| Inuktitut | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | September 15, 2023 | |||
| Genre | Pop | |||
| Length | 43:35 | |||
| Label | Bonsound | |||
| Elisapie chronology | ||||
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Inuktitut is the fourth studio album by Inuk-Canadian singer-songwriter Elisapie, released in 2023. [1] The album consists of ten Inuktitut language covers of classic pop and rock songs that Elisapie described as connected to a significant personal memory. [2]
According to Elisapie, she had considered other songs for the project as well, including songs by Pearl Jam and Counting Crows, but chose to proceed only with songs that inspired moments of personal reflection when she relistened to them. [3] She has also stated that she viewed the project as an opportunity to build bridges between Inuit and non-Inuit cultures, stating that hearing a familiar song redone in an unfamiliar language helps to create curiosity and build personal alliances. [2]
She stated that her proudest moment during the recording sessions was when she successfully secured permission from Robert Plant and Jimmy Page to record her version of Led Zeppelin's "Going to California", as both Page and Plant are notoriously reluctant to license their music too frequently. [3]
Elisapie won the Juno Award for Contemporary Indigenous Artist of the Year at the Juno Awards of 2024, [4] and the album was a shortlisted finalist for the 2024 Polaris Music Prize. [5]
Carolyne De Bellefeuille, Jessica Ledoux, Mali Savaria-Ille, Veronique Lafortune and Leeor Wild also received a Juno nomination for Album Artwork of the Year.
The album won the Félix Award for Interpretive Album of the Year at the 46th Félix Awards. [6]
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Isumagijunnaitaungituq" ("The Unforgiven") | 4:33 |
| 2. | "Sinnatuumait" ("Dreams") | 4:27 |
| 3. | "Taimangalimaaq" ("Time After Time") | 4:13 |
| 4. | "Qimatsilunga" ("I Want to Break Free") | 4:03 |
| 5. | "Qaisimalaurittuq" ("Wish You Were Here") | 4:42 |
| 6. | "Californiamut" ("Going to California") | 3:33 |
| 7. | "Uummati Attanarsimat" ("Heart of Glass") | 3:58 |
| 8. | "Inuuniaravit" ("Born to Be Alive") | 3:33 |
| 9. | "Taimaa Qimatsiniungimat" ("Hey, That's No Way to Say Goodbye") | 4:34 |
| 10. | "Qimmijuat" ("Wild Horses") | 5:59 |
| Total length: | 43:35 | |
| Chart (2023) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canadian Albums (Billboard) [7] | 14 |
Inuit throat singing, or katajjaq, is a distinct type of throat singing uniquely found among the Inuit. It is a form of musical performance, traditionally consisting of two women who sing duets in a close face-to-face formation with no instrumental accompaniment, in an entertaining contest to see who can outlast the other; however, one of the genre's most famous practitioners, Tanya Tagaq, performs as a solo artist. Several groups, including Tudjaat, The Jerry Cans, Quantum Tangle and Silla + Rise, also now blend traditional throat singing with mainstream musical genres such as pop, folk, rock and dance music.
Indigenous music of Canada encompasses a wide variety of musical genres created by Aboriginal Canadians. Before European settlers came to what is now Canada, the region was occupied by many First Nations, including the West Coast Salish and Haida, the centrally located Iroquois, Blackfoot and Huron, the Dene to the North, and the Innu and Mi'kmaq in the East and the Cree in the North. Each of the indigenous communities had their own unique musical traditions. Chanting – singing is widely popular and most use a variety of musical instruments.
Tanya Tagaq, also credited as Tagaq, is a Canadian Inuk throat singer, songwriter, novelist, actor, and visual artist from Cambridge Bay (Iqaluktuuttiaq), Nunavut, Canada, on the south coast of Victoria Island.
Elisapie Isaac is a Canadian Inuk musician, broadcaster, documentary filmmaker, activist, and actress. She spent her childhood in Salluit, Nunavik, Quebec, and moved to Montreal in 1999 to pursue communication studies in order to become a journalist.
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The Jerry Cans are a band from Iqaluit, Nunavut who combine traditional Inuit throat singing with folk music and country rock. Their music is largely written in Inuktitut, the indigenous language of the Inuit, with lyrics which "reflect the challenges and beauty of life in the Far North". Their 2016 album, Inuusiq/Life, was released on Aakuluk Music, Nunavut's first record label, which the band's members established in 2016 "to support Inuit and Indigenous musicians".
iskwē is a Canadian singer-songwriter and activist.
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