Throatsingers fuse with folk music
Performance much better live than on the radio
Mark Rieder
Northern News Services
Thursday, July 30, 2015
INUVIK
The duo of Kathleen Ivaluarjuk Merritt and Kerri Tattuinee, collectively known as Iva, bring folk music and traditional throatsinging into the modern age.
Kerri Tattuinee, one member of the throatsinging duo of Iva, performs on the main stage during the Great Northern Arts Festival on July 20. - Mark Rieder/NNSL photo
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From Rankin Inlet, the two performed at the Great Northern Arts Festival's main stage July 21.
Ivaluarjuk Merritt said they get a lot of pleasure from being able to share in the cultural exchange of the festival.
"I think people like throatsinging, and it's really cool to be able to bring it here, because we're so far from each other," she said.
Tattuinee said their fusion with folk music gives a new dimension to their performances, adding that being on stage brings an immediacy to the experience.
"Throatsinging is often heard on the radio but to hear it live, backed up by live music, is different," Tattuinee said.
The two have been singing together since they were about seven years old.
"We grew up together," said Ivaluarjuk Merritt. "We've been best friends since kindergarten."
Despite their love for throatsinging, which they first experienced at a community talent show in Rankin Inlet, it took a long time for them to get to the point where they could do it professionally.
"We wanted to learn as kids but we never really had the opportunity," said Ivaluarjuk Merritt.
Although they still perform as a duo. Ivaluarjuk Merritt has begun a solo career for now.
"We're here in Inuvik to launch my first album," she said. "It's a project I've been wanting to work on for a couple of years now but only this last year have I felt ready."
Of mixed heritage, Ivaluarjuk Merritt says the album, titled Ivaluarjuk: Ice, Lines and Seal Skin,' delves into the musical traditions of both sides of her family.
"It's a collaborative album that mixes both my Inuit and Irish ancestry, both cultures. So you will hear some Celtic tunes mixed in with Cape Breton reels and throatsinging," she said.
