a r t i s t : Tagaq
t i t l e : Sinaa
d a t e : 2005
l a b e l : Independent
g e n r e : Ethnic
r l s. d a t e : Mar/2006
t r a c k s : 12
b i t r a t e : VBRkbps
s i z e : 61,4 MB
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In just six short years, groundbreaking Inuk throat singer,
Tanya Tagaq Gillis, has brought an ancient Inuit vocal game to
the heights of the experimental music scene. She's
collaborated with Bjork and the Kronos Quartet and toured with
some of the world's leading "global" artists.
Like Bjork, Tagaq makes music that is both decidedly unusual
and universally appealing on a most primal level. Her
innovative, solo style of throat singing seeks to push the
boundaries of emotion and to express the primitive instincts
she believes still reside deep within our flesh. She describes
her evolution over the past six years as a process of going
deeper and deeper into her performance to the point where she
virtually "leaves her body" and lets the expression take over.
Tagaq's new CD, Sinaa (say "sih-NAA"), displays her technique
through a collection of original improvisations and three
traditional Inuk throat songs. Most of the time, Tagaq's voice
is the only instrument, communicating the emotion of the piece
through a stunning array of sounds: aggressive grunts and
growls, frantic gasping rhythms and ecstatic, high pitched
wailsàsometimes layered over additional beds of moans and
sighs. Four songs also feature the tribal sounding beats of
the txalaparta (say "cha-la-PAR-ta"), traditional Basque
percussion provided by Tagaq's partner, Filipe Ugarte and his
duo, Ugarte Anaiak. On "Ancestors," a duet with Bjork, a touch
of piano provides the backdrop as Bjork's sweet, shrill
vocalizations intertwine with Tagaq's provocative throat
sounds.
ItÆs a far cry from traditional throat singing, which is
neither an emotional art form nor the work of a solo artist.
Conventionally, throat singing is done by pairs of women who
stand face to face and create rhythms out of the sounds made
with their breath and vocal chords. One leads and the other
fills in the gaps in her rhythm until one gives in to laughter
or exhaustion. The only similarity to Tagaq's work is the
sounds themselves, which often emulate sounds from nature like
animals or the wind.
Though Tagaq grew up in Cambridge Bay, Nunavut, she had little
exposure to the centuries old art form. It wasn't until her
final year of art school in Halifax that she began emulating
tapes of throat singing her mother had sent her from home. It
was originally intended as a cure for homesickness. Tagaq had
no partner to practice with and no one to teach her the "right
way to do it.ö But her growing passion for the form, combined
with a series of ôcosmic coincidences," convinced her to make
it a primary form of artistic expression.
TagaqÆs first public performance was at a Cambridge Bay talent
contest with an old friend who had also been learning to sing.
It was broadcast on the radio and caught the attention
YellowknifeÆs Folk on the Rocks organizers, who invited the
duo to perform. That lead to invitations from other Festivals.
Then, in 2000, Tagaq attended the Great Northern Arts Festival
to exhibit her paintings. When the organizers discovered they
were short of performers, Tagaq agreed to sing. Her partner,
however, wasnÆt with her, so she performed solo with a cast of
other performers backing her up. In the audience that day,
filming the show, were two friends of Bjork's from Iceland.
The rest, as they say, is history. Tagaq was invited to join
Bjork's Vespertine tour in 2001. She appears on both of
Bjork's subsequent recordings: Medulla, an album paying
tribute to the human voice, and the soundtrack to the film,
Drawing Restraint 9.
A second ôcosmic coincidenceö occurred in 2002. While living
in London for a month, Tagaq began performing to help pay the
bills. One of those shows was recorded by the publishers of
fRoots magazine and placed on their compilation CD. The
recording found it's way into the hands of the Kronos Quartet,
leading to Tagaq's second significant collaboration. This
March, her work with Kronos will culminate in a performance at
Carnegie Hall.
Meanwhile, Tagaq toured Europe in 2003 as part of the Canada
CouncilÆs Sonic Weave tour. Last year, she toured the UK as
part of the Shaman Voices Tour with Mongolian throat singer,
Okna Tsahan Zam and Finnish yoiker, Wimme. And in November of
last year, she earned a standing ovation for her performance
at the Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards. She also received
three awards at the ceremony, including the prize for ôBest
Female Artist.ö
Bjork describes Tagaq as ôlike Edith Piaf or something
"totally emotional." CBC's Zed describes her as "an outgoing,
enigmatic and astounding performer, composer and improviser
"revered, controversial, personable, humble, alluring,
terrifying." They add "Tanya Tagaq Gillis is possibly the most
unique performer of truly traditional, Canadian music in our
country."
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01-Sila [03:31]
02-Still [03:14]
03-Qimiruluapik [02:04]
04-Qiujaviit [03:08]
05-Surge [03:26]
06-Ancestors [04:10]
07-Uvinik [02:57]
08-Ilunikavi [03:04]
09-Seamless [03:04]
10-Origin [02:44]
11-Suluk [03:50]
12-Breather [10:36]
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45:48 min