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Excerpt from the Newsletter of Aumaaggiivik Art Secretariat

Coming soon in January 2013

Beatrice Deer is one of Nunavik’s favorite singer-songwriters. Originally from Quaqtaq, she now lives and works out of Montreal. Having begun her career in music some years ago, Beatrice is no stranger to the business, and her professionalism and dedication to her art is apparent in all of her work. Easily one of the best live acts one could have the privilege of watching, her high-energy performances are usually met with great enthusiasm and much deserved praise. Beatrice was the recipient of the Best Inuit Cultural Album at the Aboriginal Music Awards in 2006 for her first album Just Bea. She has 3 albums out and one on the way. Aumaaggiivik had a quick chat with Beatrice to catch up on some of her activities:

How many years have you been singing?
I sang for the first time in front of an audience at the age of 15. I've been singing for 15 years. I've had my band for 2 1/2 years now.

You received a grant from the Aumaaggiivik Arts Secretariat to record your new album, how has that gone, and when can we expect a release?
I received about half of what I need to record a full-length album. I am prerecording next week so I intend to use all the funds received. My band is prerecording next week as well and recording in the month of January. We expect to release the album in the spring of 2013.

Since you recorded your Christmas album, it has been a favorite of many Nunavimmiut, and in this season, there’s no doubt that it’s probably being played right now! Tell me a little about how this album came to be.
My Christmas album was a life long dream. My producer TJ Plenty recorded all the instruments. Nelia Berkin did some backing vocals and some piano on the album. "Christmas Time Without You" is an original that my producer wrote and asked if I would like to record it. I gladly accepted. I translated "Christmas Time is Here" into Inuktitut. I wanted to record “Unnuaq Upinnaq” (“Silent Night”) and “Ulluariaq Qaumavuq Unnuami” (“A Star is Shining Brightly”) in Inuktitut because I think they are Inuit Christmas classics.

You may purchase An Arctic Christmas, by Beatrice Deer on iTunes and in Nunavik Coop Stores.