Saimaniq: Inuit throat singing concert coming to Montreal

Saimaniq, which means Peace in Inuktitut, is the name of an original creation around the katajjaq, Inuit throat singing. Lydia Etok is an Inuit throat singer – from Nunavik in northern Quebec, and co-artistic director of Oktoecho.

“So it’s a part of our identity, who we are, where we come from,” explained Lydia Etok, Inuit throat singer and co-artistic director of Oktoecho.

“We’re all human. And that’s what means the word in Inuktitut, Inuk person, Inuit human. We’re all human. The diversity just brings color and uniqueness to all of us.”

Lydia learned to throat sing, in college.

Inuit throat singing. (Photo Credit: Emmanuel Behier-Migeon)

“It’s a competition between two women facing each other and imitating the sounds of nature. Well, actually, sounds that represent the nature that surrounds them.”

Polyrhythms from the Emirati deserts, Japanese and Scandinavian flutes and electronic music join throat singing to revisit and pay honor to the beauty and richness of Inuit art.

“When you see it in person, it’s another experience. Throat singing, combined with other instrumental music being played brings it to another level.”

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It’s nearly impossible to focus on the beauty of throat singing without remembering the atrocities faced by survivors of residential schools and the 60’s scoop.

“A lot of things we nearly lost. Throat singing being one of them. And so it’s there’s been a revival in that art form. It’s as if their voices were never heard until the discovery until there was some proof of the store stories we’ve heard,” said Etok.

“It’s very sad that it took the discovery of the babies to have an opening. Of dialog understanding. We, as indeed an Indigenous people, need to continue to tell our stories. And we have to be heard.”

The Oktoecho concert will take place at the Théâtre Outremont on October 29th at 8 p.m.