COMMUNITY
Always a hit with the crowd, Calai Padlayat and Charlotte Angnatuk perform traditional Inuit throat-singing.
© GAÉTANNE NOEL (5)
(L-R): George Kakayuk and Betsy Shemi Koperqualuk share the stage to perform with Elisapie.
Multi-talented Betsy Shemi Koperqualuk on the drums.
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is Salluit’s original rock-group (formed before Salluit was recognized as a village). At one time during one of its earlier incarnations the band featured a 12-year-old Elisapee Isaac as its back-up singer. A highlight in the evening beyond the excellent performances by contestants during the four hour show came when Elisapie, Koperqualuk and members of Sugluk joined together on stage to sing a song that offers advice to young people. A powerful moment of the show, it had many in the crowd either roaring with excitement or welling up with tears as they witnessed the past, present and future of Salluit join together in song on stage, to highlight the bond shared by all in the community. “Singers like Betsy represent the next generation of Nunavimmiut and the influence of positive role models such as Elisapie and the Sugluk Band can have a dramatic effect on their lives,” said Barbara Grant, one of the Coordinators of the show. Grant put in long hours with many of the contestants practicing their songs and working out arrangements. Elisapie, a Juno winner, performed twice during the evening selecting songs from her first CD, ”There Will Be Stars,” and her latest, “Travelling Love,” released last year. Her
song called “Salluit,” from her latest CD, drew a rousing round of applause from the audience. Talentshow Salluit is the brainchild of Emmanuel Morin, a local social worker who recognized the need to create new avenues for dialogue between the youth and elders of Salluit. He found that all generations shared a love of music and decided to use that as a vehicle to promote the importance of communication, understanding, and respect between the generations. A musician himself, Morin decided to combine his skills as a social worker, and his love for music into the project. “One of the goals of this project was to bring the youth and the community together. The youth here have something to say and they need a way to express themselves. They also need to connect with the community and the elders,“ Morin said. Beginning in April, he solicited funding from a variety of organizations such as Air Inuit, The village of Salluit, Raglan Mine, and Pivallianiq and began spreading the word through local radio, posters and social media. Instruments, P.A. equipment, all had to be purchased for the Talentshow well in advance so that they could be used for practice and rehearsals. Ikusik High School, with a student population January/February 2014