2018 Alianait Arts Festival

Alianait Arts Festival, Nunavut’s largest circumpolar arts event, will showcase an exciting lineup of performers, including many Inuit and Indigenous artists. e

Our 2018 line-up includes Greenland’s hottest rock band Nanook. Maori trio Māma Mihirangi & the Mareikura. Dazzling and soulful Juno-nominee Cris Derksen will also be on our stage, along with multiple award-winning indigenous artists Leela Gilday and Twin Flames.  Australian powerhouse duo This Way North and Newfoundland’s own Séan McCann are joining Alianait this year. Banjo-picking singer-songwriter Old Man Luedecke, Igloolik’s rising star Lazarus Qattalik and Arviat's Agaaqtoq will make encore appearances this year as well.

The festival will once again include a collaboration featuring Indigenous artists from around the world, and this year’s theme Dreams, will be directed by Sylvia Cloutier. 

Here's a taste of our stellar line-up:

NANOOK - Greenland’s most popular band, Nanook will release their fourth studio album in May, just in time for Alianait. More than 100 Iqaluit fans lined up for autographs and selfies when they were here in 2015. We are thrilled to bring them for their second Canadian gig. 

LEELA GILDAY - A passionate singer/songwriter and soulful performer, Leela has a voice that comes straight from the heart. Confessing her stories to her audiences with a gutsy voice and open stage presence, Gilday weaves her experiences as a northerner, a member of the Dene nation, and a traveler in a beautiful world.

LAZARUS QATTALIK - Lazarus had hearts melting at his debut Alianait performance earlier this year. His first album Iqippagit is already becoming a household favourite among Inuktitut music lovers. On March 9th, Lazarus performed on the Yukon Arts Centre stage as part of the Yukon Arts Summit. He will be joined by his bandmate Allan Kangok.     

MAMA MIHIRANGI & THE MAREIKURA - an all-female contemporary Indigenous music and dance group touring Canada with their conscious Māori soulful dance n roots, spiritual beats and bass loops.  Māmā Mihirangi has toured Canada many times before, and is currently doing a collaboration with ShoShona Raven of Digging Roots for the Commonwealth Games in Australia and will also be performing with A Tribe Called Red at Indigenoize in June.

SÉAN McCANN - McCann's love for Newfoundland and Labrador folk songs shot him to international fame as a founding member of the renowned group Great Big Sea. After millions of albums sold, countless hit songs, and record-breaking tours around the world, Séan now tours as a solo artist in intimate venues where he can connect with his audience face-to-face with music bringing peace, love and happiness.

CRIS DERKSEN - Juno nominated Indigenous cellist / composer Cris Derksen is originally from Northern Alberta, which forms many of her musings, as a half Cree, half Mennonite 2 spirit human. Lately she's been traipsing around the globe with her 2 buds: Nimkii Osawamick - hoop dance and Jesse Baird - drums.

TWIN FLAMES a captivating duo that combines two accomplished singer songwriters Chelsey June an Algonquin/Cree/Métis woman and Jaaji an Inuk/Mohawk man from Nunavik and Kahnawake. Twin Flames play both Inuttitut and English folk-pop-rock with an acoustic roots flavour and an Americana feel. This powerful duo won the 2016 Canadian Folk Music Award for Aboriginal Songwriters of the Year. 

THIS WAY NORTH - Australian's Leisha Jungalwalla and Cat Leahy, a guitar/drum two-piece with a deceptive and powerful full band sound. The duo put on a colourful show featuring honest songs about everyday life. Their exciting show-WOMAN-ship is marked with tight guitar licks and lush slide guitar tones, live guitar looping and bombastic, mesmerizing drumming.

OLD MAN LUEDECKE - is none other than two-time Juno Award-winning Canadian singer-songwriter and banjo player Chris Luedecke of Chester, Nova Scotia. His latest release, Domestic Eccentric was recorded in a cabin in the snowy Nova Scotia woods. Not since Loudon Wainwright III has anyone written so honestly, so openly, or with such aching tenderness and good humour about family life.