Singer, actress and author born in Aarhus (Denmark) in 1979.
Julie Berthelsen, also known as Julie Ivalo Broberg Berthelsen or by her stage name, Julie, was born in Aarhus (Denmark) in 1979 to a Greenlandic mother and a Danish father. Following her parents’ divorce, she moved to Nuuk (Greenland), where she lived until the age of nineteen. Her stepfather is Per Berthelsen, teacher, politician, and founding member of the rock band Sume, who were pioneers of the genre in Greenland in the 1970s. Influenced by her stepfather, Julie Berthelsen developed a passion for singing, which she began to practice diligently at the age of 11. She was 15 when she took to the stage for the first time, serving as a backup vocalist at a Sume reunion concert; this kicked off her career as a singer. During her high school studies (1995-1998), she formed a band with her friends and toured the country several times. She then moved to Norway, where she studied music and theatre for two years (1998 and 1999) before moving back to Aarhus, where she studied medicine from 2000 to 2002.
Julie Berthelsen became a celebrity thanks to her participation in the Danish televised music competition Popstars in 2002; she won second place. This achievement brought her recognition in Greenland and in Denmark, and she subsequently devoted herself entirely to music, releasing five pop albums: Home (2003); Julie (2004); Asasara (2006); Lige nu (2009); and Closer (2010). In 2003, she drew a record-breaking crowd of 50,000 people at the Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen (Denmark) on Greenland Day, an annual event that brings together Greenlanders living in Denmark. Many of Julie Berthelsen’s songs were also released as singles between 2002 and 2014. Her album Home won a record three prizes at the 2004 Danish Music Awards. Julie Berthelsen’s music is not particularly focused on Greenlandic themes, unlike Sume, whose songs deal with the quest for Greenlandic identity. However, her notoriety has allowed her to promote her country’s music, stories and legends: several of the Greenlandic songs she played during her autumn 2009 – winter 2010 acoustic concert tour appeared on her album Closer. She has had a long-lasting musical collaboration with Per Berthelsen, most notably in the context of their joint albums Live in Katuaq (2014) and Juulli siulleq (2017). Julie Berthelsen’s music is a vital part of the cultural landscape of her two countries, as evidenced by her numerous distinctions. In 2004, she performed at the Christiansborg Castle (Copenhagen) for the wedding of Prince Frederik of Denmark and the Princess Mary.
Julie Berthelsen’s musical success and fame have given her the opportunity to broaden her artistic practice, including as an actress. She appeared in an episode of the Danish series Manden med by Gyldne ører (2009; literally: “The Man with Golden Ears”), and is well known for her role as Nivi in the Greenlandic film Nuummioq (2009) by Otto Rosing and Torben Bech; the film depicts a slice of life of several Nuuk residents. Julie Berthelsen has also narrated the audio versions of many books, including, most recently, the Danish translations of two works by Swedish novelist Camilla Grebe: Husdyret (2018; literally: “The Domestic Animal”) and Skyggejægeren (2019; literally: “The Shadow Hunter”).
Julie Berthelsen has also made an appearance in the literary world. She is one of the twenty Greenlanders presented in Kalaallit nunaat: silarsuaq, eqqqarsaatigisatsitut ippoq / Grønland: verden er and som vi tænker den / Greenland: the world is, as we think it (2010), a Greenlandic, Danish, English trilingual book by visual artist Linga Riber. The account of her life and career offers a reflection on identity, evolution, and future prospects in Greenlandic society. Julie Berthelsen herself took up the pen after the birth of her son, Casper Nanoq, in 2012, and published her first book, Sund balance, in 2015. Sund balance recounts Julie Berthelsen’s experience of pregnancy, her acceptance of her new body, and her love of cooking. The book was well received, leading to a second edition in 2016 and a Braille edition in 2017. In 2016, Julie Berthelsen, along with twelve other prominent figures, shared the story of her childhood in Greenland in the audiobook Glimt af Grønland: Min barndom i Grønland (2016, 2017; literally: “A glimpse of Greenland: my childhood in Greenland”), narrated by Lise Ravn.
Julie Berthelsen now lives in Solrød Strand (Denmark) with her husband Minik Dahl Høegh and their two children. Her artistic career is still flourishing: she placed second in the Dansk Melodi Grand Prix in 2019; she had been Master of ceremonies for this event in 2010 and became one of its jury members in 2020. She is also involved in many humanitarian causes, particularly those concerning Greenlandic children.