NEW LP, NUNARJUA ISULINGINNIANI (BEFORE THE WORLD ENDS), OUT OCTOBER 30, 2020 VIA AAKULUK MUSIC
WATCH AND SHARE “ANURI” (FT. RIIT) HERE
BUY / STREAM “ANURI” (FT. RIIT) HERE
Nunarjua Isulinginniani Artwork // DOWNLOAD HIGH-RES
Today, Terry Uyarak is announcing his upcoming debut solo album, Nunarjua Isulinginniani, out October 30, 2020 via Aakuluk Music. Produced by Jace Lasek (Besnard Lakes, Patrick Watson, Land Of Talk), the album’s title translated to English means ‘Before The World Ends’. The album itself carefully weaves together storytelling, soundscape and song to carry each listener on a journey, by dog team, to the ends of the word.
Uyarak’s song writing on the album is reflective of his experiences as a husband, father and hunter; and the songs are interwoven with interludes of storytelling by Igloolik elder Simon Qamaniq - all of which provide a sense of the environment in which they belong to. Uyarak elaborates: “The land is our source and our being. The land has always been our trouble and our freedom. The land has been my ancestor’s stories and have become my story.”
Having already released the first single, “Inuit Nunangat”, today Uyarak is sharing another track from the album, “Anuri” featuring fellow Nunavut artist and Polaris Music Prize nominee Riit. “Anuri” is a cover song, written by the late Solomon Uyarasuk, who was a dear friend to Terry. "I dedicate this song to the friends and family of Solomon and the many children who are named after him,” says Uryarak. “Riit is an amazing artist that inspires me to continue in music and in life. We will continue to write and sing again sooner or later."
"I feel honoured to be a part of this project,” says Riit. “As a collaborator, but most importantly as a friend. These songs are deeply meaningful coming from knowledge keepers – this is what the universe has been waiting for."
The accompanying animated lyric video is directed by Christopher Mills (Modest Mouse, Broken Social Scene) and features the journey of a polar bear across the beautiful landscape of a Nunavut evening, lit up by the Northern Lights.
WATCH AND SHARE “ANURI” (FT. RIIT) HERE
BUY / STREAM “ANURI” (FT. RIIT) HERE
“Anuir” Single Artwork // DOWNLOAD HIGH-RES
Uyarak is a self-taught singer/songwriter and musician from Igloolik, a small and vibrant Inuit community located north of the Arctic circle between the Canadian mainland and Baffin Island in Nunavut. Igloolik is one of those special places in the Canadian Arctic, where Inuit language and culture are still strongly embedded into everyday life, and there’s a strong sense of community within.
Terry is no stranger to the tight knit Nunavut music scene; for over a decade he performed as an actor, juggler, and musician, and toured around the globe with the only Inuit circus troupe in the world, ARTCIRQ. Most recently, Terry took part in the creation of and performed in a major multidisciplinary production, Unikkaaqtuaq, that toured across Canada in 2019. This kinship and involvement has led to some stellar collaborations, as the album also features prominent Nunavut artists like Riit, Celina Kalluk, and Becky Han.
WATCH AND SHARE “INUIT NUNANGAT” HERE
BUY / STREAM “INUIT NUNANGAT” HERE
Riit And Terry Uyarak
NUNARJUA ISULINGINNIANI TRACKLIST
01 Intro
02 Nunarjua Isulinginniani
03 Anuri (ft. Riit)
04 Interlude 1
05 Aniqsaatuinnarit
06 Interlude 2
07 Aniuvalik
08 Interlude 3
09 Uvaguk
10 Interlude 4
11 Tasiunnga
12 Inuugannuk
13 Interlude 5
14 Igloolik
TERRY UYARAK ONLINE
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The mission of Aakuluk Music is to help Nunavut musicians produce and promote their music. The label will help record, market, and distribute Inuktitut music nationally and internationally now, and for future generations of Inuit musicians. Aakuluk Music seeks to build hope through music and community, to encourage youth, and contribute to the preservation of the territory’s distinct culture.