If you walk past Rankin InletSA国际影视传媒檚 rec hall late at night you might notice the faint rumble of a rhythm which has a slight Credence Clearwater Revival tinge to it.
But listen a little closer and youSA国际影视传媒檒l hear that the lyrics are being sung in Inuktitut not English. Those who remember the 90s might even recognize some of the words which were first penned by friends Leo Subgut and Noah Tiktak back when they had more hair and thinner waistlines.
With most members except for their 39-year-old drummer well into their 50s, Rankin InletSA国际影视传媒檚 Katuutiit may not be the youngest band in town. But nearly 10 years since they last played together the gang, who once toured Nunavut together on a regular basis, are jamming again and eyeing up the chance to perform to a new younger audience.
SA国际影视传媒淟ast year I started calling the boys again and said come on boys weSA国际影视传媒檙e still alive. We can go this. LetSA国际影视传媒檚 reunite. So weSA国际影视传媒檙e back together again,SA国际影视传媒� said founding member Leo Subgut.
Katuutiit, which is the Inuktitut plural for the sticks used to beat a traditional drum, first formed when Tiktak noticed Subgut playing guitar at the communitySA国际影视传媒檚 square dances in the early 80s.
SA国际影视传媒� I envied the music he played,SA国际影视传媒� said Tiktak. SA国际影视传媒淗e made people happy.SA国际影视传媒�
So one day Tiktak invited him over to his house for a jam session
SA国际影视传媒淚 had a keyboard and I said letSA国际影视传媒檚 put something together. And here we are.SA国际影视传媒�
The story isnSA国际影视传媒檛 really as straightforward as Tiktak lets on. In the early days of playing together, Subgut and Tiktak would brainstorm about the kinds of music people wanted to hear. Unlike most live music in town at the time SA国际影视传媒� mostly square dancing or traditional Inuit music SA国际影视传媒� Subgut and Tiktak were into the Beatles, the Rolling Stones and of course CCR. However they waned to write lyrics which Inuit can relate to, which first and foremost, meant singing in Inuktitut.
SA国际影视传媒淚tSA国际影视传媒檚 very important to keep langue alive because it seems to be depleting very fast region by region,SA国际影视传媒� said Subgut.
SA国际影视传媒淚f weSA国际影视传媒檙e singing in Inuktitut, itSA国际影视传媒檚 one of the tools we can use to keep it alive.SA国际影视传媒�
The two enjoyed playing and writing songs together as two piece and one point added two female vocalists to the band. But after a few years. Katuutiit went on hiatus.
It wasnSA国际影视传媒檛 until a decade later, in December of 1994, that the two decided to get back together. This time they added the rhythm section which rounds out the group to this day.
The included Luke Anglidik on bass/keys, John Taipana, on rhythm guitar and Paliak Kaput the young drummer, who had started playing square dances when he was just 9-years-old.
SA国际影视传媒淓veryone knew him as the little drummer boy,SA国际影视传媒� Anglidik told Kivalliq News ahead of a jam session.
The new line-up allowed the band to develop the fuller rock and roll sound that would make them popular across Nunavut. From the mid 90s to the early 2000s Katuutiit played shows in Arivat, Northern Quebec, Cambridge Bay, Baker Lake, Coral Harbour, Chesterfied Inlet, Gjoa Haven, Kugluktuk and even YellowknifeSA国际影视传媒檚 Folk on The Rocks festival. Subgut said the band loved being able to travel the North and share their music with people.
SA国际影视传媒淓xcept for that time in Gjoa Haven because we were gone for 10 days and everyone ended up getting homesick.SA国际影视传媒�
The band even went to Yellowknife to record their only ever album, a seven song EP. The album includes the fan favourite, Aullaarumannarmat, which Subgut says is essentially a song about going out on the land.
SA国际影视传媒淚tSA国际影视传媒檚 about when youSA国际影视传媒檙e stuck in a the community for a long cold year, spring comes and everyone wants to go out fishing and hunting.SA国际影视传媒�
After about 10 years together 5-member iteration of Katuutiit went their separate ways again. The band attributed the break-up to their growing list of responsibilities parents and grandparents. Now that they are playing together again, the band is hoping social media will allow their music to reach a new audience.
SA国际影视传媒淏ack then we only had radio stations. So the way I marketed our band is I brought our CD to our radio station here and I sent one to CBC Iqaluit and CBC in Northern Quebec,SA国际影视传媒� said Tiktak.
Sure enough since they started playing together again their music has started to see some traction on Facebook. Titktak said he saw a video being shared around of a young boy learning to play one of their songs on the keyboard.
And it was a recording of the band playing last yearSA国际影视传媒檚 Christmas concert in Rankin shared on Faceook that got Katuutiit its first major gig since reuniting.
Tiktak said organizers of ArviatSA国际影视传媒檚 Inumariit festival approached the band to play this summer after seeing the video online. The turn of events was fitting given that Inumariit was the first festival the band ever played as five piece back in the 90s.
It may be familiar territory but this time the boys have no plans of breaking up the band again.
SA国际影视传媒淚 want to keep going as long as I can play,SA国际影视传媒� said Tiktak.
