FROM NEW ALBUM SILARJUAQ
OUT NOW VIA BALANCED RECORDS

TORONTO, ON – January 12, 2022 – Following the success of their latest album, Silarjuaq, (October 29, 2021), Ottawa, ON/Nunavut-based JUNO-nominated ensemble, Silla and Rise, unveil an incredible video for standout track, Nutarannut (For The Children) featuring Tanya Tagaq. Written and performed by Charlotte Qamaniq, Charlotte Carleton, Rise Ashen and Tanya Tagaq, Nutarannut comes from the mother’s heart. The visual was animated by acclaimed award-winning visual artist, JonJon, who has worked with P!nk, Mustafa The Poet, HXOUSE/XO, The Weeknd, and more. Watch the video for Nutarannut (For The Children) featuring Tanya Tagaq here and listen to Silarjuaq here.

The group adds: "As mothers we hold all children, not just our own. We nurture our children and Mother Nature nurtures us in return. We are meant to love and care for the children in this world; to respect and to honour them. To abuse and neglect them, sending them back to Mother Earth in mass graves is an atrocity; a callous act of genocide, and one that was practiced systemically in Residential Schools by the Catholic Church with the cooperation of the Government of Canada. Instead of giving space to these serial abusers, we sing to the spirits of the children in remembrance and with love. The song features an excerpt of Charlotte Carleton’s daughter saying “Anaana aakuluk” (Mom I love you) – the Church abducted Indigenous children from their parents at her age. As you listen, take a moment to remember the children who were lost and cherish them."

With Silarjuaq, the album draws its title from the Inuktitut word for Universe: its root, Sila, has a broad definition that encompasses concepts of weather, the land, the spirit of the atmosphere, cunning, and intelligence. Adding the affix “-juaq” makes it “large” and alludes to the grander structure of the cosmos in which we find ourselves.
 
Silarjuaq expands Silla and Rise’s incredible career trajectory to date, blending the Inuit throat singing of Silla (Cynthia Pitsiulak, Charlotte Qamaniq and Charlotte Carleton) with the global dancefloor mixology of Rise Ashen. The group respects, honours and preserves Inuit culture and language, paying homage to the Inuit land and its strong connection to spirituality. Key themes on the album draw from inquiries around the universe, animals and nature, diving into the unknown, the love one shares with children and family, Indigenous rights, colonialism and beyond. Ambient production, frenetic beats and club-ready grooves provide the layered foundation for Silla’s prose and storytelling that weaves its way through the album, with features from Tanya Tagaq, Deirdre Dooley, Theland Kicknosway, Risten Anine, and Annie Aningmiuq.

The group shared powerful visuals to sample the release along the way. Highlights include Tulukkat, is the plural of tulugaq, the Inuktitut translation for "raven." With lyrics penned by the group's Charlotte Qamaniq, the symbolism of the raven is often complex and appears frequently in the stories of peoples around the world. Tulukkat brings this to life - listen here and view the stunning accompanying visual set on the Ottawa River, filmed and edited by Mike Scherling (Motion By Mike) here.

Tulukkat follows the group's previous release, Anirniq. Drawing its title from the Inuktitut word for "breath,"  it includes an energetic video that sees Silla and Rise moving to the rhythm of every beat alongside guest dancers, Alea Decastro, Julie Benoit, and Vanessa Lovell. Watch the crew dance in unison as Charlotte Qamaniq and Charlotte Carleton lead the way with every verse here. In June, Silla and Rise latched the project with Pandemonium. Originally presented live as part of EVERYSEEKER, a festival that presents contemporary music in Kjipuktuk / Halifax, Nova Scotia. The track evolved into a call-and-response video with Inuvialuk/Gwichin visual artist, Darcie Bernhardt, from Tuktuujaatuq, animating 9,000 watercolour stills and the resulting collaboration was broadcast live.

Listen to Silla and Rise’s latest here and learn more about the group's incredible career to date below. 

Photo by Katharine Takpannie

DOWNLOAD – Hi Res Press Photo | DOWNLOAD – Hi Res Silarjuaq Album Artwork

About Silla and Rise:
Silla have been performing together since 2005.  Its core members, Charlotte Qamaniq (Iglulik, NU) and Cynthia Pitsiulak (Kimmirut, NU) were joined in 2020 by the amazing Charlotte Carleton (Panniqtuuq, NU). Silla respects, honours and preserves Inuit culture and pays homage to the Inuit land and its strong connection to spirituality.  With their music, they invite audiences to experience the sounds of traditional and contemporary katajjaq - Inuit throat song.
 
Rise Ashen (Ottawa, ON) is a global-grooves producer, percussionist, DJ, and dancer.  He produces Silla and Rise and performs electronic percussion with the band for their live performances.  Rise has spent his life pursuing the intersection of traditional and futuristic music. 

Silla and Rise was founded in 2016, coming together to blend traditional aspects of Inuit throat singing and futuristic dance floor beats.  Since then, they’ve been nominated for two JUNO Awards. First for Indigenous Music Album of the Year in 2017, for their self-titled Debut: Silla + Rise, followed by a nod for their second album, Galactic Gala, for World Music Album of the Year in 2019. They were nominated for the Indigenous Music Awards for Best Inuit for Indigenous Language, for Francophone Album in 2017, and won the Stingray Award at Mundial Festival in Montreal in 2018.
 
About Silla and Rise (Inuktitut)
ᓯᓚ ᐊᒻᒪ ᕋᐃᔅ ᓂᔾᔮᑎᑦᑎᔨᐅᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᑲᑎᙵᓂᐅᕗᑦ ᐃᓚᖃᖅᑐᒥ ᐃᓄᖕᓂ ᑲᑕᔾᔭᖅᑎᐅᔪᓂ
ᑲᑎᙵᓂᐅᔪᓂ ᓯᓚ ᖁᙱᐊᖅᑕᐅᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᓴᓂᓕᖃᖅᖢᑎᒃ ᓄᓇᕐᔪᐊᒥ-ᓂᔾᔮᑎᑦᑎᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᒧᒥᕈᑕᐅᕙᒃᑐᓂ
ᓴᖅᑭᑎᑦᑎᔨᐅᓪᓗᓂ/ᐊᓇᐅᓪᓚᑦᑕᖅᑎ ᕋᐃᔅ ᐋᓯᓐ. ᖁᙱᐊᖅᑕᐅᖃᑦᑕᖅᓯᒪᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᕋᐃᔅᒥ ᑕᐃᒪᙵᓂ
2016−ᒥ, ᓯᓚᐅᑉ ᐃᓚᒋᔭᐅᔪᑦ ᓵᓕᑦ ᖃᒪᓂᖅ, ᓯᓐᑎᐊ ᐱᑦᓯᐅᓛᖅ ᐊᒻᒪ ᓵᓕᑦ ᑳᕈᓪᑕᓐ, ᑕᒪᒃᑭᑦ
ᓄᓇᕗᒻᒥᙶᖅᖢᑎᒃ, ᐱᓕᕆᓯᒪᕗᑦ ᐃᓕᓯᓂᕐᒥ ᐱᖅᑯᓯᑐᖃᖅᑎᒍᑦ ᑲᑕᔾᔭᕐᓂᕐᒥ ᒫᓐᓇᒨᓕᖓᔪᒥ
ᐋᖅᑭᒃᓯᒪᓂᖓᓂ, ᐊᒻᒪ ᐆᒻᒪᕆᒃᑏᓐᓇᖅᖢᓂᔾᔪᒃ ᐃᓱᒪᒋᓇᒍ ᑕᐃᔅᓱᒪᓂᑐᖃᕐᒥ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᒫᓐᓇᐅᔪᒥ
ᐅᓗᕆᐊᓇᕐᓂᐅᔪᓂ ᓴᖅᑭᑎᑕᐅᓯᒪᔪᓂ ᐱᖅᑯᓯᕆᙱᑕᓄᑦ ᐱᐅᓯᖃᓕᖅᑎᑕᐅᓂᕐᒧᑦ. ᕋᐃᔅᔅ
ᓂᔾᔮᑎᑦᑎᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐱᓇᓱᐊᖅᑕᖓ ᓴᖅᑭᓚᐅᖅᐳᖅ ᐱᓪᓚᕆᐅᔪᒥ ᐃᓱᒪᓕᐅᕐᓂᐅᔪᒥ ᐃᔨᕋᖅᑐᕐᓂᐅᔪᒥ
ᒧᒥᕐᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᑐᓴᕐᓈᕐᓂᐅᔪᒥ ᐊᒻᒪ ᓄᓇᕐᔪᐊᒥ ᑐᓴᕐᓈᕐᓂᕐᒥ – ᓇᒃᓴᖅᐳᖅ ᐊᔾᔨᒌᙱᕈᓘᔭᖅᑐᓂ
ᑐᓴᕐᓈᖅᑎᑦᑎᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐃᓱᒪᓕᐊᖑᔪᓂ ᐊᔾᔨᒌᙱᑦᑐᓂ ᐃᓕᖅᑯᓯᐅᔪᓂ – ᑕᐃᒪᐃᒐᔪᖕᓂᐅᔪᒥ ᐃᓚᖓ
ᐊᐅᓚᑦᑎᔨᐅᓪᓗᓂ ᓂᓪᓕᐊᑎᑦᑎᓂᖓᓂ ᓂᓪᓕᐊᓂᕆᕙᒃᑕᖓᓂ ᑲᑕᔾᔭᕐᓂᕐᒥ.
 
ᐅᓇ ᐊᐅᓚᑦᑎᔪᖅ ᐊᓇᐅᓪᓚᑦᑕᖅᑎᒧᑦ ᐊᒃᓱᕈᕐᓂᖅ ᐃᒃᐱᒋᔭᐅᑲᐅᑎᒋᔪᓐᓇᖅᑐᖅ ᓈᑉ ᐃᓗᐊᓂ;
ᓴᙱᓂᐅᔪᒥ ᐅᐸᒍᒥᓇᖅᑎᑦᑎᓲᒥᒃ ᑎᒥᓕᒫᒥ ᖃᓄᐃᓕᐅᕐᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐊᒻᒪ ᓴᒃᑯᑦᑎᓲᖑᙱᑦᑐᖅ ᑭᓯᐊᓂ
ᑭᖑᓪᓕᖅᐹᖓᓂ ᓂᓪᓕᐊᓂᐊᓂᐅᔪᒥ. ᓱᕋᑦᑎᕆᓂᖅ ᐊᒡᕕᐊᕈᑕᐅᔪᓂ ᐊᒻᒪ ᓴᓇᓂᕐᒥ ᑲᑎᙵᓂᐅᔪᒥ, ᓯᓚ
ᐊᒻᒪ ᕋᐃᔅ ᑲᑎᙵᓂᐅᕗᖅ ᐊᔾᔨᐅᙱᓐᓂᐅᓂᖓᓂ, ᐃᓚᖓᓂ ᓄᑖᙳᖅᐸᓪᓕᐊᓂᐅᔪᒥ ᐊᐅᓚᑕᐅᔪᒥ
ᕿᒥᕐᕈᓇᖕᓂᐅᔪᒥ ᓂᐱᓂᑦ ᐊᒻᒪ ᐊᐃᑉᐸᖓ ᑐᙵᕕᖃᕐᔪᐊᖅᑐᒥ ᐱᖅᑯᓯᑐᖃᕐᓄᑦ. ᖃᓄᐃᓕᖓᓂᖓᓂ
ᐊᕕᒃᑐᖅᓯᒪᓂᐅᔪᒥ ᓴᓇᐅᒐᓕᕆᔨᐅᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐋᖅᑭᒃᓱᖅᓯᒪᔪᓂ ᐱᖃᕆᐊᖃᖅᐳᖅ ᓈᓚᖕᓂᐅᔪᒥ.
ᑐᓴᕐᓈᕐᓂᐅᕗᖅ ᐃᒃᐱᒋᔭᕆᐊᓕᖕᒥ ᐊᒻᒪ ᐊᑐᖅᑕᐅᓗᓂ ᑐᓴᖅᑕᐅᑐᐃᓐᓇᙱᓪᓗᓂ.