Themusic of Greenland is a mixture of two primary strands,Inuit andDanish, mixed with influences from theUnited States andUnited Kingdom.
Greenland's musical character has been described as "definitely a rock country, both musically and literally" according to Greenlandic drummer Hans Rosenberg.[1] The Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs describes all Greenlandic music except thedrum dances as influenced by external styles.[2]
The Inuit and the Danish peoples of Greenland have both maintained their distinct styles of folk music. Country-wide folk traditions includedstorytelling, which declined greatly after the introduction of theSouth Greenland Printing Press in 1857.
Traditional music which has best survived European contact can be found in the east and northeast of the island. It includessacred drumdances played on an oval drum made of a wooden frame with abear-bladder on top.[3] Drum dances are the "only truly indigenous music" in Greenland, and are part of aroots revival in modern times.[2]Shamans used drums as part of theirreligious affairs and sometimes organized singing duels between rivals in which the performer who got the most laughs from the audience won.[4] Inuit drum dances were a declining tradition and in modern Greenland are being replaced by amateur theater groups likeSilamiut, who used elements of indigenous music with masks, face painting and other techniques.[5]Piseq are a form of personal song that comment on daily life; these are often handed down from generation to generation. Greenlandic Inuit folk songs are performed to tell stories, play games and tease or charm others.[3]
TheInuit of Greenland share a musical tradition with related peoples across the Canadian territories of theYukon,Nunavut and theNorthwest Territories, as well as the US state ofAlaska and part of easternRussia. Greenlandic Inuit are part of theEastern Arctic group; the Eastern Arctic Inuit of Canada and Alaska are part of the samemusic area as the Central Arctic Inuit, as opposed to the distinct styles of the Western Inuit.[6]
Greenlandic Inuit music is largely based around singing and drums, the latter being generally reserved for large celebrations and other gatherings. Though there is much folk vocal music, there is no Inuit purely instrumental tradition with no accompaniment by singing or dancing. Greenlandic drums are mostly frame drums made of animal skin stretched over a wooden frame and decorated with decorative and symbolic motifs by the drummer. Aside from drums,whistles,bull-roarers andbuzzers are also widespread, and thejaw harp andfiddle are both found, most likely recent imports.[6]
Historical recordings of this music are done since 1905.[7] This traditional Greenlandic music is performed also today.[8]
Greenlandicdrum dances are, like the relatives found in Eastern and Central Canada, based around a single dancer who composes songs sung by his family while he dances, usually in aqaggi, a snow-house built just for community events such as the drum dance. The men's drum dancing skills are evaluated by his endurance in his lengthy performance and the nature of his compositions. Drum dances are an important element of Greenlandic Inuit cultural cohesion, and function as personal expression, pure entertainment and social sanction.[6]
Many drum dances are competitive in nature, featuring twosong cousins who humorously sing and dance, while pointing out the flaws in the other. This is generally a light-hearted, convivial event, but is also sometimes used to settle serious duels between warring families or individuals; the jokes are prepared ahead of time and the person who evokes the most laughter from the audience is considered the victor.[6]
Many Inuit folk games revolve around song as well, includingstring games,hide-and-seek,juggling andrhymes andriddles. Thekatajjaq tradition is also well-known; it is a vocal contest between two women, standing facing each other. They sing songs, usingthroat-singing andimitating animal cries or other sounds. Katajjaq is a game, but is often stopped because both women begin laughing.[6]
In addition to the drum dance and game songs, Greenlandic Inuit have a tradition ofpiseq (piserk,personal song) songs. These are expressive, spiritual, superstitious or narrative and may be composed for drum dances.Piseq and other vocal traditions aside from song games include a number of styles and tones, which vary depending on the social context of the performance. For example, a soft vocal tone is used both for character illustration in a narrative song and for personal songs in private settings. Many songs use only a few real words, interspersed among numerousvocables, or non-lexical syllables likeai-ya-yainga. Inuit songs arestrophic and mostly use six different pitches; textual and melodic motifs are common. A song's word length and accentuation determines the rhythm, giving the songs arecitative-like style.[6]
With the arrival of Danes, new instruments and forms of European-derived music became popular like thefiddle,accordion and Christianhymns, whileMoravianmissionaries introducedviolins,brass instruments and a tradition of purely instrumental music. The most influential Moravian importation, however, was the polyphonic choir, which has produced popular modern vocal groups likeMik.[5] At some point,pipe organs were introduced to some churches in Greenland, and a number of these instruments can be found scattered around the country, though all are small in comparison to many of the organs found in major churches in Europe and elsewhere.[9]Kalattuut (dansemik) is a long-standing form of Inuitpolka, which produced popular songs and virtuosos likeaccordion playerLouis Andreasen.[3] There is also a modern style calledvaigat, which is similar tocountry music.[2]
Some composers ofEuropean classical music have Greenlandic themes in their music, includingPoul Rovsing Olsen and Adrian Vernon Fish whose output includes over fifty works inspired by Greenland, its terrain, icescapes and music. Among his oeuvre are the four Greenland symphonies (numbers 3, 4, 10 and 13). The modern composerMads Lumholdt (also member of the orchestraNorthern Voices, singer in the orchestraNowhereland and inNo Offence, a vocal band) has become well-known, and his workShaman, which debuted at the 2004-5Etoiles Polaires Arctic Culture Festival was nominated for theNordic Council Music Prize for its fusion of traditional Greenlandic music with modern styles and technology. The Nordic describes his work as "seeking to allow the traditional Greenlandic culture to be communicated through contemporary cultural language in such a way that respect for the original culture is preserved on the one hand yet passed on to a broader, contemporary audience on the other hand".[10]
Greenland'snational anthem is "Nunarput utoqqarsuanngoravit", which translates asOur Country, Who's Become So Old. It has been official since 1916, and was composed byJonathan Petersen with words byHenrik Lund, both Greenlanders.[11]
Greenland was isolated from modern North American and European popular music until well into the mid-20th century. Early popular groups included the pioneering localNuuk Orleans Jazz Band.[1]
Since 1984, American hip hop has had a major influence, and a hip hop crew,Nuuk Posse, has been one of the most successful groups of recent years.[4]
The Greenlandic rock and pop began in earnest in 1973, when ULO released the bandSume'sSumut; it was purchased by an estimated twenty percent of Greenland's total population, and singlehandedly kickstarted the local rock scene[4] by uniquely singing in theGreenlandic language and using elements of traditional drum dances in the music. The singerRasmus Lyberth did the most to change Greenlandic music by performing for simple entertainment rather than functionality;[2] indeed, he took part in the Danish preselection for the1979 Eurovision Song Contest, performing in Greenlandic. Other local performers of note includeG-60 andOle Kristiansen.[5] The 1980s saw Greenland become home to a number of bands inspired by Jamaicanreggae and African Americanfunk, likeAalut andZikaza.[2] Modern Greenland is home to the annualNipiaa rock festival, held inAasiaat,[12] and performers likeChilly Friday,throat-singerSylvia Watt-Cloutier andKarina Moller.
Famous modern rock bands includeKalaat,Siissisoq,Angu Motzfeldt,Pukuut,X-it,Fiassuit,Nanook,Small Time Giants andUltimaCorsa.
A growing metal scene has emerged in Greenland, withblack anddeath metal groups such asThe Perfect Mass, Moonlight Drowns,Failed to Failure and Silence.cold.alone. beginning to release music through the 2010s. One early pioneer of Greenlandic Metal is Arctic Spirits, who sing exclusively in the Inuit language.
The largestrecord label in Greenland is ULO, from the town ofSisimiut; it was created byMalik Hoegh andKarsten Sommer. ULO releases both Greenlandicrock bands likeSume,pop singers likeRasmus Lyberth, andhip hop music crews likeNuuk Posse as well asInuit folk music.[13] Elements of modern Greenlandic music have also been used in the music ofKristian Blak, aDanish-Faroese jazz musician.
Summertime festivals calledaussivik have become an important part of modern Greenlandic culture, and are based on an older custom that was revived in the 20th century along withdrum dances and other elements.
Kalaallit Nunaata Radioa (Radio Greenland) is the most important media institution in the country. It is an independent body administered by theGovernment of Greenland.[14]