Charlie Taqqik, the new voice from the North

Sitting behind his desk, just rid of his imposing winter coat -in March, he is still -25 ° C outside and he moves on snowmobile -, Charlie Taqqik sips a cup of coffee. It is soon 9 a.m., he started his day at the Ikusik school in Saluit, one of the 14 villages in Nunavik, where he directs logistics and maintenance operations.

Regular work, From 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day of the weekhe slips as an introduction. And that he has been doing for seven years with visible pleasure. Our school is one of those that have the highest graduate rate throughout Nunavikhe specifies with pride.

On the door of his office, an Elvis Presley sticker tells another story on the one who slowly begins his day: that of life that this free music leads, on his free time. Pulling melodies from his guitar and composing songs inspired by the artists he admires, this is what also animates this amending man, who speaks French as well as English and Inuktitut.

Elvis in Nunavik

Elvis, he readily admits, is an essential reference.

It was with him that people started playing the guitar in the village in the 1950s. Even if the most popular artist for our elders, it was rather Hank Williams. He was the great singer of the generation of our parentstells this child of Salluit, a village which gave birth to some striking figures of Canadian Nordic music.

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Charlie Taqqik can boast of having some of these musical legends in his family. His uncles, George Kakayuk and Sandy Kakayuk, were respectively songwriter and drummer of the legendary Rock Sugluk group. Also known as Salluit Bandthe training experienced its hours of glory in the 1970s and 1980s, occurring in concert in Nunavik and throughout the Far North.

And then there is also, essential, his sister Elisapie, who has just been rewarded by a Juno Prize, a big singer since she was a childhe greets.

In addition to this family pedigree and a diligent listening of the biggest names in rock history, Charlie Taqqik introduced himself to church music, where families sang gospels, which children then hummed on community radio waves Taqramiut Nipingat Incorporatedencouraged by their parents.

But not mespecifies with a shy smile the one who describes himself as someone private, who does not like to receive too much attention. He was rather the type to hum a song by Michael Jackson on the back of the snowmobile From his father, when they were hunting. My father turned around and asked me: “What did you say?” And I answered, “nothing”he laughs, remembering this memory.

It was therefore largely in self -taught that he made his way as a musician and singer. I learned music for myself, with people like Adamie Papigatuk [un guitariste du Nunavik] And his brother Nukukie. My sister Elisapie also showed me some agreementshe says.

A first album … recorded in a container

Here is this discreet man pushed to reveal himself a little, since he released this month of May his first album, soberly entitled Charlie Taqqik.

The album contains seven songs which he composed in Inuktitut and in which we find all his influences. Elvis of course, but also les Beatles, Harmonium, Roy Orbison, Pink Floyd et Led Zeppelinhe explains.

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The production conditions of the album are as unpublished as these songs. The singer and producer Simon Walls came to Saluit to record them with its mobile studio. Multi-instrumentalist, he also accompanied the artist on his songs. He describes Charlie’s album as a mixture Blue Rodeo [un groupe canadien de country rock, NDLR] With a typical nunavik folk sound.

We recorded the percussion in the village community room. We finished this in a container, a mini-laboratory usually used by university researchers. I recorded in a lot of different contexts, but it was the first time I did thatmarvel at the one who describes himself as and one-man-band.

For a year, Simon Wallswho worked with indigenous communities around the world, especially in Morocco, moved with his mobile studio in three villages in Nunavik (Salluit, Inukjuak and Kuujjuaq) to record professional quality albums with Inuit musicians.

The initiative emanates from Avataq, the Cultural Institute of Inuit in Nunavik.

Nunavik groups often testified to their difficulty in recording their music. Several people must be moved to Montreal, rent a studio. It’s complicated and it’s very expensiveexplains Andrée Anne Vien, coordinator of Aumaggiivik, the Nunavik Arts Secretariat. From there was born the idea of ​​going to communities to help his artists produce a professional quality album.

Six albums were recorded. In addition to that of Charlie, Simon Walls Worked with Caroline Alexander, Qimutjuit, Johnny Saunders, Paulusie Amaralik and Conlucy Idlout. Some, like Caroline Alexander, 84, composed cult songs in the region, but which had never been recordedhe specifies.

The albums are accessible on the Aumaggiivik Facebook page. That of Charlie Taqqik will be available from May 9.

In Nunavik, the project is a huge success, beyond what we expectedrejoices Andrée Anne Vien. Music, in this region, is really very important.

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