Nunavut musician Aasiva ‘excited’ and ‘nervous’ ahead of Canada Day show in Ottawa
National concert in Ottawa will be broadcast on CBC and Radio-Canada
Colleen Nakashuk, who performs as Aasiva, is set to take the stage at the national Canada Day evening show at LeBreton Flats Park in Ottawa on Tuesday. The concert will be broadcast live on CBC and Radio-Canada platforms.(Photo by Isabelle Dubois., special to Nunatsiaq News)
Nunavut singer-songwriter Aasiva will take the stage at the national Canada Day evening show in Ottawa on Tuesday.
“I’m feeling pretty excited and nervous,” she said in an interview Tuesday afternoon, ahead of her performance.
Aasiva, the stage name of Colleen Nakashuk, is originally from Pangnirtung and now lives in Iqaluit. She is known for combining Inuktitut lyrics, ukulele and throat singing in her music.
A former student of the Tusarnaarniq Sivumut Association – Music for the Future, Nakashuk now serves as an instructor and director with the organization, which supports music education for northern youth.
The Canada Day evening show will take place at LeBreton Flats Park in Ottawa from 8 to 10 p.m. It will be broadcast live across the country on CBC, CBC Gem, ICI Télé and other platforms.
Screens will also show the concert at Parliament Hill and near the Supreme Court of Canada.
“I will be performing Anaanakuluga, which is a song I wrote for my mom. I have my little ukulele with me and I’ll be wearing a beautiful Silapaaq I bought from the Kitikmeot Heritage Centre in Cambridge Bay,” she said.
The biggest emotion she was feeling before the show was “gratitude,” she said.
“I’m so extremely honoured to participate in this year’s Canada Day festival and the fact that it’s being broadcast nationally is even more jaw-dropping.”
Rehearsals wrapped up Monday, and Tuesday was all about preparing for the big night, she said.
“There’s quite a few of my friends and family in Ottawa right now and they’re planning on coming to see me at the show tonight,” she said.
Aasiva previously performed in the RBCxMusic concert series in 2020, a pandemic-era initiative to support emerging Canadian artists. Her 10-minute online performance featured three original songs in English and Inuktitut.
She released her debut album in 2018 through Iqaluit-based Aakuluk Music. The record, titled Aasiva, earned her nominations for Best Folk Album and Best New Artist at the 2019 Indigenous Music Award.
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