Throat Singing: An Underrated Form of Art

Two Inuit women stand very close together, holding each other’s arms. One begins, laying down the pattern and rhythm, using the sounds of both her exhaled and inhaled breath and leaving bits of silence between the repetitions of the pattern. Her partner follows, filling in those spaces, matching both the song itself and the timing.

This is Inuit throat singing, and it was traditionally performed as a friendly game or competition between women: whoever breaks rhythm, runs out of breath, or bursts out laughing first is the loser. These throat songs often mimic sounds from the natural world and daily life: wind blowing over the tundra, animal calls, or the sounds of chores like cleaning sled runners.

Throat singing on the world stage

Today’s Inuit musicians are bringing throat singing into contemporary music in exciting ways.

Iva is an Inuit throat singer, poet, and collaborating artist from Rankin Inlet, Nunavut who has performed across Canada and around the world. She says, “Throat singing is so rhythmic, and sometimes melodic, which makes it simple to collaborate with other forms of music. I’ve performed throat singing in collaboration with hip-hop/beatboxing, with an orchestra, with a didgeridoo player, and with as many as six throat singers together.” In her own music, Iva (her stage name is a shortened form of her Inuit name, Ivaluarjuk) often combines throat singing with her spoken word poetry and with folk music: “A sound inspired by both my Inuit and Irish heritage.”

Funnily enough, it wasn’t in Nunavut, but in Ottawa that Iva first learned to throat sing. “I was in a college program for Nunavut Inuit students that included learning and performing cultural song and dance. I fell in love with the sound and laughter [of throat singing] and wanted to learn everything I possibly could. At the time, I spoke almost no Inuktitut (the Inuit language), so I really think throat singing was a way for me to hold onto where I come from.”

And that’s important to Iva, who despite a busy travel schedule still makes Rankin Inlet her home. “It’s what fuels me. After a long trip, coming home to family, crisp Arctic air, the peaceful movement of time, and small town community togetherness is huge for my recovery and re-energizing. I know you can feel my love for home in my music.”

Throat singing was banned by the Christian clergy for many decades. That’s hard for us to understand today, but luckily not everyone obeyed! Throat singing survived, and many young people are now learning the tradition. In fact, two 11-year-old throat singers, Samantha Metcalfe and Cailyn DeGrandpre, performed at Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s swearing-in ceremony.

I think that throat singing is a priceless art which should be pushed into the mainstream. Throat singers like Iva are talented​ and deserve recognition.

What are your thoughts? Tell me in the comments below!