Stephanie McDonald
Northern News Services
Published Monday, January 28, 2008

IQALUIT - At age 40, Baker Lake's Norman Iqqaat came across a keyboard at a church sale and impulsively bought it.

Now 48, Iqqaat can play the instrument, having taught himself, has recorded a CD of English and Inuktitut songs with his daughter Jasmine, has performed at several music festivals and has inspired at least two of his children to take up music.

Jasmine Iqqaat holds the CD of English and Inuktitut gospel songs she recorded with her dad in their Baker Lake home and church. Iqqaat now lives in Iqaluit and misses singing with her dad. - Stephanie McDonald/NNSL photo

Perhaps most importantly, singing and playing the keyboard has been a form of healing for Iqqaat, who works as a maintenance serviceman with the housing association in Baker Lake.

"Just like everybody else, I had a bad life," Iqqaat begins, telling the story of how he became a Christian. "It was mostly when I was missing my (adoptive) dad, who passed away when I was five years old - not knowing I had an anger with God."

Then, in 1998, he watched as his biological father died, giving him flashbacks of the first death.

Iqqaat said that he grew up carrying the mental anguish.

"When I was missing both of them I told myself I needed something to relieve my pain," he said.

That is when he came across the keyboard by chance and worked at learning how to play it. It's a skill he knows his father would be proud of.

"They always used to listen to Hank Williams, the Carter Family and Johnny Cash. But they were in iglus. They used to use batteries or the old-fashioned type of (record players) you have to use your hand to turn," Iqqaat said.

Iqqaat and his daughter recorded their first CD in their Baker Lake home and church. One of their songs plays on the radio and it's the one most requested when Iqqaat travels to play music. Nunavummiut from across the territory call Iqqaat on the phone to request one of his CDs.

Iqqaat's daughter Jasmine recently moved to Iqaluit, where she posted hand-written songs on bulletins around town, advertising the CD the two made together.

Jasmine said that growing up, she would listen to her father sing and decided that she wanted to do it with him.

"I started singing along with him behind his back," she said.

Realizing she had talent, Iqqaat invited his daughter to sing with him.

Although the two now live in different parts of the territory, Jasmine hopes to record another CD with her father.

For both Jasmine and her father, praising God through their English and Inuktitut songs is what's important.

"Not too long ago, I said to myself, 'I guess this is a dedication to all the people who lost their loved ones,'" Iqqaat said.