Kathleen Ivaluarjuk Merritt

Kathleen Ivaluarjuk Merritt is an Inuit throat singer, poet, writer, and musician from Rankin Inlet, Nunavut. Her work is under the artist name Ivaluarjuk (ᐃᕙᓗᐊᕐᔪᒃ), and blends Celtic music and fiddle with throat singing. She is Irish and Inuk.

Career Her 2015 album, Icelines and Sealskin , is an exploration of Irish and Inuk music traditions. She primarily uses spoken word and throat singing. In her fundraising campaign, she said it would cost almost $30,000 to record an album almost entirely in Nunavut. among others. She has given throat singing workshops since 2008. In 2022, they released the album Katajjausiit, and received a Juno Award nomination for the Traditional Indigenous Artist of the Year at the Juno Awards of 2023.

Personal life Her mother is Inuk from Nunavut and father is Irish from Nova Scotia.