Everybody Toots with Mr. Mark
Children's entertainer a hit with Baker kids and vice versa
Darrell Greer
Northern News Services
Wednesday, September 9, 2015
BAKER LAKE
Both youth and the young at heart enjoyed the zany antics of Winnipeg-based children's entertainer Mr. Mark (Cameron) during the Festival by the Lake in Baker Lake this past month.
Gym teacher Steve Patterson sings a little opera to help children's entertainer Mr. Mark (Cameron) with one of his ditties during the Festival by the Lake in Baker Lake this past month. - Darrell Greer/NNSL photo |
Mr. Mark, 54, was making his first Kivalliq appearance in Baker, and said he was absolutely fascinated by the children.
He said he was amazed by how attentive they were during his shows.
"They all sat and enjoyed the show just like kids in the south would, and they were so polite I just wanted to take them all home with me," laughed Mr. Mark.
"It was funny when I did a song about the Punch A Buggy game and they'd never seen a Punch A Buggy.
"They understood it was something new and were genuinely fascinated about somebody coming from the south to perform it for them.
"I would sit in the audience before a show and the kids asked me many questions because, as I quickly realized, they were genuinely curious and extremely inquisitive."
Mr. Mark, a multi-talented musician, engineer and producer, has been entertaining youth part-time since 2000, and full-time since 2005.
A healthy portion of his performance relies on audience participation and the Baker children didn't disappoint.
Mr. Mark said they loved to come up and take part in a song with him.
He said they all wanted to participate and have a good time.
"The Baker kids definitely understood what a festival is.
"I do travel in northern Manitoba quite a bit, so I'm accustomed to things like hoping your gear or cargo makes it with you.
"We're away from the tree line, of course, which really made me wonder about a whole lot of different stuff, and I saw the cemetery while on a small tour of the community.
"Before that moment I never thought about not being able to bury the coffins in the ground, they're going to be above the ground, which made perfect sense once I saw it, but it was still a surprise for me."
Mr. Mark has released two children's albums (Singamajiggin' in 2006 and Everybody Toots in 2012), and a third is tentatively scheduled for January of 2016 with a working title of Gotta Go.
He said he was fascinated by Baker Lake stories about the snow fence and how, before it, people could drive their snowmobile over a house.
"I got to hear about how beluga whales came into the lake this past year," he said.
"Two different people told me the story and they both said, at the end of it, they really tasted different.
"The only thing cold about being in the North is the weather.
"The people are absolutely fabulous and I certainly felt that in Baker."
Mr. Mark said he would totally welcome a return to Baker, or getting the chance to play in any other Kivalliq community for that matter.
He said he really finds people in the North to be quite special.
"I don't know if it's because of Inuit culture, or Northern culture in general, but it certainly is quite special.
"I feel extremely welcome here, more so than when I go to communities in northern Manitoba or Ontario.
"If I could come again, and have a longer period of time, I would love to work with the schools to share my music-making workshop.
"I've done it in Iqaluit and I'd love to be able to do it in any Kivalliq community because anybody, anywhere, can make music."
