‘It was something else’: Arviat artist plays live for first time at Iqaluit concert

Jacob Okatsiak’s introduction to music came during church service, as a young boy sitting with his father.

“I always followed the beat, with my hands, to the gospel music,” the 22-year-old from Arviat told Nunatsiaq News.

Jacob Okatsiak performing live in Iqaluit for NUPOP. (Photo courtesy of Jacob Okatsiak)

He said his father helped him continue on his musical path and taught him to sing when he was seven years old, and to play the piano.

“My dad taught me everything I know about music,” he said, adding his father, Sandy Sr. Okatsiak, was one of the best musicians in Arviat.

Last weekend, Okatsiak performed at Iqaluit’s NUPOP festival, held from Sept. 28 to Oct. 2 at the Aqsarniit Hotel.

He was performing live for the first time in his career, but said he wasn’t shy in front of the crowd and in the glare of the stage lights because his set was dedicated to his father, who passed away in June.

“I did it for my dad,” Okatsiak said.

In front of an excited audience of about 200, he took to the stage Saturday night to perform three songs from his upcoming album.

“I’ve never been able to do that,” he said. “It was something else.”

He performed alongside fellow Nunavut musicians such as Joey Nowyuk and Shauna Seeteenak.

He played a high activity set, amping up the crowd with three of his songs: Eliminate, Fly High, and Inuugapta.

The performance comes after the release in September of Fly High as his first single. His 15-song album is titled Inuugapta, which means ‘we are people too,’ in Inuktitut.

With his ability to rap, sing and play multiple instruments, Okatsiak has picked up the moniker the ‘Drake of Nunavut.’ That nickname was borne out during his performance, as he transitioned between rapping and singing throughout his three songs.

Outside of singing, rapping and playing the piano, Okatsiak also learned to play guitar with his brother.

“It’s the ability to express my feelings,” he said of why he loves music.

His upcoming album will express a range of emotions, Okatsiak said. There are songs that are happy and convey the feeling of excitement to get up in the morning, and others that are heavier and address losing a loved one, he said.

Because Inuit don’t have a large platform in the music industry, he sees his album as a way to showcase the talent of Inuit performers.

“We have feelings, and we want to tell them,” he said.

Accomplishing that goal took much effort, he said, adding he spent a lot of time trying to find the right words to convey the feelings of others, as well as his own.

Okatsiak’s album Inuugapta is scheduled to be released in early 2023, his record label Hitmakerz stated in a media release.