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Why one of Greenland's biggest bands makes music in their native language

NPR | By Ashley Brown,
Juana Summers, Matt Ozug
Published March 4, 2025 at 5:49 PM EST
Frederick Elsner plays a bit of his music on his guitar during an interview in Atlantic Music basement studio.
Grace Widyatmadja/NPR
Frederick Elsner plays a bit of his music on his guitar during an interview in Atlantic Music basement studio.

Updated January 8, 2026 at 1:44 PM EST

The radio version of this story originally aired on March 4, 2025.

Greenland is at a crossroads. The island is caught between Denmark, which controls its foreign policy and defense, and the U.S., which under President Trump has repeatedly expressed interest in controlling Greenland.

On a reporting trip to Greenland in 2025, All Things Considered met brothers Christian and Frederick Elsner — two members of one of Greenland's biggest bands, Nanook. During their conversation with NPR's Juana Summers, the brothers reflected on the international spotlight placed on Greenland, discussed their family history, and shared why performing in Greenlandic instead of English is so essential to their music.

NPR is revisiting this conversation in light of President Trump's comments of acquiring Greenland and the White House hinting at the possible use of military force.

Listen to the full story by clicking the blue play button above.  

Copyright 2026 NPR
Ashley Brown
Ashley Brown is a senior editor for All Things Considered.
See stories by Ashley Brown
Juana Summers
Juana Summers is a political correspondent for NPR covering race, justice and politics. She has covered politics since 2010 for publications including Politico, CNN and The Associated Press. She got her start in public radio at KBIA in Columbia, Mo., and also previously covered Congress for NPR.
See stories by Juana Summers
Matt Ozug
[Copyright 2024 NPR]
See stories by Matt Ozug

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