SUSAN AGLUKARK


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  • Susan Aglukark is an artist who bridges two worlds. On her new album This Child, the first she has recorded for EMI Music Canada, she intertwines traditional Inuk chants with contemporary pop melodies. While Susan's music embraces the time-honoured rituals and values of her Inuit forefathers, she is also not afraid to face the tough social realities in today's far North. Her clear warm voice touches listeners with sensitive message-laden songs, sung in English as well as her native tongue Inuktitut.

    This Child was produced by Chad Irshick (The Rankin Family), and features 11 songs, the majority written by Susan. The first single and video is "0 Siem", the title being am Indian exclamation of joy at seeing friends and family. Susan explains: "A line in the song 'siem 0 siyeya', means all peoples, all cultures and races, all people rich and poor. The song talks about watching the walls come tumbling down, and by that, I mean the walls of racism and prejudice, of hate and anger".

    Born in Churchill, Manitoba 28 years ago, Susan moved around the Northwest Territories for the first twelve years of her life with her father, (a Pentecostal minister), mother and seven brothers and sisters. They eventually settled in Arviat, N.W.T., a community of 1,300 people on the northwest shore of Hudson Bay. After completing high school, she moved to Ottawa, where she was employed by the Canadian Department of Indian & Northern Affairs as a linguist- Susan later accepted the position of Executive Assistant to the political lobby group, Inuit Tapirisat (Brotherhood) of Canada. Shortly after taking this position, her musical career began to take off-

    The three short years since Susan Aglukark gave her first live public performance at a festival in her home town of Arviat, N.W.T., have been remarkable ones. First CBC radio included her in a compilation of Eastern Arctic performers and writers, which due to extraordinary demand, Susan independently released as Dreams For You. The video "Searching" followed, which garnered a MuchMusic award for outstanding cinematography

    In 1992 Susan released her first full independent recording Arctic Rose, which met with tremendous critical and commercial acclaim in the North. In 1993 Susan signed a worldwide recording contract with EMI Music Canada. EMI released Susan's independent Christmas album in December 1993, featuring the single "Little Toy Trains" and followed with a re-released version of Arctic Rose in April 1994. The first single and video "Song Of The Land", as well as the second successful single "Still Running" were specially re-recorded for the EMI release.

    Susan is no stranger to Canadian television and radio audiences, having appeared on The Journal, MuchMusic, Musique Plus and The Rita MacNeil Show, as well as several appearances on CRC Radio's highly rated "Morningside" and "Swinging On A Star". Susan was honoured with the first ever Aboriginal Achievement Award in the Arts & Entertainment field in 1994 and received her first music industry award in September 1994, as the Canadian Country Music Association awarded her the Vista Rising Star Award. At the 1995 Juno Awards, Susan was awarded Best New Artist and Best Aboriginal Recording....Susan Aglukark is a rising star.