Elisapie
Elisapie is an Inuk singer-songwriter, actor, and activist born and raised in Salluit, a small village in Nunavik (the northern region of Quebec). Integrating Inuit themes and language with rock music, she makes her culture resonate with finesse by mixing modernity and tradition.
Elisapie’s youth included performing on stage with her musician uncles, and working in local radio, securing an interview with Metallica at age 15. Though she left for Montreal to pursue a career in music, her unconditional attachment to her territory and her language (Inuktitut) has remained at the core of her creative journey. Since winning her first JUNO Award in 2005 with Taima, her band at the time, Elisapie’s body of work has been frequently praised. Her 2018 album The Ballad of the Runaway Girl was shortlisted for the Polaris Music Prize, earned her numerous Félix Awards, and received a nomination at the JUNOS. Following that critically acclaimed album, Elisapie has performed with the Orchestre Métropolitain de Montréal, at the SummerStage Festival in New York City’s Central Park, and in the NPR office for her own Tiny Desk Session, as well as in venues and festivals across Canada and internationally. Aside from her musical career, Elisapie is known for her acting roles in the TV series Motel Paradis, and the experimental 2023 movie VFC. A devoted activist, Elisapie created and produced the first Canada-wide broadcast TV show to celebrate National Indigenous Peoples’ Day.
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Speak Up! is curated by David McLeod (member of the Pine Creek First Nation, MB), Indigenous programming consultant.