Inuktut songwriters embark on concert tour marking Qilaut contest anniversary
Four winners of 10th annual Qilaut Inuktut Songwriting Contest to perform original songs in 3 communities
Tooma Laisa, centre, shown in 2022 during a performance in Nuuk, Greenland, won first place in the 2025 Qilaut Inuktut songwriting contest. She and three other winners will perform in Pond Inlet on Friday. (File photo by Vincent Desrosiers)
Updated Feb. 6 at 6:20 p.m. ET
Four Inuit songwriters are embarking on a three-community concert tour starting Friday at 7 p.m. at the Pond Inlet community hall.
The series of shows is being held to mark the 10th anniversary of the Qilaut Songwriting Contest, which showcases the work of Inuktut songwriters and musicians.
The other performance dates are Feb. 11 at the Arviat community hall, and Feb. 14 at the Cambridge Bay community hall. Both shows start at 7 p.m.
The four artists who will perform are Tooma Laisa and Kristy Kanayuk, both from Iqaluit; Leetia Kalluk of Arctic Bay; and Jocelyn Malla of Coral Harbour.
They were the winners of the 10th annual Qilaut contest, selected from a pool of 31 entrants last July.
The concert series is organized by Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. and the Government of Nunavut, working with the Alianait Arts Festival.
“Our language carries our world view, our laws, and our identity as Inuit,” NTI president Paul Irngaut said in a news release Friday announcing the shows.
“We are proud to support initiatives like Qilaut because they strengthen Inuktut in meaningful ways through creativity, community and the voices of Inuit themselves.”
In addition to the performances, Alianait representatives will host Inuktut writing workshops in each community, with more information to be provided on local radio and social media.
To date, more than 100 songs and 11 albums have been recorded and released as part of the Qilaut Songwriting Contest, which was launched on World Indigenous Day, Aug. 9, 2015.
Note: This story was corrected to note the concert series is jointly organized by the Government of Nunavut and NTI
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