Susan Aglukark has been making music in Canada for decades. Her debut album, Arctic Rose, was an independent release that initially had very little distribution outside the Canadian North. It was her second album, This Child, released in 1995, that prompted Canadians around the country to take notice of this Inuk singer-songwriter. Now she’s preparing to celebrate that album’s 30th anniversary with a cross-country tour.
“Arctic Rose was, at the time, one of those bucket list projects, an incredible experience, and very personal. Then, when interest was generated from the industry, and record deals were being offered, it changed a lot of things.”
Aglukark says that with This Child, she began to see herself more clearly as an artist. “Going into the studio, it was a different tone entirely. It was this clear space where I could explore, and focus differently on the songs. It was the beginning of discovering the songwriter and the singer and the artist. It was an important project for me in those early years.”
The topics Aglukark explores on This Child are diverse, and some of them are weighty. “Kathy I” is a poignant song about youth suicide, and “O Siem” speaks directly about the pain and consequences of colonialism. When asked if the songs broke new ground for Canadian music, Aglukark says yes, and adds that they broke new ground for her personally as well.
“I was doing a lot of discovery work. There was so much removed from us, that as artists, when we are discovering things, we need the time and the space to make those discoveries and to sit with them. This Child began that process for me. There’s a lot I didn’t know. There’s a lot I knew, but when we discover something, to a degree, we are triggered. We carry on triggered. We figure out how to navigate that space as artists, and then represent it on stage. The more I learned, the more I wanted to learn. The more I shared, the more I healed.”
Aglukark is humble about her own accomplishments, but she does recognize that the album opened space for conversations between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people. She also knows that reconciliation is a long and ongoing process. “There is more conversation happening now, nationally, which makes approaching these subjects less scary, but there’s still that hesitation, all the time.”
Now, as Aglukark prepares to celebrate this anniversary on tour, she will play with a full band, and she also will introduce her audiences to Angela Amarualik, an Inuk singer-songwriter and throat singer from Igloolik. Says Aglukark, “I first heard her in 2018 or 2019 when she was starting to release her own music. I had a bit of a kindred experience with her. I was excited to watch her and see what she would do in her life.”
Aglukark says that when she began planning the 30th anniversary tour for This Child, “I knew right away who I would want to bring on this tour with me, to share this cross country experience. And she has been incredible. People will be happy and surprised to see what she brings to the stage.”
Susan Aglukark, with opening artist Angela Amarualik, will play Medicine Hat March 25, Okotoks March 26, Fort Saskatchewan March 27, Camrose March 28, and Fort Mc Murray March 30. Find details at susanaglukark.com
“O Siem” is a beloved track from Aglukark’s 1995 album, This Child.
