Throat-singing duo honour past, look to future in new double album

Updated June 20 at 3:40 p.m. ET

An Ottawa-based throat-singing duo is releasing a double album this summer that honours the past while looking to the future.

“Inua and Sila is Boss is a double-album concept,” said Charlotte Qamaniq, one half of throat singing duo Silla, in a news release from music publicist Eric Alper.

“One side is our inheritance, songs sung for generations, the other side re-imagines that world — same roots, but plugged into amps, synths, and storytelling arcs.”

Inua is coming out Saturday and Sila is Boss is scheduled for release July 9.

Silla is Charlotte Qamaniq, originally from Igloolik, and Cynthia Pitsiulak, originally from Kimmirut. The pair have been making a “genre-defying” fusion of throat singing, hard rock, electronic and post-industrial music since 2005, the release said.

The pair put out two singles in conjunction with the anticipated album releases that exemplify each album.

Kaukuarjuk is a more traditional throat singing song on the first album, Inua. It was composed by Qamaniq’s brother, Kevin Qamaniq-Mason.

“These songs are a tribute to our past, a lesson in kinship, and a step forward for using our traditional music in new ways,” Qamaniq said in the release.

The Great Angakkuq, a single from Sila is Boss, weaves throat singing with “a cinematic soundscape, off-kilter rhythms, synth-wave pulses, and overdriven guitar.”

Silla will be performing in Iqaluit this weekend as part of the Alianait Arts Festival. On Friday, they’re part of the show at the big tent that starts at 6:30 p.m. and on Saturday they will perform at the Pride event at the Aqsarniit hotel, which starts at 11 p.m.

Note: This story was updated to include information on Silla’s performances this weekend in Iqaluit.