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Alaska ensembles Pamyua to perform at O'Shaughnessy

| October 18, 2023 12:00 AM

The Whitefish Theatre Company is thrilled to present Pamyua as their first concert of the 2023-2024 Music Series.

Called “one of the greatest Alaska ensembles of the millennium,” Pamyua showcases Inuit culture though modern performances aimed to honor and share indigenous traditions through song and dance.

Pamyua will perform one night only on Friday, Oct. 27 at 7:30 p.m. at the O’Shaughnessy Center in Whitefish.

Often described as “Inuit soul music,” Pamyua was formed by brothers Phillip and Stephen Blanchett when they stumbled upon a musical concept to blend Inuit drum and dance melodies with R&B vocal styling and arrangements. Now joined by Ossie Kairaiuak and Karina Moeller, the quartet now travels the world sharing their blend of cultural harmony, strongly influenced by their Yup’ik and Black heritage. Pamyua has truly defined their own genre, showcasing Inuit culture and history through music, dance, and masks from many Alaska Native cultures, as well as reinterpreting traditional melodies with contemporary sounds of soul.

Being of Yup'ik and Black heritage, Phillip and Stephen were both raised within a sense of community and sharing. Their mother, who is Yup'ik, would connect them to her wider community and participate in traditional harvesting ceremonies that include drum dances and songs about animals and about daily life. Their father, a minister, connected them to his community. He would take them to an African American church in Anchorage where Philiip has said they experienced “essentially another village.”

With their parents’ influences and deep cultural pride in mind, the brothers wanted to create “music that means something, music that moves you from the soul”. Now, Pamyua is recognized worldwide for their outstanding contributions to the arts and for their work in music and cultural preservation.

Pamyua has composed original music for the Discovery Channel’s show Flying Wild Alaska, performed and co-wrote the theme song for the PBS Kids show Molly of Denali, and was proud to have been one of many indigenous partners to contribute original music to the National Geographic reality show Life Below Zero: First Alaskans. Be prepared for a one-of-a-kind night of music.

Tickets are $30 for adults and $20 for students with reserved seating. Tickets can be purchased at the Box Office, 1 Central Ave., Whitefish, or by calling 406-862-5371. Box office hours are from 11 a.m.to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday and one hour before a performance. Tickets can also be purchased online at www.whitefishtheatreco.org.

This show is sponsored by Lonnie Porro and an anonymous donor.