Place des festivals

DUE TO THE WEATHER FORECAST, THIS SHOW WILL BE STARTING AT 7:30 PM INSTEAD OF 8:30 PM!

Saimaniq Sivumut

Since 2010, Oktoecho has enjoyed sharing the richness of Inuit culture with the public through original compositions. Saimaniq Sivumut, an original creation that celebrates katajjaq, Inuit drumming, and Ayaya singing, true jewels of this ancient culture. This project is teeming with musical encounters, Arab polyrhythms, Japanese and Irish flutes, and electronic music. The alchemy creates a celebration of Inuit art through the prism of boundless creativity.

Oktoecho Biography

Founded in 2001, Oktoecho has been in residence at Maison de la Culture Ahuntsic since 2010. Under the artistic direction of composer Katia Makdissi-Warren and Inuit throat singers Lydia Etok, co-artistic director – Inuit component, and Nina Segalowitz, co-artistic director – Indigenous component (First Nations and Inuit), Oktoecho is a versatile ensemble (ranging from 3 to 30 artists) specializing in the fusion of Middle Eastern, Indigenous, and Western music. Oktoecho creates original Quebec works while exploring an aesthetic that embodies a world where the merging of different traditions transcends borders, reflecting the face of Quebec. The ensemble has received several OPUS Awards: Best World Music CD for Saimaniq (2019), Inclusion and Diversity Award (2020), Best World Music Concert of the Year for Transcestral and Composer of the Year (2024). Its album Transcestral won 3 awards in different categories at the Global Music Award (USA). In 2023, Transcestral won the Oliver Schroer Award for Musical Innovation at the Canadian Folk Music Awards. Oktoecho has been nominated several times for the OPUS Awards, ADISQ, and Canadian Folk Music Awards.