Songs of the North at the Edmonton Folk Festival

Colin Adjun

Colin Adjun at the Glenbow Museum

Colin Adjun is one of Nunavut’s foremost fiddlers.
Kugluktuk, Nunavut

Colin is from the small community of Kugluktuk, NV on the Arctic coast. Colin has been playing his fiddle for almost 50 years. He has 3 recordings and many songs about the Arctic to his credit. He first started fiddling when he was 9 years old and living on Reid Island. With the help of his uncles, Colin developed skill and passion for music. He has also trained himself by ear, by waiting for new recordings and by listening to the Saturday Night Hoe Down Show on northern radio. Colin and his fiddle have travelled to festivals and concerts across the North, through southern Canada and the USA. Colin has had special invitations to play in Anchorage, Alaska, Whitehorse, Yukon, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia and Inuvik, NWT. Colin Adjun interprets old favourites as well as his own compositions with the seamless skill of a master. Whenever he plays, it’s not long before the dance floor fills up! Colin said once in an interview that he was born “with music in his head”. He plays square dances in villages all over the Arctic. He plays wherever people will listen to his unique country and northern stylings. Colin has 3 recordings now. His latest is Beluga Waters which was recorded in 1997 at Spiritwalker Productions in Yellowknife, NWT with Norm Glowach. This CD was made possible by generous support form the NWT Arts Council. Beluga Waters features 12 original tunes including “Gustin’s Reel” which Colin wrote for his son and also “When You Look Into My Eyes” which he wrote for his wife, Mavis Elias. Colin doesn’t read music. He says he learns a new melody just by listening to it. During the day, Colin is a Wildlife Officer with the Nunavut Territorial Government. Besides making the strings of his fiddle sing, Colin is comfortable with guitar, piano, banjo, accordion and mandolin. In 2002, Colin appeared at the Great Northern Arts Festival in Inuvik, NWT and also the Folk on the Rocks festival in Yellowknife, NWT. And recently, Colin and his unique northern fiddling music was introduced to Japanese listeners with songs from Beluga Waters featured on Radio Nagasaki. Colin now makes his home in Yellowknife, NT.

Alan Budd with Colin Adjun

Inuvik Drummers & Dancers

The Inuvik Drummers and Dancers has performed at the Canadian Museum of Civilization and in the Western Arctic. Like all other peoples of the world, the Inuvialuit of the Western Arctic have a form of song and dance. Prior to the arrival of the Tan’ngit (Europeans) on our traditional lands, the Inuvialuit used songs and chants to recount legends, stories and prehistory at gatherings. In traditional times, they would hold festivals and gatherings where many of our people would dance to act out songs and chants.

After the arrival of the Tan’ngit, Inuvialuit culture began to change. Among the changes was a decline in the transmission of our traditional form of dance. The need to pass on this form of dance, as well as our songs, to younger generations was of great concern to our Elders. They recognized that an integral part of our culture could be lost and forgotten. As a result of their concern, many young determined individuals began to learn the art of drum dancing, guided by our Elders. Today, after only four years of instruction, there are four prominent groups of drummers and dancers, both young and old. One of these groups is The Inuvik Drummers and Dancers.
Since The Inuvik Drummers and Dancers was formed in the spring of 1990, we have learned many of our traditional songs and dances with the help of our Elders. George and Martha Harry have put a lot of time and effort into teaching, along with Sara Tingmiak, Emma Dick and Tom Kimiksana. In November 1990, nine members of our group, along with Billy Day, travelled to the Canadian Museum of Civilization to perform. They have also been to Yellowknife, along with the Drummers and Dancers from Aklavik and Tuktoyaktuk. When they perform at community events, the Elders and the rest of the Inuvialuit are always impressed and are very happy that the Inuvik Drummers and Dancers are trying hard to carry on their tradition.

This is Silk Road Music

Welcome to Silk Road Music.

Silk Road Music was founded in 1998, Silk Road Music is an ongoing project using the “Silk Road” theme to explore music & western spirit. Silk Road Music is an independent group with a difference. Silk Road Music is Alberta based and caters to cowboy & western spirit. Silk Road Music specializes in cowboy spirit & western roots music all with a world flavour. We are a resource for the music and arts community of Alberta and beyond. Our goal is to provide music for learning about the Silk Road & Western Spirit. Feel free to contact us with your suggestions. Be sure to let us know in what ways you may have found our music to be of value. Most likely you are here because someone told you about the Silk Road Music pages. We are soley referral based and so there is no advertising. However, if there is then it is mostly in terms of sponsorship. We feel that our grassroots approach is the best way for us to grow and reach out to artists and songwriters in Alberta and beyond. In this way, we feel we can serve you in a way you come to expect. In fact, most visitors seek us and choose Silk Road Music because of our reputation in the community.

Silk Road Music is sponsored by the Silkroad Coffee Traders.