Description
John Angaiak (born 1941 in Nightmute, Alaska) is a Yup’ik singer-songwriter best known for this sole vinyl LP, I’m Lost in the City (1971). Angaiak began playing guitar at a young age before serving in the U.S. Armed Forces, where he was stationed in Vietnam. His time abroad shaped his perspectives on his homeland, his country, and the broader world.
After returning to Alaska, Angaiak enrolled at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks, where he became involved in the preservation of the Yup’ik language through the university’s Eskimo Language Workshop. This work, along with his friendship with music student Stephen Halbern, inspired Angaiak to record I’m Lost in the City, an album that played a key role in documenting the transition of the Yup’ik language from an oral to a written form.
The album features Angaiak’s distinct vocal and guitar style, with Side One sung in Yup’ik and Side Two in English. Both sides convey deeply personal and emotional reflections on his culture and experiences, making I’m Lost in the City a significant work in the preservation and promotion of Yup’ik heritage.
Chansons