>> NAM: THROAT-SINGING IS A TRADITIONAL, DEEPLY-ROOTED CULTURAL FORM, BUT FOR SOME
YOUNG INUIT PERFORMERS, IT'S ALSO GETTING PEOPLE OUT ONTO THE DANCE FLOOR.
WITH US NOW TO EXPLAIN, IN IQALUIT, NUNAVUT: CHARLOTTE QAMANIQ, ONE MEMBER OF
THE ENSEMBLE, SILLA AND RISE, WHO HAVE JUST RELEASED THEIR NEWEST RECORD, "SILARJUAQ."
WELCOME.
>> Charlotte Qamaniq: THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
>> Nam: I'M REALLY EXCITED TO HAVE THIS CONVERSATION -- WELCOME TO THE SHOW.
SO THE NEW ALBUM COMES OUT ON OCTOBER 29TH, BUT YOU DO HAVE A NEW SINGLE COMING OUT TOMORROW,
OCTOBER 1ST, AND THE SINGLE.
WE JUST WANTED TO SHARE SOME OF THE MUSIC WITH THE AUDIENCE AND THEN WE'LL START CHATTING.
LET'S TAKE A LISTEN ...
>> Nam: IT'S HARD NOT TO BOUNCE TO THAT AND I SAW YOU BOUNCING.
[LAUGHTER] SO THAT'S A NEW SINGLE.
IT'S COMING OUT THIS FRIDAY, OCTOBER 1ST.
WHAT INSPIRED THIS SONG?
>> WELL, ALL OF OUR SONGS ARE VERY INSPIRATIONAL FROM OUR INUIT CULTURE.
WE HAVE BEEN RECORDING IN OTTAWA AND LIVING AWAY FROM OUR TRADITIONAL INUIT HOMELANDS.
WE FIND WAYS TO STAY CONNECTED, AND THROUGH SONG, THROUGH DANCE, IT'S VERY MUCH ALIVE IN US.
AND SO ALL OF OUR SONGS ARE VERY MUCH INSPIRED BY INUIT CULTURE, BY OUR LAND, BY THE BEAUTIFUL
PRACTICE OF KATAJJAQ, WHICH IS THROAT-SINGING, BEING IN TUNE WITH OUR BODIES, WITH THE LAND,
AND WITH THE ENVIRONMENT.
>> Nam: YOU MENTIONED THROAT-SINGING.
WHAT IS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THROAT-SINGING IN INUIT CULTURE?
>> KATAJJAQ IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT TO OUR CULTURE, ESPECIALLY IN THESE DAYS BECAUSE
WE DID GO THROUGH A TIME WHERE WE WERE VERY MUCH SHAMED BY THE CANADIAN GOVERNMENT AND BY THE
CHURCHES FOR PRACTISING PARTS OF OUR CULTURE.
AND SO TODAY IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO RECLAIM PARTS OF OUR CULTURE THAT WERE NEARLY TAKEN
AWAY FROM US.
AND IT REALLY DOES CONNECT US TO MOTHER NATURE, TO ANIMALS, TO THE LAND, IT CONNECTS US TO OUR
ANCESTORS, AND IT FEELS REALLY GOOD TO SING AND TO KEEP THIS PART OF OUR CULTURE ALIVE.
>> Nam: YOU SAID THAT IT CONNECTS YOU TO EVERYTHING AROUND YOU.
HOW DOES IT DO THAT?
>> WELL, SILLA IS OUR ENVIRONMENT, IT'S OUR NATURAL HABITAT.
SILLA CONTROLS THE WORLD AROUND US.
THE WIND, THE WATER, THE SKIES, THE ANIMALS.
AND SO AS INDIGENOUS PEOPLE, WE'RE VERY MUCH CONNECTED TO THESE LANDS, TO THE OCEAN, TO
THE ICE.
AND SO HAVING THESE CONNECTIONS REALLY HELPS TO ELEVATE US SPIRITUALLY AND JUST IN THOSE
WAYS, IT'S A BEAUTIFUL WAY TO STAY CONNECTED.
>> Nam: WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT CONNECTION, WHEN IT COMES TO THROAT-SINGING, I DON'T KNOW IF
I HAVE THIS RIGHT, BUT DID IT ORIGINATE AS A WAY TO COMPETE WITH ONE OTHER PERSON?
>> IT IS A COMPETITION BETWEEN TWO PEOPLE.
IT'S VERY UNIQUE TO INUIT IN CANADA, TRADITIONALLY DONE BY WOMEN.
WE ARE COMPETING TO SEE WHO CAN GO THE LONGEST WITHOUT LAUGHING, COUGHING, RUNNING OUT OF BREATH,
OR LOSING OUR PACE AND MESSING UP.
BUT THERE'S OTHER REASONS TO THROAT-SING.
IT HELPS US TO KEEP WARM IN THOSE COLD WINTER MONTHS IN THE ARCTIC.
IT REALLY ELEVATES OUR BODY TEMPERATURE.
WE ALSO CARRY OUR BABIES ON OUR BACKS IN WHAT IS CALLED AN AMAUTI, A LARGE POUCH, AND
OUR BABIES ARE RESTING AGAINST OUR BACKS AND THEY CAN FEEL THE VIBRATIONS AND IT RESONATES WITH
THEM WHEN THEY CAN FEEL US BREATHING AND SINGING AND, YOU KNOW, ROCKING.
IT'S VERY REMINISCENT OF LULLING A CHILD TO SLEEP.
AND IT'S ALSO INFLUENTIAL OF SPIRITS WHEN MEN WERE OUT HUNTING FOR LONG PERIODS OF
TIME, WOMEN WOULD GO OUT BY THE OCEAN OR GO OUTSIDE OF THEIR TENTS OR THEIR CAMPS AND THEY
WOULD SING IN HOPES OF INFLUENCING SPIRITS TO BRING LUCK TO THE MEN IN THE CAMP WHO
WERE OUT HUNTING.
>> Nam: WELL, YOU MENTIONED THAT SILLA -- I HOPE I GET THE TRANSLATION CORRECT -- THAT
SILLA BASICALLY MEANS "UNIVERSE."
THE ALBUM IS CALLED "SILARJUAQ," SO WHAT DOES THE SECOND PART MEAN?
>> SO SILLA IS THE -- SILLA IS THE ENVIRONMENT AROUND US.
SILLA IS THE WEATHER.
SILLAJUAQ IS UNIVERSE.
SO WHEN YOU ADD JUAQ TO SILLA, IT CREATES THE MEANING OF THE BROADER TERM OF OUR ENVIRONMENT,
EXTENDING OUT INTO THE UNIVERSE.
>> Nam: WHAT'S THE STORY BEHIND THE NAME OF THE GROUP, SILLA AND RISE?
>> SO SILLA IS THE INUIT PORTION OF THE GROUP, THE THROAT-SINGERS, AND WE, CYNTHIA
PITSIULAK AND I CREATED SILLA.
WE STARTED SINGING TOGETHER ABOUT 17 YEARS AGO, AND LAST YEAR, CHARLOTTE CARLETON JOINED
THE BAND.
SO THE THREE OF US ARE SILLA.
AND RISE ASHEN IS OUR PRODUCER.
HE CREATES THE MUSIC BEHIND THE THROAT-SINGING.
SO TOGETHER WE'RE SILLA AND RISE.
>> Nam: AND YOUR MUSIC IS SO INNOVATIVE IN THE SENSE THAT YOU'RE COMBINING TWO DIFFERENT
CULTURES.
YOU ALSO COMBINE IT WITH DANCE MUSIC.
WHERE DID THAT IDEA COME FROM?
>> WELL, RISE ASHEN APPROACHED CYNTHIA.
THEY HAD WORKED TOGETHER.
THIS WAS ABOUT FIVE OR SIX YEARS AGO.
HE APPROACHED CYNTHIA AND ASKED IF SHE WOULD LIKE TO COLLABORATE ON A PROJECT HE WAS WORKING ON
DOING -- COMING UP WITH A SET FOR A CIRCUMPOLAR ARCTIC DANCE PARTY, AND HE WANTED LIVE MUSIC
ALONG WITH IT.
SO WHEN HE APPROACHED CYNTHIA, SHE ASKED ME IF I WAS INTERESTED IN SINGING WITH HER, AND SO WE
JUST -- IT -- IT JUST REALLY MESHES TOGETHER VERY WELL, AND THE WAY RISE PRODUCES THE MUSIC
AND HIS ABILITY TO PERFORM LIVE WITH US JUST MAKES THIS VERY BEAUTIFUL VIBE, VERY ENERGETIC
VIBE WHERE WE CAN DANCE AND WE CAN COLLABORATE TOGETHER IN A VERY FUN AND LIGHT-HEARTED WAY.
>> Nam: YOU KNOW, BECAUSE THROUGHOUT THIS PANDEMIC, MUSIC, PERFORMING LIVE MUSIC, IS
SOMETHING THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE BEEN MISSING OUT FROM.
AND AS A PERFORMER, WHAT HAS THAT BEEN LIKE FOR YOU NOT TO BE ABLE TO CONNECT WITH AUDIENCES
IN THAT WAY?
>> WE'VE BEEN FORTUNATE TO HAVE LIVE CONCERTS AND BEEN HIRED TO PROVIDE PRERECORDED SHOWS FOR
DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS AND COMPANIES.
SO WE'RE VERY GRATEFUL FOR THAT AS WE WERE ABLE TO CONTINUE WORKING.
BUT, YOU'RE RIGHT.
NOT HAVING AN AUDIENCE IS VERY DIFFERENT.
TRYING TO PUMP UP, YOU KNOW, THE VIBE IN A VIDEO WITHOUT HAVING ANYBODY TO LOOK AT IT AND
LOOKING AT A LENS IS NOT THE SAME.
BUT WE MANAGED TO CREATE AN ALBUM WITH THE TIME THAT WE HAD DURING THE PANDEMIC, SO WE HAD
SOME UPS AND SOME DOWNS, BUT WE MADE IT THROUGH.
>> Nam: HOW DID YOU -- WHAT WERE SOME OF THE UPS AND DOWNS?
>> WELL, JUST NOT BEING ABLE TO PERFORM LIVE IN FRONT OF AUDIENCES AND THEN JUST TO HAVE
THE EXTRA TIME TO BE MORE INTROSPECTIVE, TO BE ABLE TO GO INSIDE AND NOT BE SO DISTRACTED
WITH A VERY BUSY WORLD THAT'S OUTSIDE.
WE WERE ABLE TO DO A LOT OF GREAT CREATING.
>> Nam: SO MUCH HAS HAPPENED IN THE PAST YEAR OR SO.
WE TALKED ABOUT THE PANDEMIC.
AND THIS PAST SUMMER WAS FOR A LOT OF THE COUNTRY THE NEWS OF THE CHILDREN IN THE UNMARKED
GRAVES AT THE RESIDENTIAL SCHOOLS WAS VERY JARRING, BUT THIS WAS SOMETHING WITHIN THE
COMMUNITIES THAT YOU ALL KNEW.
AND I DON'T WANT TO PUT YOU ON THE SPOT BECAUSE I KNOW THAT TODAY IS ALREADY A VERY
EMOTIONALLY TAXING DAY.
DID THE EVENTS OF THE PAST FEW MONTHS, THE PANDEMIC, WHAT HAPPENED THIS PAST SUMMER, DID
THEY INFLUENCE THE CREATIVE PROCESS OF YOUR NEW ALBUM IN ANY WAY?
>> YEAH.
FIRST, I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THAT UP AND TO BRINGING LIGHT TO THAT WITH YOUR
PLATFORM AND I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR BEING GENTLE WITH ME WHEN WE'RE SPEAKING ABOUT THIS
BECAUSE IT IS EXTREMELY HARD.
TODAY IS THE FIRST NATIONAL TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION DAY IN CANADA.
CANADA IS APPARENTLY 150-SOMETHING YEARS OLD.
BUT WE'VE BEEN HERE FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS AND, YEAH, THIS PAST YEAR HAS BEEN VERY
EYE-OPENING FOR MUCH OF CANADA AND THE WORLD.
WE REALLY ALLOWED OURSELVES TO BE MORE VULNERABLE WITH THE CREATION OF THIS ALBUM.
OUR ALBUM STARTS OFF WITH A SONG DEDICATED TO THE CHILDREN WHO HAVE SUFFERED IN RESIDENTIAL
SCHOOLS AND WE'VE REALLY ALLOWED OURSELVES TO JUST BE MORE VULNERABLE, EMOTIONAL, AND JUST
REALLY BEING MORE PERSONAL WITH OUR MUSIC.
>> Nam: EVEN BEFORE THE -- WE STARTED THE TAPING, I ASKED YOU HOW TO PRONOUNCE SOME OF THE
THINGS, SOME OF THE PLACES, AND I FELT -- YOU KNOW, I CAME HERE AS A REFUGEE, AND I'VE
BENEFITTED SO MUCH FROM, YOU KNOW, FROM TURTLE ISLAND AND I FEEL LIKE THERE'S SO MUCH THAT
WE ALL INDIVIDUALLY NEED TO DO, FROM ME, IS LEARNING THE LANGUAGES.
BUT, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT RECONCILIATION, WE TALK ABOUT TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION,
WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE FOR YOU?
>> THERE'S A LOT THAT PEOPLE CAN DO TO HELP CANADA AND INDIGENOUS PEOPLE RECONCILE FROM THE PAST.
I FEEL LIKE THAT TERM IS THROWN AROUND A LOT WITHOUT DEEP MEANING RESONATING WITH
INDIVIDUAL PEOPLE.
MY ADVICE IF SOMEBODY IS WONDERING HOW THEY CAN DO THEIR PART IS YOU CAN LEARN ABOUT
CANADA PRE-CONTACT, LEARN ABOUT INDIGENOUS PEOPLE, OUR CULTURE, OUR LANGUAGES.
I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU TRYING TO PRONOUNCE THE NAME OF OUR, YOU KNOW, ALBUM, THE NAMES OF
OUR SONGS, BECAUSE THIS IS ONE OF THE REASONS WHY WE'RE USING INUKTITUT, SO THAT PEOPLE CAN
TRY AND BE FORCED TO PRONOUNCE THE NAMES OF OUR SONGS AND THE NAME OF OUR ALBUM AND
UNDERSTANDING THE BEAUTY OF THIS LAND AND THE INDIGENOUS PEOPLE THAT HAVE OCCUPIED THIS LAND FOR
THOUSANDS OF YEARS AND APPRECIATE THE STEWARDS OF THIS LAND, AND THEN ALSO UNDERSTAND
THAT IT'S YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO EDUCATE YOURSELVES ON THE HISTORY OF CANADA.
SO MANY TIMES THAT RESPONSIBILITY LIES ON US TO SPEAK ABOUT OUR PAST, TO SPEAK
ABOUT THE HISTORY OF CANADA, AND IT'S VERY -- IT CAN BE VERY EXHAUSTING.
IT'S NOT ONLY UP TO US.
THERE'S THE OTHER SIDE OF CANADA.
THERE ARE THE CANADIANS AND THE SETTLERS.
AND IT'S YOUR JOB TO LEARN ABOUT THE FORCED RELOCATION OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLE, ABOUT THE
SUICIDE EPIDEMICS THAT ARE HAPPENING, ABOUT THE DOG SLAUGHTERS, THE FACT THAT WE
DON'T HAVE CLEAN DRINKING WATER IN OUR COMMUNITIES, THAT WE ARE LIVING WITH FOOD INSECURITY --
THERE'S SO MANY ISSUES THAT INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES ARE FACED WITH TODAY, AND WE NEED OUR
ALLIES BECAUSE THE UNFORTUNATE FACT IS THAT WHITE PEOPLE ARE LISTENED TO AND TAKEN SERIOUSLY
COMPARED TO PEOPLE OF COLOUR TRYING TO SPEAK.
AND SO WE NEED OUR ALLIES.
WE NEED PEOPLE TO SPEAK UP.
WE NEED PEOPLE TO LISTEN TO US AND BELIEVE OUR STORIES.
>> Nam: LISTENING TO THE ALBUM, SOME OF THE SONGS THAT I'VE HEARD THAT YOU'VE CREATED
IN THE PAST, THERE'S SO MUCH BEAUTY IN THEM, THERE'S SO MUCH JOY.
AND I KNOW DURING THESE PAST FEW YEARS, SO MUCH HAS BEEN EXPECTED FROM THE VARIOUS INDIGENOUS
COMMUNITIES WHERE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PAIN AND SORROW.
BUT THERE'S A LOT OF JOY AND BEAUTY.
FOR YOU AS A MUSICIAN, WHAT KIND OF ROLE DO YOU THINK ART CAN PLAY IN THAT?
>> Charlotte Qamaniq: WELL, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT ONE SONG THAT IN INUKTITUT TRANSLATES TO
"FOR THE CHILDREN."
AND WE WANT TO GIVE SPACE TO THOSE CHILDREN WHOSE LIVES WERE TAKEN AWAY AND NOT GIVE SPACE TO
THOSE SERIAL ABUSERS WHO TOOK THOSE LIVES AND WHO ABUSED THOSE CHILDREN AND PUT THOSE CHILDREN
BACK INTO MOTHER EARTH.
WE WANT TO GIVE SPACE TO CELEBRATE THOSE CHILDREN, TO ACKNOWLEDGE THOSE CHILDREN, AND
TO HELP LIFT UP THEIR SPIRITS WHEREVER THEY MAY BE.
AND SO ART CAN BE A VERY BEAUTIFUL WAY TO HEAL OUR COMMUNITIES AND OURSELVES AND TO
JUST GIVE SPACE TO THE -- WHAT DESERVES TO BE GIVEN SPACE AND NOT THE MONSTERS THAT CREATED
ALL OF THIS TRAUMA.
>> Nam: CHARLOTTE, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.
THE NEW SINGLE IS OUT, IS COMING OUT ON OCTOBER 1ST.
AND "SILARJUAQ" COMES OUT ON OCTOBER 29TH.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.
>> QUJANNAMIING.