Greenland - Nuuk and the South

 We take the next ferry south to arrive in the capital of Greenland, Nuuk, which contains a third of the population of the country.  Inuk indie-folk singer/songwriter Nive Nielsen was born here in 1979.  She tours internationally with her band the Deer Children singing mostly in English, with a few songs thrown in in Greenlandic.  Here is one of her songs in Greenlandic from her 2015 album Feet First called Tulugaq with some nice shots of Greenlandic scenery:

Hip-hop band Nuuk Posse formed in 1985 and rap in Greenlandic, English and Danish.  They don't appear to have a website any more and might no longer be active, but here is a track to their 1995 album NP called Inupiliaqqat:

The indie-rock band Nanook was formed by brothers Christian and Frederick Elsner in Nuuk in 2008.  The brothers are half Inuit, half Danish and sing in Greenlandic.  They also run a record company and a musical instrument shop in Nuuk.  They are the most popular current pop act in Greenland, their name referring to a mythological Greenlandic bear.  This is a track from their 2018 album Ataasiusutut Misigissuseq called Aarnuaq (Talisman) filmed in Uummannaq in the north:

Finally we hop on a ferry again to the southern town of Qarqortoq, where singer/songwriter Simon Lynge grew up, although he was born in Holstebro in Denmark in 1980.  He quotes his early influences as Jimi Hendrix, the Doors, Simon and Garfunkel and Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young and he sings mostly in English.  He comes from a long line of musicians in his family, and he has been the first to achieve international success.  Here is the title from his 2018 album Deep snow, which is available as a free download on his website.  The video is filmed in Nuuk:

That's it from Greenland.  In conclusion it seems the Greenlanders like the letter Q rather a lot in their language, I wonder what the Q is worth in their version of Scrabble (answers on a postcard, please)?  Next we'll return to Denmark to continue our virtual journey of that country.  Meanwhile you can follow my path on my tripline map.

Greenland - Part I

 For the next leg of our virtual journey we need to take a plane or hitch a ride on a fishing boat from Iceland to Greenland.  It's the largest non-continental island in the world, which geographically belongs to the North American continent, but politically is part of Denmark, with a population of only about 56,000.Donald Trump famously wanted to buy it off Denmark, but the Greenlanders were not massively impressed.  The population is made up of 89.5% indigenous Inuit and the climate is raw.  The settlements are connected by plane or a ferry service that runs once a week and fishing is the main economic activity with no roads in the interior.  Musically there is a surprising amount of it being put out.  Traditionally the frame drum and shamanic chanting are the main forms of musical entertainment, but various modern influences are now predominant.

Now, given the harsh climate and long winter nights, Greenland has one of the highest suicide rates in the world, so I suppose they need to let off some steam every now and then and heavy metal and hard rock feature heavily in the music scene.  So we start our trip in the far northwest of the country in the town Uummannaq, situated on a rocky island and the northernmost ferry terminal in Greenland (and apparently where Santa Claus lives...), where heavy metal band Siissisoq hail from.  They were formed in 1994 and are one of most popular rock bands in Greenland.  Their name means rhino in Greenlandic and all their lyrics are in Greenlandic.  Heavy Metal is not my favourite genre, but we'll play you some to represent the north of Greenland.  This a song called Tunersuilo, not sure where you'd get the album:

Next we are taking the ferry southwards along the west coast of Greenland to arrive in Maniitsoq, where singer-songwriter Rasmus Lyberth was born in 1951.  His music style can best be described as jazz influenced pop-rock with a definite Greenlandic character.  He is one of the most popular artists in the Greenlandic music scene.  On his latest 2019 album Inuunerup opafigaanga/Livet skal leves på ny he includes a climate song in Greenlandic (with helpful English subtitles), a subject that affects this part of the world harder than elsewhere: 

There isn't much I can find out about folk accordionist Louis Andreasen, except that he was from somewhere in Greenland and died in 1988 aged 71.  However some of his music has survived in recorded form such as this polka called Saqisaaq which features on the Rough Guide to Scandinavian Music released in 2000:

In 1976 a Greenlandic rock band formed that initiated the start of a velvet revolution.  They were called Sumé (which means where in Greenlandic), and although they started off in Denmark, they were the first band to sing highly political songs in the Greenlandic language advocating independence from Denmark.  Whilst they haven't succeeded in their ultimate goal, Greenland now has a high degree of autonomy.  Their debut album Sumat (where to) was bought by 20% of the Greenlandic population and gained iconic status in the country.  In 2014 a film was released called Sumé - The Sound of a Revolution, documenting the story of the band and its influence on Greenlandic history.  Here is the trailer:

Here's a live version of their song Innuneq (with helpful Danish subtitles...), which features on their 1977 self-titled album:

That's it from Greenland for the moment, next we are visiting the capital Nuuk and the south of the country.  In the meantime you can follow my virtual ramblings on my tripline map as usual.

Iceland Part II

 Voces Thules is an Icelandic music ensemble consisting of 5 male singers and instrumentalists playing Medieval and contemporary music in polyphonic voices.  Here is an extract from a concert at the Nordic festival of Medieval music in Sweden:

Record producer, composer and musician Valgeir Sigurðsson (born 1970) creates a soundscape that blurs the lines between contemporary classical and electronic music.  He has been commissioned to write many film scores, but has also written the likes of chamber operas and orchestral scores.  He has set up his own record label, the bedroom community, where he closely collaborates with many other accomplished musicians to realise his projects.  He wrote the film score to the 2010 environmental documentary Draumalandið (Dreamland) about the damage and destruction caused by the aluminium smelting industry in Iceland.  It was also released as an album and here are some extracts from the documentary with the music and some dramatic footage:

Folktronica and indie pop band Múm (pronounced miooyyuujm apparently...) formed in 1997 in Reykjavik.  Their music is characterised by soft vocals, electronic glitch beats and effects and variety of traditional and unconventional instruments.  Here is a live version of their song A Little Bit, Sometimes from their 2007 album Go Go Smear the Poison Ivy:

Multi-instrumentalist and producer Ólafur Arnalds was born in Mosfellsbaer just outside Reykjavik in 1986.  He mixes strings and piano with loops and beats, a sound ranging from ambient electronic to electronic pop.  Here are a few tracks from his 2020 album Some Kind of Peace:

That's it from Iceland, next we're taking a quick trip to Greenland.  In the meantime you can follow my virtual ramblings on my Tripline map.

Iceland Part I

 From the Faroes we take another ferry to arrive in Reykjavik, the capital of Iceland, the land of the northern lights, glaciers and geysers, where everybody knows everybody else and singing and late night story telling is central to the culture.  Iceland's most famous person by a country mile is singer/songwriter Björk Guðmundsdóttir, who is better known by just her first name.  She is mostly known for her avantgarde rock, electronic and jazz influenced style, singing mostly in English in her unmistakably unique voice.  However she has also released songs in her native Icelandic such as this song from her 2004 album Medúlla called Vokuro:

Indie rock band Árstíðir were formed in 2008 in Reykjavik.  Their style has elements of chamber music with cello accompaniment and is sung both in Icelandic and English.  Here is a live and acoustic version of a couple of tracks from their 2012 EP Tvíeind:

The traditional folk music form of Iceland is the Rímur, a very old tradition of epic ballads, and one of its prime modern interpreters is Bára Grimsdóttir, who was born in Ryekjavik in 1960.  Here she performs the title track to her 2004 album Funi, which means fire in old Icelandic, together with her English partner Chris Foster:

Another proponent of the Rímur tradition is fisherman Steindór Andersen.  He is most noted for his collaborations with Icelandic rock band Sigur Rós.  Here's a song from their 2001 album Rímur called Á Ferð Til Breiðafjarðar Vorið 1922 (On a trip to Breiðafjarðar in the spring of 1922):

Multi-instrumentalist and composer Ásgeir Ásgeirsson combines Icelandic folk songs with influences from all over the world.  His mastery of a variety of string instruments such as the oud, tambura, saz baglama and bouzouki adds Eastern flavours to the folk songs of the far northwest of Europe.  He released a trilogy of albums collaborating with musicians from Turkey, Iran, Bulgaria and Greece as well as well known Icelandic folk singer Sigrídur Thorlacius.  This is a song from his 2017 Turkish inspired album, Two Sides of Europe called Hátíð fer að höndum ein:

That's it from Iceland for today.  we will continue exploring the music of Iceland next time.  In the meantime you can follow my virtual journey on my Tripline map.

The Faroe Islands

We take the ferry from Hirtshals in Denmark to Tórshavn on the Faroe Islands.  Most people on the Faroes seem to be musicians.  I suppose you have to entertain yourself somehow if you live on a group of rugged islands in the middle of the windswept North Atlantic.  Technically the Faroes form part of the kingdom of Denmark, but they enjoy a large degree of autonomy, although there is an active and large independence movement.  The Faroe Islands consist of 18 main islands connected through bridges and tunnels and 779 islets and skerries.

We start our musical journey with the Nordic ensemble Yggdrasil, who are based in the capital.  The band was formed in 1981 with members from various countries and changing personnel.  Yggdrasil in Nordic mythology is the World Tree.  Their style encompasses jazz and classical elements all with a Nordic flavour. Here are a few tunes from their 2021 album Porkerisvatn which is a concept album to provide musical accompaniment to a landscape painting from a collection by William Heinesen:

Folktronica band Valravn was actually based in Denmark, but at least 2 of their members were from the Faroes, including lead singer Anna Katrin Egilstrøð, who has more than a hint of Björk about her.  The band was active between 2005-2013 and released 3 1/2 albums during that time (the last one was published unfinished) and were inspired by the folk traditions of Denmark, the Faroes and Iceland with a dose of electronica.  This is a song from their 2009 album Koder på snor called Kelling:

Author and musician Høgni Reistrup was born in Tórshavn in 1984.  He's written a few books on the crisis of a decreasing population in the Faroes, despite one of the highest birth rates in Europe.  He has also been active in local politics.  His music is mostly electronica, sung in Faroese with some classical and jazz elements.  Here's a song from his 2013 album Áðrenn vit hvørva (Before we disappear) called Möðandi orka:

Folk metal band Týr formed in Tórshavn in 1998 and play some Nordic folk inspired heavy metal.  Here is a song from their 2019 album Hel called Ragnars Kvæði:

Singer/songwriter Guðrið Hansdóttir grew up in Argir, just south of Tórshavn.  She is the daughter another well-known musician Hans Carl Hansen.  Her music is influenced by Swedish pop as well as 70's rock such as Jethro Tull and Kate Bush.  She sings both in English and Faroese and also collaborates with partner Janus Rasmussen in the duo Byrta.  Here is a song from her forthcoming album Gult Myrkur called Blátt Myrkur:

 

Singer/songwriter Teitur Lassen was born in Hoyvik in 1977.  He has been on the international circuit for some years and has collaborated with the likes of Seal, Corinne Bailey Rae and others.  He writes and sings mostly in English, but has included some Faroese songs on his latest 2021 album Cazador de Ostras such as this one called Lær meg at dansa, which I presume means teach me to dance:

Finally I can't leave the Faroes without giving Eivør Pálsdóttir a mention.  She was my first introduction to Faroese music with her fabulous rendition of her song Tròdlabùndin on YouTube.  She was born in 1983 in Syðrugøta, a village on the island of Eysturoy, and generally just goes by her first name.  The song that made her famous appears on her 2004 self-titled album.  This is acoustically not the best version on the net, but I love the scenes of the spectacular Faroese landscape on this version. It never fails to give me goose bumps:

That's it from the Faroe Islands, next stop Iceland.  In the meantime you can follow my virtual ramblings on my Tripline map.

Denmark - The West & North

 We arrive in Denmark our first stop in Scandinavia.  It's apparently home to the most content people in the world.  I have visited a few times, but mostly just travelling through on my way further north, so don't know the country that well.  

We start along the west coast first.  Guitarist and composer Preben Carlsen was raised in a windy village of west Jutland, the main peninsula forming the country of Denmark, which could essentially be anywhere along the west.  His first musical love was the blues and he soon discovered the West African roots of the blues.  He travelled around Africa extensively and has recently started a collaboration with Gambian percussionist Sal Dibba to form the duo Ba Balance.  They released their debut album Around the Crocodile Pond in 2020 and this is the opening track called Djembe:

The village of Sønderho on the island of Fanø off the west coast of Jutland may only have 299 inhabitants, but it has it's very own 300 year old folk and dance tradition.  Det Yderste Hav (The outermost sea) is a folk trio endeavouring to keep this tradition alive and has released an album in 2015 of the regional dance tunes and songs called Sønderhoninger, led by classical guitarist Jørgen Bjørslev.  Generally the guitar features more in Danish folk compared to other Scandinavian traditions.  This is a song from that album called Skal vi gå til fremmed' lande (Shall we go to foreign lands):

Singer/songwriter Lars Lilholt was actually born in Herlev near Copenhagen in 1953, but in 1982 he founded the popular folk rock band Lars Lilholt Band in Aalborg, which is still active recording and touring.  Here is a track with a distinct Irish feel to it called Den Magiske Møhårspensel (The magic hairbrush) from their latest 2021 album Decameron:

Next we are heading to Hirtshals in the far north of Denmark, where singer/songwriter and comedian Niels Hausgaard was born in 1944.  All his songs are preceded by a long monologue in Danish or even in the dialect of his home region of Vendsyssel known as Vendelbomål, which can be a bit frustrating for non-Danish speakers (I only speak a very rudimentary Pidgeon Scandinavian...).  I found one of his songs at least partially sung in English Called No Balls Blues, which is evidently about spineless politicians:

That's it for today.  Hirtshals is also the departure point for the ferry to the Faroe Islands and Iceland, where we will be heading next before returning to Denmark.  In the meantime you can follow my virtual rambling on my Tripline map.

Germany - Schleswig-Holstein

 We conclude our virtual trip around Germany in the state of Schleswig-Holstein in the far north of Germany, a flat and mostly rural landscape framed by both the North Sea to the west and the Baltic Sea to the east.  I cycled around the state as a 16 year old and haven't been there much since, so any photos I may have taken then have long been lost in the historical archives.  Our first stop is the small town of Rendsburg, where 'folk'n'roll band Speellüüd have been playing music for the last 43 years.  They started off as a traditional folk band singing in Low German, but after some changes in personnel, they more recently concentrated on covers of old rock songs translated into Low German, a regression methinks.  They only seem to have released 3 albums of their original stuff, which are no longer easily available.  Here is a drinking song from their 2000 album Wesseljohrn called Toveel Drinkt Wie Nie (We never drink too much):

There was a strong Viking influence in Schleswig-Holstein, being almost part of Scandinavia, which is evidenced in the archaeological site of Haithabu near the village of Hedeby.  This and the fictional modern village of Torfmoorholm is were many of the songs of folk rock band Torfrock are about.  They were founded around 1976 and initially played covers of rock songs in Low German, but soon added humorous songs about Rollo the Viking chieftain and his motley crew of hard drinking, fighting and pillaging Vikings as well as modern characters of turf cutters, fishermen, steamroller operators and others in modern Northern Germany.  They sing their songs in a bit of a modern pseudo-Low German dialect, rather than pure Low German.  One of their biggest hits was Volle Granate, Renate, which is about a feisty red-haired Viking woman, who participates on a journey to America and distracting some of the crew.  It features on their 1991 compilation album Torfrock oder Watt and this is a later live version:

Singer-songwriter Knut Kiesewetter (1941-2016) was actually born in Sczcecin in modern day Poland, but was then Stettin in then Germany.  After the war his family fled to Hamburg, but he later settled in Garding in North Frisia, where he bought himself a thatched farmhouse, his Fresenhof.  He started his musical career aged 15 and by the age of 18 played at the Indra Club in Hamburg alongside the Beatles.  During his long career he played genres ranging from rock, soul jazz, blues and gospel, but he became most famous for his folk recordings sung in Low German.  His biggest hit was a love song to his chosen home, the Fresenhof, which featured on his 1976 album Leeder vun mien Fresenhof:

Our final destination in Germany is the small town of Breklum in North Frisia, where singer-songwriter Fiede Kay (1941-2005) was born.  Very much of the same generation as Knut Kiesewetter, the 2 of them often collaborated.  He also sang traditional songs and own compositions in Low German and in Frisian.  He moved 3 km from his birthplace to open a pub in Bredstedt, and the square in front of the pub has subsequently been named in his honour.  Here is a traditional song off his 2014 post-mortem collection Fiede Kay Singt, Vol.4 called Dat du mien Levste büst (That you are my dearest).  It is about two clandestine lovers meeting in the night, while her parents are asleep.

That concludes our virtual tour of Germany, next up we're heading to Denmark, the Faroe Islands and the rest of Scandinavia.  In the meantime you can follow my ramblings on my Tripline map.