03/28/2024
The Blake Sisters began performing as an exclusive sisters group in 2008. Brenda and Tabitha grew up in the beautiful town of Rigolet Nunatsiavut but moved to St. John’s for education. At present, Brenda resides in St. Johns and Tabitha in Gatineau, Quebec.
Growing up, in Rigolet, the sisters had limited knowledge of their Inuit Heritage, as it was a colonial lifestyle. All they knew, which was passed down, was the knowledge of how to harvest from the land each season. Albeit, their summers were spent on the land and they didn’t return to the community until just before school opened in the fall of the year.
When they moved away from Rigolet, the sisters followed different paths in learning about their Inuit heritage; such as taking language lessons, researching Inuit traditions online, speaking with elders, and joining a local Urban Inuit Drum Group. It was through the drum group that they were introduced to the qilaut and throat singing. This lit a spark in them to reconcile the loss of their traditional ways. The art of throat singing and drumming was reborn in each sister! Both sisters learned the basic methods of throat singing from the drum group but furthered their skills by listening to cd’s, watching online videos and consulting with other fellow Inuit. These varied methods allowed them to learn different techniques of throat singing which broadened their skills. The ancient Inuit art of throat singing is a passion that brings them much pride and joy.
Please feel free to reach out for performances, workshops and knowledge sharing as we are available for in person and online platforms.
