Norway & Sweden - The Far North

 Finally finishing our long journey through Sweden and Norway, we'll be zigzagging between the two countries exploring the far Arctic north.  Our first stop is the town of Bodø just north of the Arctic Circle in the Nordland County of Norway.  This is where traditional folk musician, fiddler and composer Susanne Lundeng was born in 1969.  Her music is firmly rooted in the traditions of her home region, but has a distinctive sound of her own as a fiddler, composer and free thinker.  She has just recorded her 13th studio album called Følge, named after the guardian spirits that accompany each person throughout their lives according to Nordic beliefs.  Here's a song from the album called Sku det meir te:

Next we are retracing our steps back to Sweden and the county of Norbotten.  The small town of Kalix apparently has its own dialect unintelligible to other Swedes and even its own culinary speciality, a kind of caviar called Kalix Löjrom, which is made from the eggs of a local fish called vendace.  This is where singer / songwriter and producer Vera Vinter was born in 1981.  Her music has something of an ambient film music feel to it, creating a uniquely Nordic atmosphere with some dark undertones.  In 2022 she got together with violinist Hanna Ekström from Dalarna in central Sweden to record an album called Lios entirely in the Kalix dialect.  Here is a song from the album called SÅLT Å VATTNE (salt on the water):

Now for something completely and wildly different we are heading to the far northern municipality of Jukkasjärvi, still in Norbotten County, where organist Gunnar Idenstam was born in 1961.  Classically trained on the organ (yes we are talking about great big church organs) his mission is to broaden the instruments appeal to a wider audience and dabbling with 70's prog rock and Swedish folk.  If that sounds whacky listen out for his 2022 collaboration with Sámi hip-hop and rap artist Ola Stinnerbom, who takes Sámi joiking to a whole new level.  The resulting album is called A Saami Requiem and is described as a musical journey to The Kingdom of Death and back.  It is quite difficult to describe in words, so here is a sample called A Saami Requiem Part 1 "The Journey":Saaiva - The Door to the Kingdom of Death.

Next we are hopping back over to Norway and the northern-most city in the world Tromsø.  I visited it once many years ago, it also sports the northern-most university in the world, the northern-most beer brewery (although you need to take out a mortgage to be able to afford a pint...) and the Arctic Cathedral.  Sadly my ex-girlfriend has kept all the photos I took on that trip.  

Anyway, I digress, Tromsø is also the birthplace in 1987 of Fiddler, composer and singer Julie Alapnes.  She has been playing the instrument since the age of 5 and was immersed early on in the traditional music of the far north, which she now combines with more contemporary sounds.  Here is a song from her 2022 album Helleristning called Støa:

Next we are heading to Kautokeino in the Troms og Finmark county.  This is where the Sámi from all 4 corners of their territory gather for their annual spring festival over the Easter weekend, dressed in their bright blue and red costumes, herding their reindeer with them and racing on reindeer sleighs on a frozen over lake.  It's a spectacle I was lucky enough to witness back in 1982 and, although I don't have any photographic evidence any more, remains one of my most vivid travel memories.

Kautokeino is also the birthplace of singer, joiker and activist for Sámi rights and the environment Sara Marielle Gaup Beaska (aka Iŋgor Ántte Ánte Mihkkala Sara in Northern Sámi) in 1983.  She doesn't really have a website, but a look at her Instagram page reveals her strong activism.  Here is a video from before her visit to the Paris COP conference, where she invites everybody to join her in a joik:

She has also performed with ice musician Terje Isungset, whom we already met in Viken County.  Here is a live piece from a concert in 2019 in Oslo called Ocean Memories:

About 60 km north of Kautokeino is the village of Masi (or Máze) where young joiker John André Eira comes from.  Still in his 20's, he has been joiking since the age of 2, and is said to have a particularly keen ear due to the fact that he was born blind.  Whilst keen to preserve the ancient traditions he is also not afraid to blend it with modern influences including rock and blues, especially with his current band GABBA.  Here is a track from their 2022 self-titled debut album called Mihkkelaš:

Next we are heading almost as far north as you can get in Norway to the village of Gamvik on the northern shore of the Nordkinn peninsula, which is just east of North Cape.  This is where joiker Torgeir Vassvik was born in 1962.  His compositions are wildly dramatic, incorporating traditional drums and distorted strings to the traditional joiks.  He calls himself an Arctic Soundpoet.  Here is a track from his 2019 album Gákti called Whipped / Spiddumat:

Finally we conclude our journey of Sweden and Norway in the far north-eastern corner of Norway in the town of Vadsø.  This is where Hardanger fiddle player Sivert Holmen was born, although at the age of 6 his family moved to Aurdal in Inlandet County, which is evident in his musical influences.  He has since toured the world with his fiddle.  Here is a tune from his 2021 album Jotunheimen called Sumarkveld i Jotunheimen:

That's it finally from Sweden and Norway and we can move onto a new country next with Finland.  Sorry it's a bit of a long post this time, I just wanted to get through the last of the material I had on these 2 countries.  As usual you can follow my virtual journey on my Tripline map