Bella Cat celebrates Nelson’s burlesque stars, self-identified women in new music video

Bella Cat celebrates Nelson’s burlesque stars, self-identified women in new music video

Published 10:06 am Monday, January 12, 2026

When Bella Cat needed backup, Nelson’s burlesque stars showed up with boas on.

The singer was an established performer in Ottawa where she was described as the city’s “princess of soul.” But after moving to Nelson in 2020 to be a student at Selkirk College’s music program, she soon found herself unable to tour due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I had to restart my career,” says Bella Cat. “In Ottawa I was a famous star and then I come to Nelson and I had to play in the corner of a small place to get my name back out there.”

Nelson has a thriving burlesque scene, and one of Bella Cat’s first steps back onto the stage was by invitation of local performers for a show at The Capitol Theatre. It was a gesture she never forgot.

In September, Bella Cat invited burlesque performers, drag stars and women of all ages to dance with her for the making of a music video for the song “Strong Woman,” which was paid for with a $5,000 grant from Creative BC. The funding covered the cost of filming and also supported local performers such as Shiraz Deville and the Tapatia Collective dance group.

“I felt like I wanted to give something back. Now they have new professional photos and they’re in a music video and I got to pay them to do their craft.”

Bella Cat collaborated on “Strong Woman” with help from John Tucker, a Selkirk College instructor who also produced the single, as well as Seneca Schones.

The song and video are a celebration of self-identified women, young and old, and of all body types. Bella Cat said she wanted the video to showcase and be in solidarity with Nelson’s LGBTQ2+ community.

“It’s about anybody who identifies as a woman. I see lots of my friends here struggling, so I wanted to make sure that they felt included and loved.”

Approximately 40 people took part in the filming on Sept. 21. The video was shot by local production company Empty Cup Media, and Bella Cat credited filmmaker Colin Burwell with hosting another shoot several weeks later at no extra cost.

Music videos set in Nelson are rare, and it wasn’t lost on Bella Cat how special it was when she saw the first edit for “Strong Woman.”

“Every time I watch the music video, I come to tears because I get to share that moment with like 43 incredible women.”

Bella Cat next performs with Jimi on Jan. 28 at The Royal in Nelson.