Daron Letts
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Oct 10/05) - Inuk recording artist Tanya Tagaq Gillis nurtured her traditional roots and embraced musical innovation to create her first album, Sinaa.

Her originality is being recognized in a big way.

Tagaq received five nominations for this year's Aboriginal Music Awards, more than any individual artist in 2005.

"I'm really happy, surprised and proud," she said.

"I waited so long to record the CD that I was really selfish - I wasn't even thinking whether people would like it."

The CD features a dozen tracks that blend English lyrics, Inuit throat singing and instrumental music.

"I wanted to explore and share the emotion that I feel when I'm singing," she said. "When I'm singing I let go of humanity and try to reach a different part of myself. When I'm on stage I'll close my eyes and get into it and when I open them again I remember that I'm in front of an audience."

That passion and energy is captured in the studio recordings on Sinaa.

Tagaq has toured internationally with Bjork, whom she regards as a "musical genius." She also collaborated with Bjork on one of the tracks on Sinaa.

Raised in Cambridge Bay, Tagaq moved to Yellowknife to attend high school at age 15.

She trained as a throat singer by singing along with recordings of her mother's voice.

She dedicated her first CD to her mother.

Tagaq will tour in Canada with the Kronos Quartet later this year, while planning her next album.