Ole Kristiansen – in songs and words

Experience a special evening at Ilisimatusarfik, where Sørine Steenholdt will explore and reflect on the poetry and lyrics of Ole Kristiansen, accompanied by intimate live music by Ole Kristiansen himself.

BIO:

Ole Kristiansen – Greenlandic singer, songwriter, and composer

Ole Kristiansen (1965) is one of Greenland’s most renowned and beloved musician, poet and songwriter. He made his debut in 1989 with the album Isimiit iikkamut, whose hit single and accompanying music video Zoo Inuillu gained airplay on MTV and attracted attention from Indigenous peoples around the world. Since then, he released a series of albums, including Pop uummataaruffimmi (1991), Ullungullu illungullu inuuningullu tumerparpaartoralugit (1997), Qaqqat asiilasut (2004), Kikiak (2006) and Qilaatinga (2021).

Kristiansen performed widely outside of Greenland, notably at the Roskilde Festival in Denmark. He also collaborated with the Inuit Theatre Company, which performed his composition Qasapip ullua kingulleq (2011), based on author Villads Villadsen’s epic poetry about the final battle between the Norse settlers and the Greenlanders.

Throughout his career, Kristiansen received numerous awards, including the Koda Prize in Greenland (1990), the Koda Honorary Award (2009), the Government of Greenland’s Cultural Award (2012), and the Government’s Honorary Grant (2025).

Musically, Kristiansen moved between rock, folk and pop, often writing poetic and socially critical lyrics in Greenlandic. His songs frequently explored themes of identity, nature, love, longing and the social challenges of modern Greenland. He is often described as the voice of a generation – an artist who gave words and melody to Greenland’s modern transformation and the emotional complexity of its people. Known for his honesty and sensitivity, both in his lyrics and performance, Kristiansen’s music continues to serve as a cultural reference point in Greenlandic art and education.