Bundesvision 2012: Brandenburg

Naming a singer appropriately doesn't happen as often as one would think.  The singer known as Madonna bears little resemblance to the mother of Jesus.  The singer known as Jello Biafra bears little resemblance to either a delicious squishy dessert or a secessionist region of Nigeria.  On the other hand, Mellow Mark (here featuring Nina Maleika) more than earns his name with Bleib bei mir.

Call it smooth jazz.  Call it soul.  Call it an acoustic duet.  Whatever you call it, Bleib bei mir is undeniably mellow.  There is obviously skill involved, but this song's Ambien-like effect on me makes it difficult to make any kind of coherent comment.  Suffice to say, Bleib bei mir rates right in the middle of "meh".

My prediction:  Like many other Bundesvision entries over the years, Bleib bei mir is neither good enough to win nor bad enough to make you want to cram knitting needles through your eardrums.  It just is.  As Bundesvision 2012 has a pretty strong crop of competitors this year, I think this lack of punch will put Bleib bei mir down in the bottom third of the pack.

Music Video: Nanook - Ingerlaliinnaleqaagut

Back when I was still just posting my international music observations on my personal Facebook page, I linked to a couple of interesting hip-hop groups from Greenland.  Despite being pretty rudimentary musically, they did ignite in me an interest in discovering more about the music scene in this often overlooked, scantily populated, island in the Arctic Ocean.

As one would expect from a place that is officially an independent nation within the Kingdom of Denmark, Greenland's music is heavily influenced by Europe.  Geographically, as a part of the North American continent, Greenland's music also displays influence from Canada and the United States.  Culturally, as a nation that is primarily ethnically Inuit, and which officially speaks Greenlandic, songs are typically sung in a language that would confound even the most widely traveled linguists.

All of which brings us to the band Nanook and their song Ingerlaliinnaleqaagut.  The title and lyrics might seem at first totally alien, but the music is instantly accessible.  Originally formed by two brothers, one from Nuuk, Greenland and the other from Copenhagen, Denmark, Nanook blends these influences beautifully in this mellow acoustic tune.