Greenland’s musical life mobilizes: “Enough is enough”

A video clip from the protests in Copenhagen in January appears on the Facebook feed. Greenlandic rapper Tarrak performs in front of the US Embassy. His anti-colonial fight song “Tupilak,” which echoes across the block, was included on debut album “Fxgxs,” which rocked the debate in 2016 with its criticism of Danish racism.

Together with several other musicians, veteran Siiva Fleischer, known from the popular 80s band Zikaza, recently released the protest song “Kalaallit Nunaat Kalaallit pigaat” (Greenland belongs to the Greenlanders), which was heard at demonstrations in Nuuk.

The Greenland crisis has mobilized the local music scene, and even artists who would not normally be seen as particularly activists are now raising their voices, taking part in demonstrations and taking a stand on social media.

– That says something about the state of things. It’s no longer possible to look away. Currently, 80 percent of all conversations among friends and family revolve around Greenland and Trump, says guitarist and singer Christian K. Elsner in a video link.

Together with his brother Frederik founded the band Nanook in 2008. They have released five albums and can now be classified as Greenland’s most popular indie rock export, but have had little obvious place in the international spotlight. Now the brothers, who grew up in the small town of Nanortalik with a population of around 1,500, have quickly and hilariously become spokespeople and are even quoted in the New York Times.

– Anything is better than being annexed by the USA. “We have no interest in becoming American citizens either, so I hope they find a solution,” says Christian K. Elsner, speaking about the worries and fears that many are currently feeling.

Although Nanook never criticized colonialism in his songs, the Greenlandic experience and identity were always important. The band takes its name from the polar bear god in Inuit mythology and sings exclusively in Greenlandic, although the Elsner brothers’ mother is actually Danish. Nature and, last but not least, the climate crisis are of great importance. If you live in Greenland, as Christian K. Elsner observes, you see the consequences and the melting ice every day. Nanook’s songs can also be about things like loneliness and suicide, which are a widespread problem in Greenland.

– We use music to address taboo topics that are difficult to talk about. For example, when singing about suicide, it’s easier to talk about the lyrics rather than trying to broach the subject directly with someone, he explains.

Between rounds, Nanook also visited Danish schools to talk about themselves and their music, with the aim of counteracting prejudices and spreading knowledge about Greenlandic culture.

– It feels important because many people in Denmark know very little about Greenland. People have their own ideas, so it’s about showing what a highly developed country Greenland actually is. It sounds completely crazy in a time when there is the Internet, but some people think we are still living in leeches, says Christian K. Elsner.

Despite having lyrics in Greenlandic, a language only spoken by about 50,000 people, Nanook has achieved an international audience and upcoming performances in Japan. Nevertheless, the band is primarily a leisure project and Christian K. Elsner also works in the family business Atlantic Music – a combined music store, recording studio and record label that his parents founded in 1990.

When it comes to Greenlandic music Today it is impossible to imagine life without the band Sumé, whose anti-imperialist protest rock has influenced several generations. Their debut album “Sumut” from 1973 was the first recording of rock music in Greenlandic at a time when Danish was replacing the language in school lessons. At the same time, the group’s criticism of colonialism and capitalism fell completely in line with the idealistic music movement of the 70s and had a huge impact.

A little over ten years ago, the documentary “Sumé. The sound of a revolution” was released, highlighting the group’s crucial importance as a soundtrack for the fight for Greenlandic self-determination. By the way, both Sumé and Nanook used the qilaat, a traditional frame drum with a 4,000-year history.

– Sumé has created a completely new framework for popular music in Greenland. They sang in Greenlandic about things that had to do with Greenland and used symbols from Inuit culture, says Danish music researcher Andreas Otte, who works at the Nordatlantisk hus cultural center in Odense and teaches there, among other things, Greenland, the Faroe Islands and Iceland.

He first moved to Nuuk with his wife 18 years ago to explore Greenlandic musical life and to write a master’s thesis, which ultimately resulted in the work “Popular Music from Greenland. Globalization, Nationalism and Local Performance”. He has also been the bassist for Nanook since 2012.

– When I came to Greenland in 2008, the anti-colonial movement was not as strong as it is today, says Andreas Otte.

He was attracted by the fact that musical life in Greenland was more about community than the snobbish positioning he associates with Copenhagen. In relation to population density, Greenland is perhaps the place in the world where the most music is played, says Andreas Otte.

– It’s a huge country with few people living far from each other, but you carry the music with you. On the radio and at concerts, people can gather around him. In this way, music was of great importance in the creation of a national community.

Disappeared in the 80ssays Andreas Otte, the pronounced anti-imperialism in favor of more cosmopolitan and existential themes in music. As an example, he cites one of artist Ole Kristiansen’s most famous songs, “Zoo Inuillu,” which compares the urban environment to a prison in relation to the outdoors.

– Over the last decade, Danish influence in Greenland has been repeatedly criticized, especially by Josef Tarrak-Petrussen, who also made rap music popular again, notes Andreas Otte.

Tarrak is a bit of a Greenlandic knee pad, although he debuted a year before the Irish trio. Now the reference is directed at Trump and last year the rapper read American MAGA YouTuber Nick Shirley in embarrassment about how badly Americans treat their own indigenous population. In his music, Tarrak tells, among other things, the prejudices that Greenlanders can be confronted with in Denmark. This also made him important for the resurgent anti-colonial movement.

– In recent years, women have also taken a larger place in the music industry, and that’s great. “Fantastic music is being released in many different genres, so I would say that the Greenlandic music scene is thriving,” says Laura Lennert Jensen on the phone from Nuuk.

She works on a non-profit basis lead the Arctic Sounds music festival, which has existed since 2014 and takes place from April 2nd to 6th. The festival acts as a kind of nursery for the professionalization of Greenlandic musical life.

– Most people publish their music themselves. “It’s not so formal here,” says Laura Lennert Jensen.

She herself is a musician in several pop and rock projects and describes a small music scene in which everyone knows everyone and helps everyone. Logistics are challenging over long distances, but greater access to cheaper broadband has made discs easier to distribute via streaming services.

Laura Lennert Jensen also took part in several protests now and last year and speaks of a strengthening sense of community.

– It feels good to be able to say: enough is enough. But at the same time the situation is frightening. I hope people will leave us alone so we can figure out how to proceed on our own terms and continue to pursue independence in a way that is appropriate and sustainable for us.