Throat boxing performed by Inuit artist during Pan Am Games

Nelson Tagoona is only 21 years old but he is already considered a pioneer in a new genre of music. 

The Inuit man from Baker Lake, Nunavut, performs throat boxing, a unique blend of hip hop, beatboxing and traditional Inuit throat singing.  

• Pan Am Games' Aboriginal Pavilion to feature Inuit, Dene performers
• Pan Am Games: Five indigenous acts you should see
• Pan Am Games make headway with indigenous protocol
• Pan Am Games 2015: CBC's full coverage

Tagoona said music has helped him deal with some of his struggles, including his father's suicide. 

"I dealt with a lot of pain. That's the fuel to my music. That pushes me to create the music," Tagoona said in an interview with CBC's Heather Hiscox. 

Tagoona believes he is the only solo throat box performer in Canada. Along with touring, he also runs workshops for Inuit youth and has become a role model for young people. 

"The healing is the important part in all of this for me. And the results in my workshops are always so phenomenal. I get tears sometimes." 

Tagoona will perform tonight in the Aboriginal Pavilion's opening night showcase at the Fort York historic site in Toronto. He is also one of the Pan Am Games performers at CIBC Pan Am Park tomorrow in Toronto. 

Tagoona was previously featured in CBC Music's top 10 Canadian artists under 20.

• Back to CBC Aboriginal