Elisapie in concert at Les Trois Baudets in Paris: the singer from the Far North who warms hearts

Published by Caroline de Sortiraparis · Photos by Caroline de Sortiraparis · Published on November 16th, 2023 at 02:11 p.m.
On Wednesday November 15, 2023, music from Canada's Far North resounded in Paris at Elisapie's spellbinding concert at Les Trois Baudets. The Inuk artist and activist, originally from Salluit in Nunavik, took us on a journey to distant polar lands with her sublime covers sung in Inuktitut, her mother tongue. Let's take a look back at this musical moment suspended in time.

A packed Salle des Trois Baudets awaits us this Wednesday, November 15, 2023. Elisapie is due to perform in the second half of the evening, just after Mesparrow and its catchy electro-pop.

Just before 9pm,Elisapie takes to the stage at Les Trois Baudets for her very first Paris date since the release of her latest opus, entitled"Inuktitut". In stores since September 15, 2023, this album is a beautiful tribute to her people, the Inuit. By offering an entire album sung in Inuktitut, one of the main dialects of the Inuit people, Elisapie makes her mother tongue and her culture resonate beyond the borders of the Inuit territory. A beautiful and fascinating language that we hear too little of, yet which has so much to tell us and teach us.

Hailing from Salluit, a small village of less than 1,500 souls in Nunavik, Elisapie has chosen, for this 4th solo opus, to cover in Inuktitut rock and pop classics from the 60's and 70's - " pivotal years " for the Inuit, she will say on Wednesday evening - as well as key songs from the 80's and 90's that lulled her childhood and adolescence.

That evening, on the small stage of Les Trois Baudets in Paris, Elisapie was surrounded by her three musicians. Wearing her hair in two fine braids falling over her shoulders, the Inuk singer-songwriter delivered a sublime set lasting just over an hour, both dynamic and extremely moving and touching.

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Unsurprisingly, it was in Inuktitut that the singer kicked off her show with a graceful rendition of Blondie's " Heart of Glass ", here renamed " Uummati Attanarsimat ", followed by Cyndi Lauper's hit " Time after Time " (" Taimangalimaaq "). Two versions that set the tone and demonstrate the richness of this language. And Inuktitut will be in the spotlight throughout this Paris concert with 6 other tracks from the artist's latest album, including the sublime version of Metallica's " The Unforgiven ". A daring cover, but certainly the most beautiful on his latest opus. Chills are guaranteed whenElisapie performs " katajjaq ", the famous Inuit throat song that makes the hairs on your arms stand on end!

Hearts are already well and truly warmed up, but Elisapie continues her momentum with another Inuktitut rendition of Fleetwood Mac's hit " Dreams ", after evoking the memory of her brother, who died when she was just 2 years old. The Inuk singer and activist transcends these familiar songs, bringing her own unique sensibility to them. These familiar melodies are transformed into sadder, more beautiful landscapes. Because these songs, sung in Inuktitut, are much more than cover versions, they are also a way of getting involved through music. Elisapie wishes to speak about her people, bruised by decades of forced assimilation. And the sedentarization of which they were victims leaves indelible traces, even today.

The song " Qimatsilunga " (" I Want To Break Free " by Queen) is another emotional moment. Not without shedding a tear, Elisapie decides to pay tribute to her late cousin, hinting at his suicide, a major scourge among young Inuit.

But this unique concert in Paris was also an opportunity for Elisapie to revisit some of her older songs, taken from her highly successful album"The Ballad of the Runaway Girl". These included the beautiful cover of " Call of the Moose " by Canadian musician Willy Mitchell, " Una ", a touching love song written by Elisapie for her biological mother, and the invigorating " Wolves Don't Live By The Rules ", by the talented Willie Thrasher, the shivering " Quanniuguma ", sublimated by the singer's throat singing, and the engaging " Arnaq ", a tribute to women that brought the whole Trois Baudets hall to its feet.

And let's not forget " Moi, Elsie ", a beautiful song from 2009, written by Richard Desjardins, with music composed by Pierre Lapointe.

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Elisapie's set, already poignant and powerful, ends with an incredible and memorable cover of Pink Floyd's " Wish You Were Here ", here entitled " Qaisimalaurittuq ", and sung a capella. Gathered around one and the same microphone, the three musicians and Elisapie truly overwhelmed and touched the Parisian venue's audience to the core. As if trying to mourn the many Inuit who have died over the last few decades, Elisapie brought tears to our eyes and reminded us of the power of music to bring people together and warm hearts.

What started out as a local musical project eventually evolved into a full-fledged album, taking Elisapie on the roads of Quebec and France, with the determination and pride to bring Inuktitut to as many people as possible. So, for that, Nakurmiik Elisapie!

For those who can't make it, Elisapie is due back in Paris next spring. This time, she'll be at the Café de la Danse on April 2, 2024.

Setlist

  • Uummati Attanarsimat (Heart of Glass)
  • Taimangalimaaq (Time After Time)
  • Call of the Moose
  • Isumagijunnaitaungituq (The Unforgiven)
  • Una
  • Sinnatuumait (Dreams)
  • Wolves Don't Live by the Rules
  • Quanniuguma
  • I, Elsie
  • Qimatsilunga (I Want To Break Free)
  • Arnaq
  • Taimaa Qimatsiniungimat (Hey, That's No Way to Say Goodbye)
  • Inuuniaravit (Born to Be Alive)
  • Qaisimalaurittuq (Wish You Were Here)
Practical information

Location

64 boulevard de Clichy
75018 Paris 18

Accessibility info

Official website
www.elisapie.com

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