Aniksak and Uyaupiq - Santa Fe Indian Market August 20, 2010

Aniksak and Uyaupiq are Lois Uyaupiq Suluk-Locke and Maria Illungiayok from Arviat, Nunavut, Canada. They are accomplished performers of Inuit traditional throat singing, drumming and storytelling.

Aniksak and Uyaupiq perform a particular style of throat singing called qiaqparniq/kattadjaq. This style is performed by two women facing each other, mimicking the elements (the wind, the river), and characteristics of the north (geese, the polar and the wolf, dog teams). Once the rhythm is set, the song almost always turns into a competition--the woman who stops throat singing first loses. Throat singing is a form of a chant, which resonates from the throat, stomach and lungs. Each song is unique.