‘Song of the Whales’ graces Montreal stage

Nina Segalowitz, right, stands alongside her throat-singing partner Lydia Etok. The pair used their talents for a percussive sound that would accompany the Maori and Aboriginal singing. (Photo by Cedric Gallant)

An ode to ocean life that weaves Indigenous music from across the globe had its inaugural show Aug. 6 at Montreal’s First Peoples’ International Festival.

Song of the Whales mixes the percussive Inuit throat singing of Nina Segalowitz and Lydia Etok with the powerful intensity of Maori singer Whaia Sonic Weaver. Their voices are accompanied by singer Uncle Bunna Lawrie of the Yinyila Nation, an Indigenous group that calls the southern coast of Australia home.

“It was such an incredible process,” said Segalowitz, an Inuvialuit and Dene throat singer living in Montreal, in an interview.

It took the ensemble three years to create the show, led by composers Corrina Bonshek from Australia and Katia Makdissi-Warren from Canada.

The group met in person for the first time Aug. 2, rehearsing for nearly eight hours over three consecutive days.

“It was incredible to see how many similarities there were between the Maori, the Aboriginals, and our communities,” said Segalowitz.

“When I meet Indigenous people from around the world, it makes me feel connected to other parts of the world,” she added. “To be on stage with them, to listen to their songs, it was incredible.”

The musical act explores the deep relationship Indigenous Peoples have to the oceans. Segalowitz thought of the Inuk goddess Sedna, as well as her own ancestors, in order to get into the theme.

“People tried to eradicate us,” said Segalowitz. “Our music, our songs, our ceremonies, our language, everything — we were supposed to be assimilated.

“Here we are together, making incredible music and shining.”

The group is set to go on tour with its next performance scheduled for Niagara Falls on Aug. 15. Then they will go to New York in September. In 2026, they are set to tour Australia and New Zealand.

The First Peoples’ International Festival, which runs from Aug. 5 to 14 in various locations around Montreal’s downtown area, has been promoting Indigenous creativity for 35 years.

“We are at a time in Canadian history where our voices have never been so loud,” Segalowitz said. “We were given space, but we need more of it.”