Christian Tagoona
Christian Tagoona is an Inuk hip-hop artist and public speaker based out of Baker Lake Nunavut. Growing up in a very musical family, Tagoona was bound to find his own musical talent. He started listening to hip-hop at a very young age and grew interested in the craft, wanting to rap himself. Growing as an artist and a person over the last 8 years, Tagoona has been the opening act for performers, such as Don Burnstick, Twin Flames, and Logan Staats to name a few. In the present day, Tagoona is often in the recording studio, mixing and mastering vocals, in addition to recording his own music.
Tagoona has presented work before the Consulate General for Canada in Dallas. Here he collaborated with Poet Laureate Manuel Gonzalez, someone he drew major inspiration from because of Gonzalez’s “thought provoking” writings. The two merged styles by using recordings of poetry for music, to create “Truth Seeker”, a song that speaks of colonization, suffering, responsibility, and redemption. Tagoona wanted to harness something organic that incited doing something good for his community, which “speaks to not only me, but many others my age; some who are older and some who are younger as well.”
“Truth Seeker” allowed Tagoona to develop his producing skills by sampling music and merging spoken poetry with rap. Tagoona’s creative process entails “free range thinking”, an ode to stream of consciousness or having a free range state of mind. He is a big proponent of advocating for the truth and freedom of those who have been encumbered by the system. Tagoona is active in his community and supports programs like the Nunavummi Disabilities Makinnasuaqtiit Society (NDMS), that helps find members employment opportunities in Nunavut. His music is a means of restoring justice and peace to his ancestors and community.