– Greenlandic, Icelandic…
– Norwegian, English, Danish, Swedish, two Sami, Nunavik, and – is that Nunavut too?
– Greenlandic, Icelandic…
– Norwegian, English, Danish, Swedish, two Sami, Nunavik, and – is that Nunavut too?
In a room somewhere at Sisimiut’s music school, the organizers behind the Arctic Sounds Festival are counting how many languages will be sung in at this year’s music festival.
Sermitsiaq talks to festival director Jacob Froberg and his colleague Maria Kristiansen via an online connection. Somewhere in the direction – away from the camera – sits Laura Lennert Jensen, who is also co-organizer of the festival and counting.
– At least seven or eight languages, is the final conclusion from Jacob Froberg, who in his time founded the festival.
This year will be the 12th time that singers, songwriters and musicians from the Nordics, the Arctic and abroad will gather in Sisimiut to pay tribute to original music.
The first year Arctic Sounds took place was in 2014.
– After all, Arctic Sounds was a festival with a focus on songwriting right from the start. And we also love when people sing in their own language, says Jacob Froberg.
Before long, residents and visitors to Sisimiut will once again be able to experience a multitude of concerts, talks and workshops around the whole town and in the mountains, when the Arctic Sounds Festival gets underway in the Easter days from 2 – 6 April.
Sápmi takes over on Friday
Something that Jacob Froberg and Maria Kristiansen are very excited about this year is the Friday program, which this year is dedicated to Sápmi.
They have long tried to get more Sami artists to play at the concert, and through a collaboration with the North Norwegian and Sami music festival Riddu Riđđu, they have finally succeeded.
– Riddu Riđđu takes over the entire Friday and presents Sami music, Sami food and does various workshops, says Jacob Froberg.
Among other things, you can refine your yoik (traditional Sami song, ed.) or learn about various craft techniques.
Some of the Sami artists you can experience on Friday are the electronic duo Hildá Länsman & Tuomas Norvio and the band Gabba, who will both play at Råstofskolen.
In addition, Jacob Froberg highlights the festival’s conference programme, which takes place prior to the festival itself, which this year focuses on strengthening the musical and cultural ties across the Arctic and the Nordics.
In the same spirit, a group of musicians from Greenland, the Faroe Islands, Iceland and Denmark have spent time producing music together, which will culminate in a concert for the festival, where they will also collaborate with a local choir from Sisimiut.
A great program – subject to the weather
Besides Sápmi takeover on Fridays and various collaborative projects, there are also some concerts that the festival organizers are personally looking forward to attending.
– Regarding Me, says Laura Lennert Jensen in the background, for example, promptly when Sermitsiaq asks.
Regarding Me – or Laura, as she is also called – is a Danish music artist who has also played at several major festivals such as Roskilde Festival and Smukfest.
Maria Kristiansen is looking forward to the American artists, Küf Knotz & Christine Elise:
– It’s rap and harp put together. That’s cool!
– And Angu Motzfeldt, breaks in Laura Lennert Jensen.
– Yes! The last time I saw him was in Aalborg back in the 90s, when he released his second album. And it was a fantastic concert, says Jacob Froberg.
One of the artists who has not played a concert before and who will make his live debut at the festival is the musician and rapper Ole-Kristian Lyberth, who goes by the stage name OK.
– I am so excited to see what he comes up with, says Maria Kristiansen.
The festival program has been published and will be continuously updated on, among other things the festival’s website. Subject to change due to weather and logistics.
– We want people to land on the plane before we can set a fixed programme, says Maria Kristiansen.
You’re probably an arctic festival.
For the same reason, it is difficult for them to answer how many people they think will show up to the festival concerts this year. However, they expect around 600 people, including artists, network guests, volunteers and local sponsors.
– We usually sell between 250 and 300 tickets, says Jacob Froberg.
– But the ticket sales typically only happen right up to and on the day itself, when we start, says Maria Kristiansen.
