Tribute to dying friend's voice
Original songs by Iqaluit-based biologist
put on CD as she battled cancer
Northern News Services
Monday, September 5, 2016
IQALUIT
When Siu-Ling Han was diagnosed with terminal cancer, she finally agreed to do something she'd been resisting for years - record her songs.
A new CD celebrates the life and music of long-time Iqaluit resident Siu-Ling Han, shown with a dog team outside Iqaluit. - photo courtesy of Madeline Cole |
The Arctic biologist passed away in Ottawa on Aug. 29. After she relocated to Iqaluit in 1998, she spent years writing songs about the world around her. However, it took a second bout with ovarian cancer to bring her to the recording studio.
"The CD is the the end result of over a decade of discovering songs that Siu-Ling has been writing. And those songs finally coming to light," said her friend Robert Aube, who helped create the CD titled To Those Who Show Kindness. He'd been trying to get her to share her music for a decade.
"It took a long time to tease as many of the original songs as she had written out of her," said Aube. "It's something that she kept very private to herself basically."
The CD, which is available online as well as in Iqaluit, includes original songs with Siu-Ling performing the lead vocals. Emily Woods, another friend of Siu-Ling, provided the background vocals.
"It's not that common for people to be writing original music and when you do hear original music it's rarer still to hear really good original music," said Aube. "Siu-Ling's music was apparent right from the start. I mean the lyrics are really really good."
Since its release, the CD has received a positive reception from listeners, and at press time was in its second pressing.
"Everyone who's listened to the CD so far has been extremely impressed with it. It's definitely not the most polished CD - we were in a race against time to try and finish it so that Siu-Ling could have a listen to it and hold it in her hands. But in spite of that, the essence of the songs have been captured," said Aube. "The lyrics are front and centre ... so far the reaction has been overwhelmingly positive about the songs."
Despite that, Aube says Siu-Ling didn't consider herself a musician.
"She was very reluctant about it, it took a long time, it took years to convince Siu-Ling to record these songs and I think it was only after her last diagnosis that she decided that, 'Yeah OK, let's put these down,'" he said. "Siu-Ling is a very private person and she didn't really consider herself a musician and for that reason she was very shy about playing them in public."
The songs focus on life in the North, as well as personal experiences and the world and people around her.
For Aube, having the CD is a way to keep Siu-Ling in their lives, even after she's gone.
"The songs are so good. And because of that, I really didn't want them to be lost. Which is what would have probably happened. And the best person to interpret those songs is definitely the author. I definitely wanted to capture Siu-Ling, while we still could."
All proceeds from the CD will go towards mental health initiatives for Nunavut youth. The CD is available at www.siu-ling.ca.
