cover image: © photo by Mads Pihl. Use without the author’s permission is forbidden.
Drum dancing and drum singing are indigenous forms of Inuit artistic expression and music in Greenland. Drum dances and songs are frequently performed during national holidays, festive celebrations and social events, by a single person or a group. Drum songs often touch on the experiences and activities of daily life in Greenland, and common topics include love, longing, humour and hunting. For Greenlandic Inuit, drum dancing and singing embodies a shared identity and a sense of community as well as a means of creating continuity between the past and the present. They are recognized as symbols of equity and equality in Greenland, belonging to everyone, regardless of age, gender, social status or political views. 103
- A festival of drum dancing and singing is organised annually, as a meeting place for artists, and a way of raising awareness about the diversity of the tradition among visitors from around the world.
- In addition to the meeting between the artists, participants will have the opportunity to join exciting meetings such as workshops, pop-up shows around Nuuk and at Katuaq.
Collaboration: The Festival is an example of international collaboration as artists from Alaska, Canada, Qaanaaq, Tasiilaq and West Greenland gather for drum dancing, sharing stories and meeting visitors to promote their shared culture.
- 103 UNESCO Intangible heritage list. Inuit drum dancing and singing. Available at: https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/inuit-drum-dancing-and-singing-01696
