Playlist: Greenland (& Denmark)

I don't generally stray far into the world of politics here, but it is time to show some solidarity with the people of Greenland. It would be wrong to ignore that there are, of course, existing issues around the existing colonial situation there - and it seems their connection to Denmark may not always be 100% happy and strong - but also being threatened by the orange man baby who lives next door is not something they needed or bargained for.

Their land, their decision - it's quite simple really...

So, here - and I have really had to dig deep on this one, so bear with - are ten songs connected to Denmark and Greenland. I have even managed to include some Greenlandic music of different types too, which has opened up my (and hopefully your) horizons.

1. Aqua: Barbie Girl

Okay, well known Danish bands aren't quite as commonplace as from neighbouring Sweden, but we start off fairly light with this certified pop banger. This piece of bubblegum pop was a global hit, making number one across much of Europe and Top 10 in the US. It is a cleverer song than many might give it credit for, as it attacks misogyny without dropping a beat (they were also threatened by Mattel for the subject matter).

Barbie Girl (official music video)

2. The Raveonettes: That Great Love Sound

Sune Rose Wagner and Sharin Foo got together and formed an indie band that channeled their love of Everly Brothers harmonies. They were spotted early on by David Fricke of Rolling Stone, and they were soon signed by Columbia Records. That Great Love Sound appears on their 2003 debut, Chain Gang Of Love and was their peak single success, troubling the lower end of the UK Top 40. This great bit of rockabilly grunge is like the late 50s meeting the Jesus & Mary Chain.

That Great Love Sound (official music video)

3. Greenland National Anthem: Nunarput Uloqqarsuanngoravit

Hopefully I have spelled that right. Greenland, despite not yet being an independent nation, has two national anthems - this one composed by Jonathan Petersen, who added music in the 1930s to words written twenty years earlier by Henning Lund. A fairly typical rousing piece of music - the video helpfully has the words in Greenlandic and English so you can sing along.

Greenland National Anthem (video footage of Greenland)

4. Halfdan E: Greenland

This beautifully atmospheric instrumental piece is taken from the soundtrack for 2010s Danish political drama, Borgen. I never did see it, but interestingly its fourth season included a storyline where the Danish leader had to contend with mineral wealth (oil) being discovered in Greenland and tread the line of her parties environmental credentials and the unwanted attention of the US, Russia and China. Sounding almost familiar....

Greenland (audio only)

5. Mew: Am I Wry? No

This set of Danish indie rockers recently embarked on their 'farewell' tour with the news that founding member Jonas Bjerre was leaving - although it seems they might carry on anyway. Their most successful period came with this song and their third album Frengers, which also gave them a chance to tour Europe with R.E.M.

Am I Wry? No (official music video)

6. Democratic Penguins Republic: Greenland

I wavered about including this - but it has to go in; it is a recent, very unsubtle message to the orange manbaby to keep his hands off of Greenland! You may be shouting that there are no penguins in the northern hemisphere, but these are penguins ready to cross the globe to defend their polar comrades. Apparently The Penguin Republic of Antarctica is a communist state with the twelfth largest population in the world, although is yet to be recognised by the UN. They have millions of penguins who are trained and ready to fight!

Greenland ('official' music video)

7. D-A-D: Sleeping My Day Away

This hard rocking Copenhagen band formed in the early 1980s, originally known as Disneyland After Dark, before perhaps sensibly changing to just D-A-D, to avoid any Disney lawsuits. Sleeping My Day Away was a (surprisingly catchy) heavy blues rock tune that tickled the bottom of the UK Top 100 and comes from their breakthrough 1989 record on Warner Bros, No Fuel Left For The Pilgrims.

Sleeping My Day Away (official music video - with lots of hair)

8. The Pogues: Greenland Whale Fisheries

It seems there are a few seafaring folk songs that reference Greenland, perhaps understandably given its relationship to the whaling industry. This song has its origins in the West Indies, with lyrics being variously taken from oral tradition of the mid-nineteenth century, although there is an older ballad version that can be traced back to 1725. As with all good sea based folk songs, there have been dozens of version, often with varying lyrics used. Ewan MacColl, Peter, Paul & Mary, Judy Collins and of course The Pogues, have all done it, with the latter including it on 1984 debut Red Roses For Me.

Greenland Whale Fisheries (live somewhere in central Europe, 1985)

9. Sume: Eqqissineq Sapiinnarama

The original pioneers of Greenlandic rock music, Sume started out in the early 1970s, taking inspiration from American rock but singing in Greenlandic. 1973's Sumut (Where To?) was an integral part of the independence movement in Greenland, with its strongly anti-colonial lyrics.

Eqqissineq Sapiinnarama (audio only)

10. Aalut: Inuuneq

There is little information to be found on Aalut, other than that they are a Greenlandic band formed in the 1980s, who draw inspiration from reggae and American blues and funk music. They are known for their vocal melodies and it seems that they have released at least five albums along the way. I found this live performance by them and enjoyed it so much, it had to go on the list.

Inuuneq (live on Greenland TV, maybe?)

11. Nanook: Ingerlaliinnaleqaagut

My discovery of this band was something of a revelation. They are now, apparently, Greenland's biggest band - the 5,000 albums they sold in 2010 means that one in ten Greenlanders brought their debut album, Seqinitta Qinngorpaatit (Our Sun Is Shining On You). They are led by the half-Inuit, half-Danish brothers, Christian and Frederick Elsner, who moved from southern Greenland in 2001 to Nuuk, to pursue their music career. This is a wonderful piece of indie folk-rock (with a strong nod to Neil Young), a hard acoustically driven number, backed up with some great vocal harmonies.

Ingerlaliinaleqaagut (official music video)