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Why Merna's music draws strength from solitude

Toronto singer-songwriter Merna has worked with many high-profile collaborators but for her latest album, Sans, she decided to do everything alone.
Toronto singer Merna has worked with The Weeknd producer Doc McKinney, DJ Jazzy Jeff and Ali Shaheed Muhammad of A Tribe Called Quest. Her latest release is entitled Sans. (Cathy Irving/CBC )

Merna is a Toronto singer and songwriter who has collaborated with a number of high-profile artists, including DJ Jazzy Jeff, Ali Shaheed Muhammad from A Tribe Called Quest, and Doc McKinney, a Toronto producer who has worked extensively with The Weeknd.

However Merna's new album, Sans, was her chance to create a project produced completely by her, on her own terms, featuring stripped-down and minimalist arrangements.

Merna performs songs from the album and talks with Tom Power about how she balances her life and career.

— Produced by Ty Callender