After the teachings of Throat singing under her mother Kayuula’s instruction when she was seven, Shina Novalinga gained fame in March 2020 after she began posting viral videos to TikTok under the handle @shinanova which feature aspects of her Inuit culture. Inuit throat singing is a cultural practice that became increasingly rare after Christian missionaries outlawed the songs as “Satanic” in the early 20th century. In Puvirnituq, Kayuula was one of four Inuit women who were taught the practice to pass on to younger generations.
Teaming up with producer Simon Walls (Laura Niquay, Zal Sissokho, Tarwa N-Tiniri), they made together a collection of traditional throat singing songs surrounded by ambiant electric piano, beating percussions and haunting background vocals. The result is a unique and one of a kind album that will stay in the Inuit musical landscape for decades to come.
Kayuula and Shina Nova first posted themselves throat singing in a video on TikTok in March 2020, featuring Shina facing her mother Kayuula in an embrace, singing in a matched rhythm using their throat, belly and diaphragm. They often end in the two breaking song and laughing.
As Shina says in every interview she did : “Throat singing is important in our culture because it had almost been a lost tradition due to missionaries. We are now taking it back and passing it down to keep it alive. Throat singing allows us to connect with the sound of nature and the animals, it also allows us to connect with our ancestors, our soul and our voice. The connection between my mother and I grows bigger as we throat sing together. It’s always a beautiful moment for us.”