Music of Nunavut
Encyclopedia
Early European immigration brought new styles and instruments to Nunavut, including country music
, bluegrass
, square dancing, the button accordion
and the fiddle
.
Nunavut
is a territory of Canada
, inhabited predominantly by the Inuit
and to a much smaller degree other members of the First Nations
. Inuit folk music
has long been based primarily off percussion
, used in dance music
, as well as vocals, including the famous Inuit throat singing
tradition.
Drum-led dancing has long been an important part of Inuit life in Nunavut, and was used to mark all the major occasions of life — a birth, changing of the seasons, a successful hunt or a marriage. In a traditional dance, a group of women sat in a circle and sang while men danced one at a time. If no man volunteered to dance, a woman would choose a personal song of one of the men in the audience, and he would be obliged to dance. These dances lasted throughout the night, save for a few tea breaks. By the end of the night, women and children begin participating in the drumming. This dance is rarely performed in the modern era, and is almost always done as attractions for tourists.
Traditional Inuit songs from Nunavut included satirical, obscene, humorous, romantic and jesting songs, as well as rivalry songs, in which enemies insulted each other through lyrics. Most adults had their own personal song, which could be of any type. Personal songs may be given, either to someone bearing the same name, or as an object of appreciation for some help rendered.
Inuit throat-singing is performed by two women standing face to face. They repeat different sounds in a swift rhythm in a form of contest to see who can last the longest.
Modern musicians from Nunavut generally blend traditional Inuit music with mainstream forms of popular music, especially country
or gospel
, though traditional music and other styles retain some popularity.
Well-known musicians from the territory include Lucie Idlout
, Itulu Itidlui, Simon Sigjariaq, Mary Atuat Thompson, William Tagoona, Charlie Panigoniak
, Tanya Tagaq, Tudjaat
and Peter and Susan Aningmiuq. Susan Aglukark
, a major recording star in Canada, was raised in Arviat in Nunavut.
The True North Concert, held every year, has helped increase coverage of Inuit music.
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
, bluegrass
Bluegrass music
Bluegrass music is a form of American roots music, and a sub-genre of country music. It has mixed roots in Scottish, English, Welsh and Irish traditional music...
, square dancing, the button accordion
Button accordion
A button accordion is a type of accordion on which the melody-side keyboard consists of a series of buttons rather than piano-style keys. There exists a wide variation in keyboard systems, tuning, action and construction of these instruments...
and the fiddle
Fiddle
The term fiddle may refer to any bowed string musical instrument, most often the violin. It is also a colloquial term for the instrument used by players in all genres, including classical music...
.
Nunavut
Nunavut
Nunavut is the largest and newest federal territory of Canada; it was separated officially from the Northwest Territories on April 1, 1999, via the Nunavut Act and the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement Act, though the actual boundaries had been established in 1993...
is a territory of Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, inhabited predominantly by the Inuit
Inuit
The Inuit are a group of culturally similar indigenous peoples inhabiting the Arctic regions of Canada , Denmark , Russia and the United States . Inuit means “the people” in the Inuktitut language...
and to a much smaller degree other members of the First Nations
First Nations
First Nations is a term that collectively refers to various Aboriginal peoples in Canada who are neither Inuit nor Métis. There are currently over 630 recognised First Nations governments or bands spread across Canada, roughly half of which are in the provinces of Ontario and British Columbia. The...
. Inuit folk music
Inuit music
Traditional Inuit music, the music of the Inuit, has been based around drums used in dance music as far back as can be known, and a vocal style called katajjaq has become of interest in Canada and abroad....
has long been based primarily off percussion
Percussion instrument
A percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
, used in dance music
Dance music
Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement...
, as well as vocals, including the famous Inuit throat singing
Inuit throat singing
Inuit throat singing or katajjaq, also known as the generic term overtone singing, is a form of musical performance uniquely found among the Inuit...
tradition.
Percussion
Traditional Inuit songs from Nunavut included satirical, obscene, humorous, romantic and jesting songs, as well as rivalry songs, in which enemies insulted each other through lyrics. Most adults had their own personal song, which could be of any type. Personal songs may be given, either to someone bearing the same name, or as an object of appreciation for some help rendered.
Inuit throat-singing is performed by two women standing face to face. They repeat different sounds in a swift rhythm in a form of contest to see who can last the longest.
Modern musicians from Nunavut generally blend traditional Inuit music with mainstream forms of popular music, especially country
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
or gospel
Gospel music
Gospel music is music that is written to express either personal, spiritual or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music....
, though traditional music and other styles retain some popularity.
Well-known musicians from the territory include Lucie Idlout
Lucie Idlout
Lucie Idlout is a Canadian rock singer.An Inuk from Iqaluit, Nunavut, she is the daughter of Leah Idlout d'Argencourt and granddaughter of Joseph Idlout, an Inuk hunter who was the subject of a National Film Board documentary, Between Two Worlds, in 1990 and was one of the Inuit hunters depicted...
, Itulu Itidlui, Simon Sigjariaq, Mary Atuat Thompson, William Tagoona, Charlie Panigoniak
Charlie Panigoniak
Charlie Panigoniak is an Inuit singer-songwriter and guitarist whose albums reflect on northern life....
, Tanya Tagaq, Tudjaat
Tudjaat
Tudjaat are Madeleine Allakariallak and Phoebe Atagotaaluk, two Inuit women from Nunavut, Canada who are keeping the ancient tradition of Inuit throat singing alive. Tudjaat got its start when Madelaine, who performed as part of a backup chorus with Susan Aglukark's third CD, was noticed by its...
and Peter and Susan Aningmiuq. Susan Aglukark
Susan Aglukark
Susan Aglukark, OC , is an Inuk musician whose blend of Inuit folk music traditions with country and pop songwriting has made her a major recording star in Canada. Her most successful single is "O Siem", which reached #1 on the Canadian country and adult contemporary charts in 1995...
, a major recording star in Canada, was raised in Arviat in Nunavut.
The True North Concert, held every year, has helped increase coverage of Inuit music.