Pamyua

PAMYUA BRINGS INDIGENOUS CULTURE AND MUSIC TO THE FOREFRONT OF ENTERTAINMENT

Pamyua, Alaska’s most famous Inuit band, is bringing Indigenous culture and music to the forefront of entertainment. The group’s compelling performances blend traditional Inuit drum/dance melodies and songs of their ancestors with contemporary R&B and soul music, often referred to as “tribal funk” or “Inuit soul.” The group’s performances honor and share indigenous Inuit cultural traditions and stories of their heritage through music and ceremony passed down through generations.

Pamyua showcases Inuit culture internationally through their music and dance concerts, sharing their indigenous knowledge and history. Their unique style and sound derives from combining traditional melodies with contemporary vocalizations and instrumentation, paired with traditional dances and the artful inclusion of symbolic, native masks.

Founded by brothers Phillip and Stephen Blanchett, Pamyua includes Ossie Kairaiuak and frequent guest members. The band is proud to represent indigenous culture, and believes music and dance create unity. Together, each member masterfully interprets the Inuit traditions with joy and sincerity. The response to their message is tremendous and the group is a symbol of pride for Alaska’s indigenous people and all who see them perform.

Pamyua’s music and video is now part of the Library of Congress’ permanent video archive in its American Folklife Center. The Library recently commissioned the group to provide a music video for their special “Homegrown Concert Series.” The concert video and oral history of the group is now permanently accessible to the public online to view anytime for free.

Pamyua is also busy bringing the indigenous sounds of Alaska to television. They made two special appearances performing their original music live on ABC-TV’s recent hit series “Alaska Daily,” starring Oscar winner Hilary Swank. They scored original music and songs for multiple episodes of Nat Geo’s Emmy-winning docuseries “Life Below Zero: First Alaskans,” and were asked by the BBC to provide more music for the popular show. The weekly series follows new Alaska Natives as they try to thrive and survive the challenges of today’s climate change in the brutal Alaskan environments, using the techniques and methods passed down from prior generations. For more information on “Life Below Zero: First Alaskans,” please visit the press site page. The group also performed and co-wrote the theme to the popular PBS children’s show Molly of Denali and composed original music for Discovery Channel’s Flying Wild Alaska.

This Fall, Pamyua made their debut concert appearance at the prestigious Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. and headlined the first L.A. Global Music Festival. Currently they are completing their second leg of a six-state tour on behalf of Arts Midwest, funded in part by the National Endowment of the Arts, before more dates in Montana, New York, New Mexico and more. The group regularly works with world-class musicians from Alaska and Denmark, and travels the world sharing their unique blend of “Inuit Soul” and cultural harmony, captivating audiences wherever they perform.