Officer Of The Order Of Canada Susan Aglukark Turns A Poem Into New Single "For You" And Announces Christmas Concerts

Inuk singer, songwriter, and Officer of the Order of Canada Susan Aglukark releases "For You," known in Inuktitut as "Igvit" (ᐃᒡᕕᑦ), on Tuesday, September 8, the lead single from her upcoming EP 'Disco Ball.' The song began as a poem Aglukark wrote in 2022 titled "Igvit," the Inuktitut word for simply "you," and grew over time into one of the most collaborative projects of her career.

Working with longtime producer Chad Irschick, Aglukark brought "For You" to life alongside the Inuksuk Drum Dancers from Nunavut, Sweleyén, also known as Julianne Peters, of the Tsq'éscen' First Nation in Secwepemcúl'ecw, and received special choral guidance from Deantha Edmunds, an Inuk classical singer and composer from Newfoundland and Labrador. The result is a song built from voices across several Indigenous nations, brought together around a single, simple idea, one Aglukark first put into words as a private poem before it became something meant to be shared.

Aglukark credits the Ontario Arts Council for making the project possible, along with Mary Piercey-Lewis, whose commitment to the recording spanned sessions in both Toronto and Iqaluit, Nunavut. In keeping with the values that have long defined her work, a portion of the proceeds from "For You" will go toward The Orange Shirt Society and Aglukark's own Arctic Rose Foundation, which supports Northern Inuit, First Nations, and Metis youth through Indigenous led arts programming.

"For You" arrives at a landmark moment in Aglukark's career. Born in Churchill, Manitoba and raised in Arviat, she became the first Inuk artist to land a Top 40 hit in Canada with "O Siem," the breakout single from her triple platinum 1995 album 'This Child.' Over more than three decades, she has released a string of acclaimed albums including 'Arctic Rose,' 'Unsung Heroes,' 'Big Feeling,' 'Blood Red Earth' and 2022's 'The Crossing,' earning three Juno Awards along the way, an Officer of the Order of Canada distinction in 2005, and the Governor General's Performing Arts Award for Lifetime Artistic Achievement in 2016.

On the road, Aglukark performs with a live band featuring Mark Lalama on piano, keys and accordion, Shawn Sasynuik on drums and percussion, Stephan Berand on bass, and either Eric Treleavan or Jeff Smallwood on guitars, with the full band contributing vocals throughout the set. That band brings her indigenous folk and easy listening sound across a packed run of upcoming dates, including her 30th anniversary tour marking 'This Child,' the Together for Nature tour alongside Terra Lightfoot, and her holiday production, Upinnaq: A Beautiful Christmas.

With "For You," Aglukark adds another chapter to a catalogue built on honesty, heritage, and connection, turning a private poem into a song made in community, for community.

Tour Dates:

• September 15, 2026, St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church, Ottawa, ON, Together for Nature Tour with Terra Lightfoot
• September 16, 2026, Knox Presbyterian Church, Toronto, ON, Together for Nature Tour
• September 17, 2026, St. Matthews Lutheran Church, Kitchener, ON, Together for Nature Tour
• September 18, 2026, Metropolitan United Church, London, ON, Together for Nature Tour
• October 17, 2026, The Pavilion at The Water Tower Inn, Sault Ste. Marie, ON, Algoma Fall Festival
• October 23, 2026, Radisson Blu Vancouver Airport Hotel and Marina, Richmond, BC, Crosscurrents 2026 keynote
• November 19, 2026, Capitol Centre, North Bay, ON, Upinnaq: A Beautiful Christmas
• November 20, 2026, Orillia Opera House, Orillia, ON, Upinnaq: A Beautiful Christmas
• November 21, 2026, Shenkman Arts Centre, Ottawa, ON, Upinnaq: A Beautiful Christmas
• November 22, 2026, Brockville Arts Centre, Brockville, ON, Upinnaq: A Beautiful Christmas
• November 26, 2026, The Rose Brampton, Brampton, ON, Upinnaq: A Beautiful Christmas
• November 27, 2026, Chatham Capitol Theatre, Chatham, ON, Upinnaq: A Beautiful Christmas
• December 2, 2026, River Run Centre, Guelph, ON, Upinnaq: A Beautiful Christmas
• December 3, 2026, Sanderson Centre for the Performing Arts, Brantford, ON, Upinnaq: A Beautiful Christmas
• December 4, 2026, Flato Markham Theatre, Markham, ON, Upinnaq: A Beautiful Christmas