaws. The seat was vacated by the amicable departure of Martine Groulx from the board.
In 2014, Vilma set up her own independent, all-female production company PrimaStar Productions. She’s inspired by traditional Latin music and North American pop, and her video for “A Bailar,” has been viewed more than a million times on YouTube. After taking stages in Québec by storm, she conquered crowds on tour for several months in Panama and Costa Rica, including more than 100 interviews and television appearances.
Her mission is to touch as many hearts as possible through music, and to encourage other women in the show-business industry. A songwriter since early childhood, she’s accumulated more than 300 lyrical pieces. Armed with exuberant creativity, Vilma – who originally studied law – switched lanes to launch her professional career as a singer more than six years ago, after training in singing, composition, and the entertainment industry at the music school Prochant in Montréal.
After a short absence devoted fully to her new role as a mother, she’s now returned to the spotlight, more sensitive and poised than ever. Her Tierras Lejanas Tour of 2019-2020 will take her to Canada, Panama, Mexico, and the U.S., and in 2020, Avila will launch her debut album. Vilma has also established the Alegria Foundation, an organization helping underprivileged children in Panama, where she was born.