Syncopated evenings raise $300 for homeless shelter

Two performances by one of Canada’s leading ja performers last week raised $300 for Iqaluit’s Oqota Homeless Shelter.

Montreal drummer Bernard Primeau and his ja ensemble visited Nunavut’s capital Jan. 15 and 16, giving two evening shows at the Astro Theatre and an afternoon concert for Iqaluit high school students.

“We’re quite happy with the whole thing,” organizer Caroline Cournoyer said. “The best thing was to see the faces of people who had never heard ja before.”

Cournoyer, a mental health worker with the Nunavut government, formed a group with other organizers called “Bipolar Productions” to stage the show.

Primeau’s group performs annually at the Montreal International Ja Festival, and has toured clubs and concert halls across North America and Europe.