I started throat singing in the shower and found fame

Tanya Tagaq was born and raised in the remote Arctic community of Cambridge Bay, Nunavut, where the tundra, long winters, and a close connection to the land shaped her early life. In the 1950s, her mother and other Inuit families were forcibly relocated by the Canadian government to the High Arctic, in a plan to assimilate indigenous people into the dominant European-Canadian culture. Many, including Tanya's family, were made to reject their language and traditions.

At 15, in 1990, Tanya became the first in her family to attend a residential school, an institution further designed to "Europeanise" indigenous customs. An experience Tanya describes as a challenging period of her life that resulted in her attempting to take her own life. After being taken out of school by her parents, Tanya completed her studies via correspondence.

Four years later, she was back in education, studying fine arts in Halifax, when homesickness set in once more; this time a special delivery from home would soon provide comfort. Alongside her favourite packet of noodles and warm socks, there was a cassette tape of traditional Inuit throat singing, which inspired Tanya to begin experimenting with the sound itself. She started in the shower, honing the traditional duet form into her own solo style. Then a public perfomance at a rave caught the attention of the global star, Björk, who asked her to join her tour in 2001. And so Tanya's international career had its accidental launch.

While the rest of the world marvelled at this bold reinvention of throat singing, some members of the Inuit community were sceptical about the fusion with contemporary music. Despite it all Tanya remains committed to preserving and celebrating Inuit traditions, even though she's faced criticism after talking about the importance of seal hunting as a means of survival for her people.

Today, Tanya Tagaq is an award-winning musician, performer, and author. She has been honoured for her contributions to art and indigenous culture. Her latest album is called Saputjiji.

Presenter: Jo Fidgen
Producers: Marcia Veiga and Julian Siddle

Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com or WhatsApp +44 330 678 2707

(Photo: A collage of three images of Tanya Tagaq. The first on the left shows her in a white lace dress in a forest. The middle image shows her in a white patterned dress and leather black boots, holding onto an orange backdrop. The right image is a selfie of her in a fur-lined hood and headphones in a snowy landscape. Credit: Sebastian Buzzalino and photos provided by Tanya Tagaq)