20 - Wednesday, July 19, 1989 - North Shore News music FOLK MUSIC FEST WRAP-UP Inuit throat singers festival thrill crowd THE GODS failed to deliver a solid three day's worth of sunshine for the 12t Annual Vancouver Folk Music Festi- val, but as always, festival organizers made good on the promise to bring to Vancouver a delightfully eclectic selec- tion of musical culture. The Inuit Throat Singers, two el- derly women from Baker Lake in the Northwest Territories, proved themselves crowd favorites on the weekend. Working with voices atone, Naomi Itqiuk and Olive In- hakatsik, opened an aural window to an ancient culture. In throat singing, or the katajjait, which can involve two or more people, one singer sets the pace MICHAEL BECKER record review with words or sounds while another attempts to match the words and sounds. More often - than not, a round of katajjait ends in a fit of laughter when a cue is missed or fumbled The festival appearance was the first time in Vancouver for the two tnuit women and was their third time out together before the public. Olive is 74 years old and Naomi ‘‘doesn’t know her date of birth.” They have been singing together for several years. This week they’re performing at the Folk On The Rocks Festival in Yellowknife, Olive and Naomi took time out at this year’s folk festiva! to field some questions, through their Inuktitut translator Polly Kuuk. Do you know me? 1 am Michael the chef. 1 am behind the scenes but very visible. Because it is my preparation of food — my creations — that seek your approval. 1 work hard to please you. So when you say, “Aty compliments to the chen” — it makes my day. FISH & GAME HOUSE P.S. Romantic piano nightly 195 W. Broadway 876-9256 ts throat singing popular or is it a dying art? Olive feels throat singing is a dy- ing art. She feels that the children should keep their culture and should learn it. She feels the children should learn their tradi- tional ways. She said that in our schools, throat singing is being taught to the little children. Right now they’ re trying to teach throat singing up through Grade 10 and in adult education. How long have they known how to throat sing? Olive has known how to ever since the time she was a teenager. Naomi, since her late teens. Who taught them how to do it? Olive was taught by Oogiyalik a long time ago. She was a relative. Naomi doesn’t remember who she learned it from. She would just learn it from the other teenagers she was hanging around with. Bo the throat singing sounds have any meaning? There are words but they won't tell me what the words are. Some- times they just make some kind of sound. Where does the sound come from? Which part of the body do they use the most? It’s from: the diaphragm and it comes up through the esophagus. Is throat singing a form of competition? t’s not a competition. They do throat singing as sort of a game. _ NORTH SHORE'S PRINCESS LUXURY &, , ~ . OLIVE INHAKATSIK (left) and Naomi Itqiuk, travelled 1,500 miles from Baker Lake, in the Northwest Ter- ritories, to Vancouver to bring the sounds of the katajjait (Inuit throat singing) to southern ears at the 12th Annual Vancouver Folk Music Festival. 0% ott Why does it always end in iaughter? Because at times they get mixed up themselves and confused. ts throat singing done only by women? The men can do it as well, but they're not into throat singing as much. They do more physical Tuesday, Wednesday, i roat hard work? Thursday roat sin; it's very t singing | exhausting for ALL SUSHI 9-1030 pm. them. What does Olive de in Baker Lake? Olive is raising four adopted children. She has already raised six of her own children. She said she “would have loved to teach (throat singing) to the older daughters of hers. But at times she gets sick and because of ai! the housework she doesn’t have time. When she fi- nally has time the children don’t want to listen to her. What kind of music do her children listen to? One of her adopted sons listens to music all the time, he just plays rock music tapes and records all LUNCH SPECIAL Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday Sushi & Tempura Lunch MANYO SUSI Open Lunch & Dinner $650 the time. Olive doesn’t like rock Closed Monday music. What does Naomi do in Baker = ue TAKE-GUT and She raised her children as well. CATERING AVAILABLE She has three children of her own and two adopted children. She also does wall hangings. 980-1510 GEST BED CENTRES. LUXURY ELITE QUINTESSENCE OFF ALL 50), runs. (PRINCESS SETS) More Special Prices SINGLES DOUBLES QUEEN $499 8299 °399 KING’ i) 8799 °449 SIMMONS HIDE-A- BEDS (ASPEN) Reg. SALE 9749 $995 FREE DELIVERY — TRADES WELCOME aicrae ‘NEW & ap FURNITURE. ‘& APPLI VW NCES 1470. PEMBER ON AVE. “NORTH VAN: 986.4232: 986-2322 - WEST VAN: WEST VAN 2k