ELISAPIE: Reviving Inuktitut in Pop Music
MUSIC
Written by Marvin Nauendorff
Published April 16, 2024
This article is soon available in: Deutsch.
Inuk singer-songwriter Elisapie has been sharing her music with the world for over ten years. Her latest album, "Inuktitut" (ᐃᓄᒃᑎᑐᑦ), is a heartfelt tribute to her community, delving into personal experiences of both joy and sorrow, the enduring impact of colonial oppression on her people, and fueled by her profound passion for music.
(Photo of Elisapie Isaac taken by Leeor Wild, used under the Canadian Fair Dealing law.)
Elisapie Isaac's (ᐃᓕᓴᐱ in Inuktitut Syllabics) artistic journey is a testament to the power of music to reclaim and revive Indigenous languages. Born in the small town of Salluit in Nunavik, Canada, Elisapie's connection to her territory and language, Inuktitut, lies at the heart of her creative expression. As an Inuk singer-songwriter and documentary filmmaker, she has captivated audiences with her enchanting melodies and become a symbolic figure in Indigenous music. Elisapie's groundbreaking 2003 documentary "If the Weather Permits," filmed in Kangiqsujuaq, northern Quebec, examines the evolving lifestyles of the Inuit community in Nunavik and has won several awards.
INUKTITUT ᐃᓄᒃᑎᑐᑦ
Elisapie’s latest album, "Inuktitut" (ᐃᓄᒃᑎᑐᑦ), released in 2023, marks a significant milestone in her artistic evolution. Instead of creating original compositions, she covered iconic rock and pop hits from the 1970s and 1980s, reimagining them in her first language, Inuktitut. The album showcases 10 renditions of classic rock and pop songs by artists like Led Zeppelin, Blondie, and Fleetwood Mac. In some ways, this bold move can be seen as an act of cultural "reappropriation": reclaiming songs originally written by "white people" and infusing them with her own Indigenous identity.
(Photo of Elisapie Isaac taken by Leeor Wild, used under the Canadian Fair Dealing law.)
The songs Elisapie selected for the album are meaningful to her and translating them into Inuktitut meant a great deal to her emotionally. For example, the famous Pink Floyd line, "We're just two lost souls / Swimming in a fish bowl / Year after year," from their 1975 song "Wish You Were Here". In an Interview with CBC, she explains:
"When you delve into the essence of those words in Inuktitut, you come to understand how profoundly they resonate with us, you know? ... I'm optimistic that when my cousins hear it—since English isn't our primary language—they'll listen and think, 'Ah, that's why I cherish this song so dearly.’”
The songs on “Inuktitut” had always resonated with her, evoking complex emotions that spoke to both the joys and struggles of life in her community. Through music, she found a way to reconnect with her cultural heritage.
In embracing Inuktitut as the primary language of her music, Elisapie rediscovered the richness of her first language. She also challenged prevailing norms within the Canadian music industry, where English and French often dominate. By centering Inuktitut in her artistry, she brought visibility to a language that has long been overlooked on the global stage.
Elisapie’s album “Inuktitut” is available on all major streaming services. Find out more about her or buy her physical CDs and LPs on her website or bandcamp page. (Photo courtesy of Elisapie)
Beyond her musical endeavors, Elisapie commits to Indigenous activism. She uses her music to amplify the voices of Indigenous women, shed light on the systemic injustices they face, and advocate for meaningful change. She continues to tirelessly champion Indigenous rights and representation through her powerful lyrics and evocative visual storytelling.
“There is a whole world out there that can be about us”
Edited by
Acknowledgements
CBC
NBHAP
Le Monde
Vogue
Nunatsiaq News
The Globe and Mail
Inuit Art Foundation
Bibliography
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https://www.vogue.com/article/elisapie-inuk-singer-indigenous-style.Banning, Jolene. "The Inuk-Woman Power of Musical Multihyphenate Elisapie." IAQ Online, April 14, 2021. Accessed April 13, 2024.
https://www.inuitartfoundation.org/iaq-online/the-inuk-woman-power-of-musical-multihyphenate-elisapie.Gallant, Cedric. "‘We are all creators,’ says Elisapie after Juno Award win." Nunatsiaq News, March 25, 2024. Accessed April 13, 2024.
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https://www.inuitartfoundation.org/profiles/artist/Elisapie-Isaac.Jouan, Hélène. "Inuit singer Elisapie's reverse 'cultural appropriation'." Le Monde, November 17, 2023. Accessed April 13, 2024.
https://www.lemonde.fr/en/culture/article/2023/11/17/inuit-singer-elisapie-s-reverse-cultural-appropriation_6264618_30.html.Toerkell, Liv. "Elisapie On the Joys and Pains of Childhood Memories on 'Inuktitut' (ᐃᓄᒃᑎᑐᑦ)." NBHAP, September 19, 2023. Accessed April 13, 2024.
https://nbhap.com/stories/roots/elisapie-on-inuktitut.Wheeler, Brad. "Inuk artist Elisapie gives new meaning to pop and rock classics in new album Inuktitut." The Globe and Mail, August 19, 2023. Accessed April 13, 2024.
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/article-elisapie-album-inuktitut/.
