Tudjaat
Encyclopedia
Tudjaat are Madeleine Allakariallak
and Phoebe Atagotaaluk, two Inuit
women from Nunavut
, Canada
who are keeping the ancient tradition
of Inuit throat singing
alive. Tudjaat got its start when Madelaine, who performed as part of a backup chorus with Susan Aglukark
's third CD, was noticed by its producer, Randall Prescott. When he learned that she had a cousin who was also a throat singer, he arranged to have them brought together for a recording session which combined their traditional singing and modern music.
This short (six tracks) self-titled CD featured Kajusita (When My Ship Comes In), a song which won its producer the 1997 American Indian Film Institute Awards Best Song award, was included on a United Nations
compilation CD, and was made into a music video. The song, which describes the forced exile
of a group of Inuit to the High Arctic in the last century, is a painful and poignant tribute to those who suffered and died as a consequence of a questionable government decision.
After the short-lived career of Tudjaat, Allakariallak worked for the CBC Northern Service
and then in 2005 became a news host on the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network
.
Madeleine Allakariallak
Madeleine Allakariallak is a Canadian musician and television journalist. Formerly a member of the Inuit throat singing duo Tudjaat, from 2005 to 2007 she was also the host of the weekly newsmagazine series APTN National News Contact on the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network.Phoebe Atagotaaluk,...
and Phoebe Atagotaaluk, two Inuit
Inuit
The Inuit are a group of culturally similar indigenous peoples inhabiting the Arctic regions of Canada , Denmark , Russia and the United States . Inuit means “the people” in the Inuktitut language...
women from Nunavut
Nunavut
Nunavut is the largest and newest federal territory of Canada; it was separated officially from the Northwest Territories on April 1, 1999, via the Nunavut Act and the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement Act, though the actual boundaries had been established in 1993...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
who are keeping the ancient tradition
Tradition
A tradition is a ritual, belief or object passed down within a society, still maintained in the present, with origins in the past. Common examples include holidays or impractical but socially meaningful clothes , but the idea has also been applied to social norms such as greetings...
of Inuit throat singing
Inuit throat singing
Inuit throat singing or katajjaq, also known as the generic term overtone singing, is a form of musical performance uniquely found among the Inuit...
alive. Tudjaat got its start when Madelaine, who performed as part of a backup chorus with Susan Aglukark
Susan Aglukark
Susan Aglukark, OC , is an Inuk musician whose blend of Inuit folk music traditions with country and pop songwriting has made her a major recording star in Canada. Her most successful single is "O Siem", which reached #1 on the Canadian country and adult contemporary charts in 1995...
's third CD, was noticed by its producer, Randall Prescott. When he learned that she had a cousin who was also a throat singer, he arranged to have them brought together for a recording session which combined their traditional singing and modern music.
This short (six tracks) self-titled CD featured Kajusita (When My Ship Comes In), a song which won its producer the 1997 American Indian Film Institute Awards Best Song award, was included on a United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
compilation CD, and was made into a music video. The song, which describes the forced exile
Exile
Exile means to be away from one's home , while either being explicitly refused permission to return and/or being threatened with imprisonment or death upon return...
of a group of Inuit to the High Arctic in the last century, is a painful and poignant tribute to those who suffered and died as a consequence of a questionable government decision.
After the short-lived career of Tudjaat, Allakariallak worked for the CBC Northern Service
CBC North
CBC North is the name for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's radio and television service in the Canadian Arctic. Originally known as the CBC Northern Service, its first operations began in 1958 with radio broadcasts including the takeover of CFYK, originally a Royal Canadian Signal...
and then in 2005 became a news host on the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network
Aboriginal Peoples Television Network
Aboriginal Peoples Television Network is a Canadian broadcast and cable television network. APTN airs and produces programs made by, for and about Aboriginal Peoples...
.