Sumé (band)
| Company type | Rock band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1972 |
| Founder | Malik Høegh, Per Berthelsen |
| Defunct | 1977 (initially) |
| Fate | Reunited intermittently after 1977 |
| Headquarters | Greenland |
| Products | Music albums |
Sumé—a name translating to "where?" in Greenlandic—was a rock group from Greenland established in 1972 by vocalist, guitarist, and songwriter Malik Høegh alongside guitarist, vocalist, and composer Per Berthelsen. Their first album, Sumut ("where to?"), launched in 1973 under the Danish label Demos, achieved sales reaching one-fifth of Greenland's population and emerged as a significant emblem of cultural independence from Denmark. Drawing inspiration from American rock music yet delivering their songs in Greenlandic, the band’s lyrics offered a pointed critique of Danish colonial rule, notably through the track "Nunaqarfiit," which called for a resurgence of Inuit culture. The album’s artwork displayed a 19th-century woodcut by Aron of Kangeq portraying an Inuk hunter slaying a Norseman.
Although the ensemble dissolved in 1977, they reunited intermittently for performances and released the album Persersume ("Snowdrift") in 1994.
In 2014, the documentary Sumé: the sound of a revolution, directed by Inuk Silis Høegh, debuted, showcasing the band's pivotal influence on Greenlandic music and cultural identity.
Discography
- Sumut (1973, Demos)
- Inuit Nunaat (1974, Demos)
- Sume (1977, ULO)
- 1973-76 (1988, ULO)
- Persersume (1994, ULO)