Alianait Arts Festival teases summer 2017 line up

Alianait Arts Festival has released the first preview of its summer lineup.

Canadian folk-rocker Joel Plaskett will return to Iqaluit with his seventy-year-old father, Bill, as a special guest.

• First Play Live: Bill and Joel Plaskett, Solidarity
• Bill and Joel Plaskett join forces on new album Solidarity

The two will perform a special pre-show on June 29.

Heather Daley, the festival's executive director,says the festival hasn't had a pre-show in a number of years.

"This was a special opportunity with Joel Plaskett," she said. "He's actually been booked for about a year and a half, but because of Canada 150 I was able to entice him to come up a day earlier and keep him here for most of the festival, so it's going to be great."

The festival follows from June 30th to July 3rd with announced acts includingGreenland's Naneruaq, Salluit-born Elisapie Isaac and Yellowknife's Digawolf.

• CBC 8th Fire profile: Elisapie Isaac

More names will be released as the festival draws nearer, including another musician from Greenland.

"Everyone always loves when we bring Greenland bands, so there's going to be another one. Stay tuned. We're filling a plane with Greenland musicians," said Daley.

As usual, in addition to the range of performances, workshops will round out the festival.Daley expects there to be around 20 workshops this year.

Daley is looking forward to the short performances that come about from on-site collaborations between Nunavut's emerging artists and visiting professionals.

To ease the waiting,the Alianait annual concert series is hosting Looee Arreak, a contemporary and gospel singer from Pangnirtung, on April 1 at the Inuksuk High School in Iqaluit.