Elisapie releases a delicate cover of Blondie's "Heart of Glass"

"Uummati Attanarsimat" is absolutely lovely

Photograph of Elisapie Isaac by Leeor Wild

Dear hopeful reader,

Elisapie Isaac has been one of my most beloved musicians since 2010. I discovered her by attending her concert with my dear grandmother, organized in Île des Sœurs’ local community center. I remember it being November. It felt more like December. Depending on where you lived, Canadian winter came earlier.

Being transported into her musical world was a wondrous, sublime, affective experience—when she spoke, when she sang, how she gesticulated. I was no longer in a concert hall, I was elsewhere. Somewhere more northern, snow-covered, auroric. Where modernity and progress merged with tradition and wisdom of the elders. When humanity breathed empathy and connectedness. And highs and lows of life were deeply felt and shared.

She sang from her album There Will Be Stars, all sparrowlike and wolf—both gentle and fierce. Her music blended beautiful soundscapes of folkpop and Inuit musical genres and arrangements. She sang in English, French, and Inuktitut. The performance was more than singing, it was storytelling at its finest.

Since then, I went to another one of her concerts a few years later, again with my granny. I bought all her albums, gifted a few to friends. And I closely follow her concert schedule, wishing to again be transported, alas without my бабуля this time. I’m a dedicated fan not only because Elisapie is a musician everyone must hear, but also because her music helped me get through the toughest times in my life. That’s a story for another day.

Also read: We root ourselves to earth through song

A few days ago, I was delighted to learn that Elisapie released a new song, after her last track “Asuguuq” that came out in 2020. Her latest song is a cover of Blondie’s “Heart of Glass.” Elisapie translated it to Inuktitut, the title becoming “Uummati Attanarsimat.” It’s lovely, delicate, ethereal, slower-paced yet danceable, and Blondie-approved. It gives respect to Blondie—one of her childhood musical influences—with utmost love and care and builds a bridge to the Inuk elders so they too can relate to it in language, music, dance, and storytelling. The use of various drums, percussions, and guitar bring some of the Inuit tradition to the forefront. You hear snow being carried by winds of the north, you see an enchanting yarn unspooling before you.

The music video is as riveting, showing stunning landscapes of the Far North of Québec and everyday life of the Inuit people during winter. According to Bonsound, the music label representing Elisapie, “[the] video [was] directed by Philippe Léonard using archival footage shot on Super 8 film.” The archives came from the Avataq Cultural Institute and the Mary & Bill Cowley Collection. Do give it a view, or play it on loop!

Elisapie’s upcoming show Uvattini, meaning home in Inuktitut, will take place on December 7 and 8 in Montréal and on December 25 in Québec. It will pay homage to her personal life and her Salluit community in Nunavik, emphasizing the Inuit identity and their territory through music, narration, visuals, and performance. If you’ll be around then and there, you must go see her. Trust me.

Who is your most beloved musician? Why does their music mean so much to you?

Yours truly,

Nadia

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