Melodic voices, drums, guitars and dancing will make for a lively three days in Cambridge Bay Aug. 2-4.
The Ovayok Broadcasting Society is organizing the inaugural Mosquito Music Festival to keep people entertained that long weekend.
image courtesy of the Ovayok Broadcasting Society
SA国际影视传媒淭hereSA国际影视传媒檚 a southern Nunavut music festival SA国际影视传媒� in Arviat they have something (the Inuumariit Music Festival) SA国际影视传媒� but outside of that for the northern part of Nunavut there hasnSA国际影视传媒檛 been anything,SA国际影视传媒� said Wayne Gregory, president of the broadcasting society. SA国际影视传媒淔or the end of summer, weSA国际影视传媒檝e normally been fairly quiet. To liven up and bring entertainment to Nunavut we said weSA国际影视传媒檒l see what we can do.SA国际影视传媒�
Planning by eight Ovayok society members began about three months ago. The timeline is too compressed to accomplish all that the volunteers hoped to include this year.
SA国际影视传媒淲eSA国际影视传媒檙e going through our trials and tribulations as we speak,SA国际影视传媒� Gregory said, laughing.
However, theySA国际影视传媒檙e already starting to arrange some details for the 2020 edition of the Mosquito Music Festival to make it bigger and better, said Gregory.
Throat-singer Donna Lyall will be among the numerous Nunavut cultural performers to take the stage in a couple of weeks.
SA国际影视传媒淚f they want or need help with anything else ISA国际影视传媒檓 there to help but mostly will be there for the fun,SA国际影视传媒� Lyall said.
Other booked acts include YellowknifeSA国际影视传媒檚 Welders Daughter, childrenSA国际影视传媒檚 entertainers The Blues Berries, the gospel trio comprising Shawn, Lynette and Kaison Holmes and local square dancers. Outdoor games, a barbecue and a beer garden are also on the schedule.
Cambridge BaySA国际影视传媒檚 Jerry Puglik, a longtime drum dancer and instructor, said he may get involved in the festival if he has no scheduling conflicts.
SA国际影视传媒�I look forward to it. It brings young and old musicians (together) from across Nunavut,SA国际影视传媒� said Puglik. SA国际影视传媒淭hereSA国际影视传媒檚 a lot of talented musicians (locally), we just donSA国际影视传媒檛 often see them all the time.SA国际影视传媒�
The performances will take place outside so long as the weather cooperates. As a contingency, the broadcasting society has booked the community hall and both schools in case the entertainment has to move indoors.
The name of the festival was inspired by a documentary that Gregory happened to watch the night before an organizing meeting. That TV show revealed that the highest concentration of mosquitoes in the world is found in the Amazon and the Arctic comes in second place in terms of the flying parasites.
SA国际影视传媒淚 was like, what? So I went and did a little research on it and I found it was true. I was shocked,SA国际影视传媒� said Gregory.
The hard-to-avoid blood-sucking pests thereby will gain a little more notoriety in August.
Lyall could do without them.
SA国际影视传媒淚SA国际影视传媒檝e performed outdoors many times SA国际影视传媒� should be interesting. But (ISA国际影视传媒檓) not looking forward to the mosquitoes,SA国际影视传媒� she confessed.
Members of the broadcasting society have worked out a discount for airfare for those flying in for the festival and a discount for accommodations was being negotiated as well, Gregory said.
