A Canadian artist’s cover of “Heart of Glass,” performed in Inuktitut, has earned the endorsement of Blondie.
Debbie Harry retweeted, without comment, a link to the video for Inuk singer Elisapie’s version of the 1979 hit and bandmate Chris Stein, who co-wrote the song, replied “I love it" with a heart emoji.
Elisapie, who hails from Nunavik, QC but is based in Montreal, said “Uummati Attanarsimat (Heart of Glass)” brings her back to her childhood. “I’m with my teenager cousins, they surround me and I’m looking up. They're dancing like crazy and I want to be like them!” she tweeted.
Elisapie’s cover debuted this week with a video, directed by Philippe Léonard, that uses archive footage from the Avataq Cultural Institute in Montreal.
“I am so happy and proud to share this with the world,” she tweeted, “like I am finally showing my brand new adoptive baby. I love the fact that these images of the North are juxtaposed with @BlondieOfficial music.”
“Uummati Attanarsimat” is the first taste of Elisapie’s forthcoming collection of cover songs.
The 46-year-old mother of three was nominated for a JUNO Award in 2019 and shortlisted for the Polaris Music Prize thanks to her third solo album The Ballad of the Runaway Girl. She was named Indigenous Artist of the Year at Quebec's Félix Awards in 2020.
Check out the video below: