Ave Maria by PIQSIQ
Inuksuk Mackay and Tiffany Ayalik of PIQSIQ are back with another installation of their holiday tradition; re-imagining Christmas carols through an Inuit and decolonial lens.
PIQSIQ continues their tradition of examining the Christmas holiday through musical investigation. The original poem, The Lady of the Lake, which inspired the song by Franz Schubert was never intended for religious purposes, but rather was included in a pagan play rooted in Arthurian lore and later co-opted by the Catholic Church as a plea to the Virgin Mary.
“We wanted to call into question the hypocrisy of the Catholic Church through this song. We are soothed with messages of exalting an impossible version of womanhood through the Virgin Mary but the real life experience of women in the church is steeped in misogyny. Women cannot hold positions of meaningful leadership in the Church, can’t be ordained, and don’t have autonomy over their own bodies. Why are women the only ones shamed for abortions or the use of birth control? There should be no celebration for the lack of autonomy imposed on women and their bodies.” - Inuksuk Mackay
“If anything, our relationship with Christmas continues to grow more and more complex. This year we saw the Pope visit Canada with very polarising opinions from Indigneous people. There was a lot of lip service and acknowledgement of harm but no actual commitment to aiding in the prosecution of those who committed unspeakable crimes against Indigenous students and their families.” - Tiffany Ayalik
Since the release of their celebrated holiday album, Quviasugvik: In Search of Harmony in 2019, the sisters have continued their examination of the complexities associated with Christmas, while making space for feelings that are not in alignment with Hallmark depictions of the season.
Tracklist
| 1. | Ave Maria | 3:50 |
Videos
Credits
All vocals by Inuksuk Mackay and Tiffany Ayalik
Arranged by PIQSIQ
Produced by PIQSIQ and Alex Penney
Recorded at Monarch Studios
