Tanya Tagaq in Concert with Nanook of the North

 ᑕᕐᕆᔭᒐᒃᓴᓗᒃᑕᑦ:
 Tanya Tagaq from Cambridge Bay, Nunavut

My first introduction to katajjaq (Inuit throat singing) was when I watched the film Atanarjuat (The Fast Runner).  For anyone who is not familiar with throat singing, it is traditionally performed by two women who stand face to face close enough so that their lips are almost touching.  They then use each other's mouths to resonate through inhalation and exhalation, reacting or "reflexing" to each other rhythmically.  Tanya has her own style where she sings alone and has in the past worked with artist's like Bjork and the Kronos Quartet.

Nanook of the North is Robert Flaherty's epochal (semi-) documentary of an Inuk family's survival in the harsh Canadian Arctic wilderness and is perhaps one of the most famous films ever made about Indigenous people.  I remember watching it as a child, without the understanding of how cold it must have actually been.  Tanya mentioned before her performance that the children of Nunavut are required to go to school unless it gets below -65, in which case they are allowed to stay home.   She mentioned that she did not want to hear anyone complaining about the cold!

Before the film started, the lights went out and Tanya, Jean Martin (percussion) and Jesse Zubot (violin) slowly began to perform.  At first I wanted to close my eyes and listen without any distractions, but then Nanook of the North began to play on a large screen behind them.  I was quickly sucked into the story line, and I almost forgot that Tanya was singing to a silent film.  She made a lot of different noises, and at times I could hear the wind whistling over the ice, or the waves crashing, and especially the animals.  She was able to communicate that the animals in the film where also trying to survive.  There was a scene where Nanook was hunting walrus, and the battle between Nanook and the walrus was my favorite part (pictured above) of the performance because I felt a loss for the walrus's family, but a gain for Nanook's family.  It was a stark reminder of what survival actually meant before we could waltz into a grocery store and purchase what we needed.  Tanya is so talented that she is able to provide a connection or bridge to her people through her singing, and it is something that will stand out in my mind for a very long time.  Afterward I started to wonder about the family in the film.  What had ever become of them?

Full performance of Nanook of the North with Jean Martin (percussion) and Jesse Zubot (violin) 

From left to right, Laura Ortman and friend, Marissa Corwin 

After the show I got to catch up a little bit with Laura Ortman, who will be performing over the next few weeks.  I have never seen Laura perform, so I am very excited to finally get the opportunity.  Stay tuned!  

This is the National Museum of the American Indian nestled between other buildings in the Financial District at One Bowling Green, New York.  I just realized that NMAI is a very old building, and was built around 20 years (1901) before Nanook of the North was filmed.  The Customs House was originally for the duty collection operations for the port of New York.  

Here is more information about other works by Tanya Tagaq:

http://www.innerviews.org/inner/tagaq.html

More katajjaq:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8QuNdfb-Yw

All pictures by Skaruianewah Logan

Distant Thunder

Amas Theater 115 MacDougal Street.

To tell you the truth I did not have a clue what to expect when I heard the words, "Native American Musical", but the parental units had driven all the way from Oneida, NY to see it, so it had to be good right?  I made my way down to the West Village with a vacuum in my mind, empty, and ready to take in what ever this theatre experience had to offer.  From what I understood it was a musical in the lab stage, meaning pre-production, not fully formed.  I was not allowed to take pictures of anything because of some AFRA rule.  Boo.  I did not expect much at all, and I was completely caught of guard because I was blown away.

Distant Thunder is the first Native American musical to ever read at the Amas Theater in the 45 years it's had it's doors open.  It was written by Shaun Taylor-Corbett and Lynn Taylor-Corbett both of New York, and is based on Shaun's personal experience reconnecting with his culture and family.  Shaun is from the Blackfeet Nation of Montana, and the play is set rightfully so in Browning, Montana.

My first impression was that we have some serious talent in Indian Country and that it had just  went from  under the radar, to full song and dance (literally) in front of my very own eyes.  The plot seemed very similar to another big production (Crooked Arrows), but with more free reign to explore issues on identity, assimilation, and loss of language and culture.  The fact that it was written by a mother and son team also allowed the play to hone in on the generational gap that is often present in our Native communities.  There were many layers of complexity and I felt that the Broadway style of this story line would hit home with any one of Native descent because even though we are so very different traditionally, our issues of trying to hold onto tradition in the face of consumerism and American culture are made up of the same parts.

Afterward we were able to go to what seemed like a wrap party with the crew, down in the West Village in a little lounge called McCoys.  It was such a great experience, and it made me hopeful of things to come.  I was surrounded by talented, well trained, Native folks.  I recognized some of them from other films and productions.  When I asked Shaun what the timeline was for Distant Thunder, he was not sure but had projected out a full year or two at least.  I got a glimpse of something I was very eager to see more of, and I don't want to comment too much on the story line because the play is still forming and things will most likely change.  I hope it makes it's way to Broadway.  Watch out Rent, here comes Distant Thunder!

FB page for Distant Thunder:

https://www.facebook.com/DistantThunderTheMusical

And article on the backstory to Distant Thunder

http://www.buffalopost.net/?p=18500