It was a night of celebration with a hint of revolution in Iqaluit Saturday as Pan-Arctic Vision rocked Iqaluit.
Nine performers, each representing a different Arctic region, wowed the audience at the cadet hall with their musical performances.
Three prizes that were up for grabs for the best acts, which were voted on by both the in-person crowd and those who tuned into the broadcast online from locations such as Greenland, Alaska and Norway.
“Unbelievable,” was how Ekaterina Savvinova, who performs as Saina, described winning the prize for the Most Arctic Song.
Hailing from Yakutsk in eastern Russia, Saina’s performance mixed throat singing, drumming and singing through a mouth harp.
Geðbrigði, a four-piece punk band from Iceland, took home the prize for Most Revolutionary Song with a rocking and scream-infused performance.
Linus Johnsen, who is from Sápmi Region in northern Norway, won the prize for “song that gives the most feeling of community and togetherness.”
One of the warmest receptions any of the artists received Saturday was for Shauna Seeteenak.
Originally from Baker Lake and now living in Iqaluit, Seeteenak was Nunavut’s representative performer at the event after being selected during the Alianait Arts Festival earlier this year.
She delivered a moving rap performance, highlighting issues such as suicide, mental health and addiction.
Iqaluit artist Laakkuluk Williamson emceed the event, which featured the consistent light of a qulliq, tended to by Naja Pearce.
Beyond the nine competitors’ performances, there were some bonus performances at the end, including a throat singing duo made up of Nancy Mike and Ivaluarjuk Kathleen Merritt, as well as a drum and singing performance by the Inuksuk Drum Dancers.
Also, all nine acts from the main show got together on stage for a closing group performance.
Pan-Arctic Vision will not return to Iqaluit next year. An audience vote resulted in the Faroe Islands being selected for the next event.
“It was so nice to see the community of Iqaluit showing up and embracing the musicians, embracing the event,” said Amund Sjølie Sveen, Pan-Arctic Vision’s director.