Making Northern Music

Drumming, dancing and chanting are age-old traditions in the Northwest Territories. The drums and the way they are played differ from region to region, but everywhere, the drumbeat ties the people to the land and to their traditions. The Inuvialuit sing narrative songs, dance songs, hunting songs and game songs to the beat of the drum. A Dene tea dance might follow prayer songs, and then the celebration might go on all night, with some hard driving guessing games for entertainment.

European traditions have also contributed to the performing arts. Hymns are sung in native languages. Fiddling and accordion playing draw on Scottish and Irish traditions. Square-dancing and two-stepping are popular along with jigging, a dance based on a shuffle-step that is a great deal more difficult than it looks.

Modern music, country and western, rock, rhythm and blues also take to the stages around the territory. The lyrics may be in English or in one of the Aboriginal languages. There are several music festivals each summer, and the highlights might be a local band with a new sound, an Aboriginal vocalist, and a wind up dance to traditional drumming.

Many communities have a group of traditional drummers who perform at local events, as well as at festivals. Some current artists with a variety of sounds and influences from the Northwest Territories include Leela Gilday, Diga, Priscilla’s Revenge, Rick and the Relics, the Gumboots, Pat Braden, Lee Mandeville, and rapper Godson.