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In an earlier newsletter, we told you about a casting call for some young Inuit men skilled in Arctic sports to audition for parts in a video with the hip-hop group Radio Radio. The music video “Dekshoo” was filmed in April, and stars two young Nunavimmiut athletes: Alek Bryan Airo from Kuujjuaq and Aisa Pirti of Akulivik.

The video, which resembles a documentary short, tells the story of two rivals in a high kick jump competition. The competition is actually used to determine which shoe is the winning shoe of the two shoe styles featured, tongue-in-cheek, in the song lyrics -- the “deck shoe” (worn by Alek Airo) or the “penny loafer” (worn by Aisa Pirti).

You can watch the video by clicking here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8PbyiTKpDj0

Jump kicks that might take flight

At age 19, Alek Airo is living in Kuujjuaq and working as a sports trainer. He will soon be heading to Kangiqsujuaq to complete Secondary 6, after which he plans to start pilot training. Akulivik native Aisa Pirti, 23, is just about to complete a D.E.C. in management at Cégep Marie-Victorin. He also plans to train as a pilot later on. Right now, the two are in a dead heat in the region for the highest kick; they both hold the Nunavik record which currently stands at 9’4’’, and both are working on breaking it….. and why not the world record of 9’6’’!

The story behind the video

In 2008, two members of the hip-hop group Radio Radio performed at the Arctic Winter Games held that year in Yellowknife. That was where they discovered the high kick event, which impressed them for its showmanship and popularity. They even chatted with the winner, who in this case was none other than Alek Airo. Aisa Pirti was in the same competition, where he ranked 4th.

Later, when the group was looking for a video concept that would put an emphasis on the shoes in their song, they realized that the high kick sport would be the perfect fit (pun intended), and that was the beginning of the short doc concept.

Originally from Nova Scotia, Radio Radio sings in “chiac”, a contact language consisting of Acadian French heavily mixed and structured with English.