INUVIK - Sway side to side, let the music wash over you and if you feel so inclined, wave those hands in the air. Canada's first professional choral group dedicated to Afrocentric music will be filling the arcs of the Igloo Church next Wednesday, Feb. 9.

Canadian Afrocentric choral group The Nathaniel Dett Chorale will perform Wednesday, Feb. 9, at the Igloo Church. - photo courtesy of Nathaniel Dett Chorale

"In the history of the Northern Arts and Cultural Centre, this is one of the few times that we've actually brought up a large choral group," said Ben Nind, executive director of the Northern Arts and Cultural Centre (NACC), who is helping organize the tour, "so we felt that it was time."

The Nathaniel Dett Chorale, a 21-person group, performs Afrocentric music of all styles, including classical, spiritual, gospel, jazz, folk and blues, as well as a variety of Haitian songs in Creole. It has performed at events honouring world leaders such as Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu and was also the only Canadian ensemble invited to perform as part of the inauguration of U.S. president Barack Obama in January 2009.

The choir's visit to Inuvik is part of their Black History Month tour.

Nind said one of the reasons NACC chose to send the choir to Inuvik was the interest this town has shown in each performer he's brought North.

"The Igloo Church is extremely unique in terms of Northern Canada and especially as a venue in the Northwest Territories for its quality of sound, and the fact that there is great interest in the Beaufort Delta for choral work and for singing," he said.

Incorporating this into The Nathaniel Dett Chorale Black History Month tour seemed like the perfect fit, and what sets NACC apart from other art councils across Canada.

"It has to do with the quality of programing we do, but it also has to do a lot with the experience we are able to offer to artists that come up," Nind said.

The choir will be performing some music from its new album Nguzo Saba, which means "the seven principles" in Swahili.

"The principles themselves are about community building and things that help to ground people in general and I think build on African heritage in particular," said Brainerd Blyden-Taylor, the founder and artistic director of the Chorale. "Things like unity, self determination, collective work and responsibility, creativity and a lot of the kinds of things that I think indigenous cultures really understand."

The singers will arrive a day before the show to tour Inuvik, then take to the stage Wednesday night, Feb. 9 at 7:30 p.m.

The unique experience of actually meeting the North is "why we are able to draw some of the best of the best on the Canadian and international circuit," said Nind.

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