2004 # 02 Tigoriannguaruk! Tag suluk med hjem ... - Air Greenland

● Julie Berthelsen released her solo-album in
English through a Danish/Swedish studio.
● Julie Berthelsen nuusiaminik tuluttuumik
qallunaat/svenskit immiussisarfiat aqqutigalugu
saqqummersitsivoq.
● Julie Berthelsen har udgivet sin solo-album
gennem et dansk/svensk studie med engelske
tekster.
DDR (Disko Demokratic Republic) from
Qeqertarsuaq released its debut album
»Siulleq« in 2002. The group consists
of the three Uldum brothers Ib, Anda
and Simon with drummer Martin Zinch.
DDR won Koda’s sought-after »Honours
Award« in November of last year. This
sound pat on the back has resulted in
interest from Denmark and the Faeroe
Islands. Even Northern Europe’s biggest
music festival »Roskilde Festival« has
expressed interest in having the band
on at this year’s festival in June.
But changing the Greenlandic lyrics
to English to follow the global trend is
still something of a leap. It is not easy
to turn your back on the mother tongue
that not only reflects your entire being,
but in a wider context also sustains
Greenlandic culture and so has significance
far beyond music.
- We would prefer to sing in our
own language. In fact, our only dream
at the moment is to play concerts in
North and East Greenland, says the
oldest of the Uldum brothers, 27-year
Air Greenland inflight magazine 35
old Simon. He does not, however, entirely
reject the idea of releasing a CD
in English.
- Of course we would like to do a
world tour at some time. And we have
talked about recording our next CD in
English. But we have not made up our
minds yet, says Simon Uldum. He and
the band are due to start work in the
recording studio in the spring.
Rap and Katuaq
The on-going work in traditional pop
and rock styles has not prevented
Greenlandic musicians from taking the
lead in their own interpretation of hip
hop and rap music. These styles have
their origins in the black ghettos of the
USA, where gang wars, narcotics, killings,
poverty and despair are realities for millions.
Greenlandic rap is delivered by
Nuuk Posse, Prussic and the new Sisimiut
band Lucas. Like their American counterparts,
the words in the Greenlandic
songs reflect the realities experienced by
the youth of today – not least city life.
Katuaq, the culture centre in Nuuk
obviously plays a central role on the
music scene in Greenland. Being in the
capital of Greenland, it is typically here
that the bands play for the largest live
audiences and receive media exposure.
But the director of Katuaq, Juaaka
Lyberth, himself a veteran musician, is
well aware of the opportunities open
to Greenlandic musicians abroad. For
many years he has worked to create a
network between musicians in
Greenland and other countries. The
culture centre does the administrative
work, arranges tours, finds sponsors
and looks for concert opportunities in
other countries.
- We have high expectations for the
next two years. We are in the process
of arranging concerts for Greenlandic
singers in other countries. But as we
are still at the planning stage, I will not
comment further, says Juaaka Lyberth.
AG