Elevate your local knowledge

Sign up for the iNFOnews newsletter today!

Select Region

Selecting your primary region ensures you get the stories that matter to you first.

Alaska’s Bieber: Yup’ik Eskimo singer gains online following

CP36422406
A Feb. 12, 2016 photo, a group of fans watch Byron Nicholai, a performer from the Western Alaska village of Toksook Bay, sing and play his drum in Juneau, Alaska. Nicholai, an Internet sensation, runs a popular Facebook page called "I Sing. You Dance." where the artist posts videos and songs. (AP Photo/Rashah McChesney)

JUNEAU, Alaska – He could be considered the Justin Bieber of Alaska.

Teen Internet sensation Byron Nicholai is a Yup’ik Eskimo from Toksook (TUCK’-sook) Bay, a tiny community on Nelson Island just off Alaska’s mainland in the Bering Sea. It’s about 525 miles west of Anchorage.

The 17-year-old high school senior performs songs that blend traditional Yup’ik and English. He has more than 22,000 followers on the Facebook page “I Sing. You Dance,” where he posts videos of himself singing and drumming.

Last weekend, Nicholai performed at the University of Alaska Southeast campus in Juneau as part of a program that prepares indigenous teachers for Alaska’s schools.

He told the audience his drumming allows him to share the culture of his village, which has about 600 residents.

Among the songs he performed was one poking fun at dating in rural, sparsely populated Alaska villages. He called it the “Cousin Song.”

News from © The Associated Press, . All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Join the Conversation!

Want to share your thoughts, add context, or connect with others in your community?

Create a free account

The Associated Press

The Associated Press is an independent global news organization dedicated to factual reporting. Founded in 1846, AP today remains the most trusted source of fast, accurate, unbiased news in all formats and the essential provider of the technology and services vital to the news business. More than half the world’s population sees AP journalism every day.

Related Articles