Traditional Greenlandic Music
This CD is just for tourists who want the true Greenlandic culture. The CD contains 55 tracks with some of the biggest drum dancers from all over Greenland. It will not be more original than this - the oldest recordings are over 100 years old (1905), so it almost feels that you're back in time when listening to the drum dances. Sound quality varies greatly from number to number so there is definitely drum dance for every taste. In addition to Greenlandic drum dancers, there are also some from Canada, and inside the cover there are great descriptions of how the recordings have taken place (both in Greenlandic and English). The CD was released in 1992.
Drum dances
Greenlandic drum dances are, like the relatives found in Eastern and Central Canada, based around a single dancer who composes his song by his family while he dances, usually in a qaggi, 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 long 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.
Many drumdances are competitive in nature, featuring two song 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
This CD is just for tourists who want the true Greenlandic culture. The CD contains 55 tracks with some of the biggest drum dancers from all over Greenland. It will not be more original than this - the oldest recordings are over 100 years old (1905), so it almost feels that you're back in time when listening to the drum dances. Sound quality varies greatly from number to number so there is definitely drum dance for every taste. In addition to Greenlandic drum dancers, there are also some from Canada, and inside the cover there are great descriptions of how the recordings have taken place (both in Greenlandic and English). The CD was released in 1992.
Drum dances
Greenlandic drum dances are, like the relatives found in Eastern and Central Canada, based around a single dancer who composes his song by his family while he dances, usually in a qaggi, 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 long 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.
Many drumdances are competitive in nature, featuring two song 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
