When I heard this throat singing performance by Tanya Tagaq, I was in awe. This traditional style of vocal music is found throughout the arctic, not only in North America, but Tanya’s recent award has led to increasingly more people getting the opportunity to experience it.
Winner of the 2014 Polaris Music Prize, the Canadian Inuk throat singer is originally from Nunavut, Canada’s newest territory. Inuk is the singular term for Inuit (plural) which refers to the native people in the Arctic. Most New Canadians are familiar with the term Eskimo. In most of Canada, we no longer use this old word as it means “eaters of raw meat,” whereas Inuit means “the people” and is, therefore, more respectful.
I won’t say much about this amazing artist. You have to hear and watch her to understand. Here she is in her award winning performance of “Uja” and “Umingmak.”