Lineup Part 1: 2023 Keynote Speaker & Performers announced! 🎉
We are excited to introduce the keynote speaker and performers for the 2023 Arctic Music Conference and Arctic Music Awards in our Lineup Part 1!
The Arctic Music Conference will take place virtually on Zoom, March 24 and 25, 2023. The Arctic Music Awards Ceremony, taking place on March 25, 2023 will also be livestreamed on Twitch.
To reserve FREE conference tickets, please go to: ArcticMusicConference.com
To vote for the Arctic Music Awards, please go to: ArcticMusicAwards.com (Open until March 22, 2023)
Keynote Speaker
Susan Aglukark, O.C.
Inuk singer/songwriter Susan Aglukark is one of Canada's most unique artists and a leading voice in Canadian music. She blends the Inuktitut, indigenous and English languages with contemporary pop music arrangements to tell the stories of her fellow people, the Inuit of Arctic Canada and her fellow indigenous groups. The emotional depth and honesty of her lyrics; her pure, clear voice and themes of hope, spirit and encouragement have captivated and inspired listeners from all walks of life. Susan was invited into the Order of Canada and was presented her Officer of the Order of Canada award in September of 2005 for her contribution both musically and as a workshop facilitator and mentor in the indigenous community. Susan was awarded the Governor Generals Lifetime Artistic Achievement Award in June of 2016 and 2022 Juno Humanitarian Award.
Awards include: 4 Juno Awards, several Juno nominations, the first-ever Aboriginal Achievement Award in Arts & Entertainment, the Canadian Country Music Association's Vista Rising Star Award and several other CCMA nominations, Susan has honorary doctorates of Law from the University of Alberta where she also worked for three years as Distinguished Scholar in residence, Susan also received an honorary law degree from Calgary University, an Honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts from the Lethbridge University, a Doctor of Letters from the Laurentian University and an honorary Doctorate of Laws from the University of Toronto.
Susan is founder and program developer of the Arctic Rose Foundation, and she has released her newest album “The Crossing”.
Performers
Twin Flames
Twin Flames build bridges across cultures, continents, and styles, and have been celebrated internationally. This, alongside their substantial body of work, make it clear that they have something special going on. In just seven years of recording and performing as Twin Flames, the duo has accumulated over 35 music awards and nominations.
Twin Flames offer a memorable show with the perfect blend of music, comedy and thought-provoking stories. Their synchronicity and love shine through for every performance.
They are recipients of 4 Canadian Folk Music Awards, 3 Native American Music Awards, 3 Summer Solstice Indigenous Music Awards and the 2022 Capital Music Award (Group of the year.)
Jaaji and Chelsey met on-set during the filming of APTN's TAM in 2014. In 2015 they created the band Twin Flames.
Together they create sonic soundscapes using Indigenous spirit flutes, traditional drums, and western instruments. They craft enticing musical arrangements, standout harmonies, and beautiful rhythmic patterns. The result is a warm, perfect blend of sounds. They share a genuine love for songwriting that stands out lyrically and melodically for the world to hear.
From the beginning, this husband and wife duo has chosen to let their music speak for itself. Jaaji (Inuk from Nunavik and Mohawk from Kahnawake) and Chelsey June (Algonquin, Métis, Cree + Settler) write songs delivered through a mix of English, French and Inuttitut.
A revered powerhouse couple well on their way to becoming a Canadian household name, the sky seems to be no limit for this pair.
Beatrice Deer
Acclaimed “Inuindie” pop star Beatrice Deer is a singer-songwriter based in Montreal. Half Inuk and half Mohawk, Beatrice was born and raised in Nunavik, Quebec, in the small village of Quaqtaq. She has released six studio albums, including her newest, titled SHIFTING. Her award-winning songs are crafted upon deeply personal lyrics and blend indie rock and modern folk with traditional Inuit stories and throat singing.
The recipient of a 2021 Prism Prize and an Apple Music Ambassador, Beatrice Deer sings in three languages: Inuktitut, English, and French. A beloved figure in Arctic Canada, she has performed worldwide, from the Venice Biennale to Norway’s Førde Traditional and World Music Festival to the Heard Museum in Phoenix, Arizona. Her bandmates and collaborators, all longstanding members of Montreal’s music community, have worked with diverse and dynamic musical acts such as Leif Vollebekk, Land of Talk, Stars, The Barr Brothers, Bell Orchestre, Little Scream, The Besnard Lakes, and Suuns.
Beatrice’s previous full-length album, My All To You, won the 2018 Canadian Folk Music Award in the Pushing the Boundaries category, and Best Folk Album at the 2019 Indigenous Music Awards. More recently, in 2022, the award-winning TV short Angakuksajaujuq: The Shaman’s Apprentice, for which Beatrice composed the musical score, was shortlisted for an Oscar nomination for Best Animated Short Film.
Beatrice Deer’s sixth studio album, SHIFTING, explores the process of getting closer to the place where we’re meant to be in life. “Emotionally, spiritually, and physically, the transition toward our authentic selves continues,” she says. “As I shift into the position where I’m meant to be, I want to keep using what I’ve learned to help others.”
A role model to her community and a stalwart advocate for mental health, Beatrice feels strongly that each of us, no matter what we’ve been through, has the ability to transform our personal outlook. Her message, whether shared in song or at speaking engagements, comes from her own lived experience of overcoming countless obstacles. “You can’t be a changemaker if you haven’t gone through it yourself,” Bea says. “You can’t help without healing yourself first. You can’t change what happened; you can only change how you deal with it.”
Beatrice sees her music as a calling. “I’m not a singer just for the sake of being a singer,” she explains. “Music is a megaphone to get people’s attention. When I have your attention, the message reaches you. I find that music expresses what we can’t express verbally. A song can carry so much more than words. We don’t have enough vocabulary to say what we really feel. Music brings another level of frequency to the emotion that we are feeling.”
One of the themes of SHIFTING is that life is a process of becoming. “You don’t reach a place in life and say: That’s it, I know everything now. No! Life is an ongoing, growing experience. And when you die, it’s just physical—the spirit goes on. The soul goes on. Right now, I’m in a period where I’m shifting from one place to another, higher level.”
SHIFTING explores how love enters our lives, the human drive to survive, and the realities of grief. The debut single “The Storm” is about getting lost in a northern snowstorm—also a metaphor for life. “When you’re lost in the storm, you don’t know where you’re going,” Beatrice says. “You try to navigate—but are you even going forward? In the winter, everything’s white. You can’t see anything. You can’t tell the difference between sky and land. Then, in the darkness, you see a light ahead. That’s the way. You go for it and you don’t stop. You just go toward that light. That’s when you know that you’re shifting into your path.”
Tarrak x Peand-eL
Peand-eL is a rapper / performer, has 10 projects out, has been in the tv show iliuuseqarneq where he made workshops with young people to break taboo subjects such as suicide, alcoholic parents act. He is Koda Award winner and was nominated for the Nordic Council Music Prize announcement 2016 as a co-composer of Uyarakq x Peand-eL album Kunngiitsuuffik. Peand-eL discovered Tarrak back in 2016.
Tarrak is a Rapper / performer and actor, he had a breakthrough hit with a song called Tupilak, from the album, fxgxs, which created a great debate in Greenland about the relationship between Greenlandic and Danish in the education system. In 2019, Tarrak performed Josef Tarrak, which is based on the autobiographical album of the same name. In 2020, he starred in the documentary, Kampen om Grønland.
Tarrak is often socially critical in his texts, which, among other things, deal with social problems, colonialism and the relationship between Danes and Greenlanders.
In November 2022, Tarrak x Peand-eL Polaroid EP was released.
Uyarakq
Aqqalu Berthelsen, also known as Uyarakq, was born in Nuuk, Greenland in the mid 80s. He is a self taught music producer/composer and DJ with a background in metal music. Growing up in Uummannaq, Northern Greenland and Nuuk, the capital, has played a large role in shaping him to be a versatile musician between two worlds. He is currently doing a lot of work in the Indigenous circumpolar hip hop and rap scene with a foot in two continents, the North American arctic and the European arctic.
He won a Greenlandic Koda Award in 2015 for his solo album Raatiu Nukik (2014) and got nominated for Nordic Councils Music Prize in 2016 for the collaborative work Kunngiitsuuffik (2015) alongside the Greenlandic rapper Peand-eL. He is now based in Ottawa, Canada.
Jacob Okatsiak
Jacob Okatsiak is a hip-hop artist from Arviat, Nunavut. As a kid, he performed at his local church and learned to play drums, piano, and guitar. Inspired by other Indigenous rappers, Jacob began to rap and record his own music, building a northern fan base. For Jacob, rap music is a form of self-expression which has allowed him to gain confidence and speak from his heart about his emotions and life experiences. Jacob is continuously making new music and he supports other Inuit artists by trying to bring their voices to the fore.
His lyrics are thought-provoking, and his performances are rhythmic and engaging. In his attempts to have a positive impact on his community, he often reflects something his Grandma told him, “Start with what you have and do what you have to do in order to achieve your dreams.” His debut album, Inuugapta, was released in March 2023.
Though relatively new to the music scene, Okatsiak already has live performances under his belt. In October 2022, he performed at the NUPOP music showcase in Iqaluit alongside fellow Hitmakerz artists Joey Nowyuk, Looee, and Qattuu. Most recently, he completed a cross-Nunavut tour with the Atii Angutiit men’s program.
Aasiva
Colleen Aasiva Nakashuk, better known by her stage name Aasiva, is an Inuk Canadian singer and songwriter. Her style of indie folk music features the ukulele, Inuktitut lyrics, and Inuit throat singing.
In addition to her own music, Aasiva has engaged in extensive music education efforts throughout Nunavut, which has been described in the Nunavut News as "a mission to teach ukulele to young Nunavummiut". She regularly teaches songs, the use of string instruments, and techniques like throat-singing to children in schools and festivals.
Hope/Niriungniq is the second full-length record which comprises eight tracks that embody and explore the titular concept: what it means to remain committed to hope even in the depths of grief, loneliness, and struggle.
To reserve FREE conference tickets, please go to: ArcticMusicConference.com
To vote for the Arctic Music Awards, please go to: ArcticMusicAwards.com (The voting deadline is March 22, 2023)
For PR, bookings, or more information, please contact: amcama@hitmakerz.com
Acknowledgment
The events were made possible with support from Hitmakerz, Nunavut Music, and the Government of Nunavut. We also acknowledge the financial support of FACTOR and Canada’s private radio broadcasters.
About Hitmakerz
Founded in 2016, Hitmakerz is a full-service record label based in Nunavut. Specializing in creating world-class Inuit and Indigenous music, Hitmakerz has studios in Iqaluit, Ottawa, and Toronto. A social enterprise, their mission is to create viable careers in the arts for Inuit and Indigenous artists through music, media, and education, as well as to empower artists to share their stories and strengthen their culture. For more information, go to hitmakerz.com