Not caring what people think of you, with Tanya Tagaq

Before Canadian Inuk throat singer Tanya Tagaq starts any show she announces where the exits are in case anyone isn’t into her often aggressive and improvised performance. She’s completely fine with the walkouts, and we’ve perhaps not had anyone on the show before who’s as comfortable within themself as Tanya is.

Also an author, visual artist, activist for the protection of indigenous rights in Northern Territory Canada and around the world, theatre maker, teacher and, recently, an actor in True Detective and North of North, Tagaq has just released her 7th album, Saputjiji. It’s a record that features her also singing conventionally for the first time.

This episode of the podcast turns into something of a therapy session as Tanya talks of her life spent not caring what strangers think of her. We also get into how Björk ended up featuring on her 2005 debut album, if more acting is in the works, and how all of her life experiences have simply come to her, almost by accident.

Listen above or wherever you get your podcasts.

Further reading/viewing

Tanya’s performance at the 2014 Polaris Prize

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