Finland - Lapland Part II

 Next on our trip around Finnish Lapland we arrive in the municipality of Enontekiö, which sits sandwiched between Norway and Sweden.  This is where writer, poet, artist, singer and all round renaissance man Nils-Aslak Valkeapää was born in 1943 (died in 2001).  He is credited with being a central person to revitalise the ancient art of Sámi joiking.  Amongst his many achievements he featured on the 1994 Mike Oldfield album The Songs of Distant Earth on the song Prayer for the Earth:

Here's a fascinating historical documentary about his life, which also gives a great insight into Sámi life and culture:

He really comes across as a very special person.  For more of his music check out the 2014 compilation album The Magic of Sami Yoik.  

Also born in Enontekiö in 1968 was Nils-Aslak's godson musician Niko-Mikhal Valkeapää.  He was one of the first to combine Sámi joik and folk with pop and more modern influences.  He also acted as a politician on the Sámi council.  He now lives in Kautokeino in Norwegian Sápmi.  Here's a song from his 2019 album Birrat Birrat called Okta Ráhkkisvuohta (One Love):

Another stalwart of Sámi joiking is Wimme Saari (usually just known as Wimme), who was born in nearby Kelottijärvi in 1959.  He combines his joiking often with techno-ambient accompaniments.  He has collaborated with many other acts, most notably with Swedish/Finnish outfit Hedningarna.  Here is a piece they did together at the Riddu Riddu festival, which is held annually in the Norwegian Sápmi village of Kåfjord.  If you have at all been inspired by my ramblings about Sámi music and culture or are interested in indigenous music in general, the festival takes place from the 12-16 July this year.  Sadly I won't be able to make it this year, but would love to one day.  Anyway this song appeared on a compilation disc called Riddu Riddu 1991-2001, which I don't think is available any more:

Here's another documentary on Wimme giving more insights into Sámi life and Wimme's music:

Finally for something completely different as we travel to Rovaniemi the capital of the Lapland region.  This is where composer, guitarist and oud player Jussi Reijonen was born.  His style is much more international in outlook with his own style of ethno-jazz with Middle Eastern influences.  For his 2022 album Three Seconds / Kolme Toista he assembled a 9-piece orchestra with musicians from Finland, Jordan/Iraq, Palestine, Turkey, Japan and the USA to produce a suite in 5 movements.  Here is the third movement called III: The Weaver, Every So Often the Sands Shifting Beneath Her:

That's it from Lapland, next we are heading south to the regions of Ostrobothnia.  In the meantime you can follow my virtual ramblings on my Tripline map.

Finland - Lapland Part I

 After spending the last few months crisscrossing Sweden and Norway on our virtual musical journey, we finally visit a new country in Finland, the land of a million lakes (well 180,000 odd anyway...).  The language is totally unintelligible to the average human.  In fact when God gave letters to the speakers of all the different language, the Welsh were at the back of the queue for vowels, and also the Fins nipped ahead of them using them all up, leaving none for the Welsh.  That's my theory anyway and I'm sticking to it.  The Finns are also amongst the most stoic people I have ever come across, but with a very dry sense of humour.  Getting them to show any passion or emotion is like squeezing blood out of a stone.  Famously Finnish formula One driver Mika Hakkinen was giving monosyllabic answers to complex questions in interviews.  However, Finland also has recently been voted happiest country in the world and they have a word for getting drunk alone in your underwear, kalsarikännit

Finland is divided into 19 administrative regions, and we'll be visiting most of them in the coming weeks.  First up is the wild northern region of Lapland, reputedly home of Santa Claus.  I only visited Finland once very briefly, and that was that narrow strip of Lapland that sticks out between Sweden and Norway.  We just stopped for a Picknick in the snow before moving on.  It looked a bit like this:

Photo credit: By Čeština: Petr Vodička, Wikipedie

 Whilst technically we have crossed an international border, we are still very much in Sápmi, the country of the indigenous Sámi people, which stretches between the northern reaches of Sweden, Norway, Finland and Russia.  Our first stop in the far north is the village of Nuorgam, where Sámi joiker Ánnámáret is based (although she was born in nearby Inari in 1979).  She combines her joiking with the sound of the jouhikko, the Finnish bowed lyre and organic electronic patterns.  Here's a track from her 2021 album Nieguid duovdagat called Dolat:

Next we are heading a few miles down the road, hugging the border to Norway, to arrive in the village of Utsjoki.  It may be small and remote, but a lot of Sámi music comes from here.  First we have the yoik/pop duo VILDÁ, the name of which is a combination of the 2 first names of the duo, Hildá Länsman (joik and drums) and Viivi Maria Saarenkylä (accordion).  Now, you might think nothing much happens in this remote spot, but here the duo organise a disco, the Utsjoki-disco a song from their 2019 album Vildaluodda / Wildprint, which bizarrely features a banana, an inflatable flamingo and some llamas:

And talking about Hildá Länsman, she also performs with her mother Ulla Pirttijärvi to form the duo Solju.  Again it's a coming together of the traditional and the modern, with Ulla long established as traditional joiker and Hildá adding elements of pop and New Age.  Here is one of the more poppy songs from their 2018 debut album Ođđa Áigodat (New Times) called Muhtumin.  I don't understand the words, which are in North Sámi, but the pictures in this video are pretty self explanatory:

Hildá Länsman is also lead singer of Sámi prog rock band Gájanas (Echo), who have been awarded numerous awards including International International Artist-group Recording of the Year 2021 for their album Čihkkojuvvon (Hidden).  Here's a live version of a song from the album called Geažehis áhpi (Endless Sea):

And still staying in the family we're going back to Hildá's mother Ulla Pirttijärvi, who actually was born a bit further south in the village of Angeli.  She also heads a band called Áššu accompanied by Harald Skullerud on percussion and Olav Torget on guitar and African Konting.  They combine traditional joiking with West African influences, sometimes with quiet moods, sometimes with more up-tempo grooves.  Here is a song from their 2019 self-titled album called Jođedettiin. It combines traditional joiks from the villages of Karasjok, Utsjoki and Kautokeino:

And some more family connections from the remote village of Angeli in the form of joik group Angelit. They were formed back in 1989 by sisters Ursula and Tuuni Länsman (presumably related to Hildá) as Angelin Tytöt and also had Ulla Pirttijärvi in its original line-up.  Their recordings mostly have electronic, pop and techno elements, but sadly their last album Reasons was in 2003.  Here is a recent live recording of more acoustic set, with some of the songs from the album, finishing in the upbeat song Hobo:

There's more music from Finnish Lapland, but this post having been all but taken over by a single family, we'll continue with other unrelated musicians from the area next time out.  In the meantime, as usual, you can follow my virtual travels on my Tripline map.

 

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

Sweden - Jämtland to Västerbotten

 Next we are heading back into Sweden to the province of Jämtland and its capital city of Östersund.  

Folk band Triakel was founded in 1995 following a lost bet.  The forfeit was that Kjell-Erik Eriksson and Janne Strömstedt had to perform using fiddle and harmonium only.  The combination was so successful that they added singer Emma Härdelin and decided to continue.  They perform mostly traditional songs from their home region.  The name Triakel is the local name for liquorice (oh boy, I'm totally addicted to Swedish liquorice!  Anybody know any dealers of this stuff?).  Anyway, here is a song from their 2019 album Händelser I Nord (Real Life Stories from the North) called Sparvens Visa:

Kjell-Erik Eriksson is also involved with folk-rock outfit Hoven Droven, which was established in 1989.  Their name roughly translates as helter skelter or whatever in the Jamtish dialect.  They combine Swedish folk with some rocky and jazzy elements.  Here's a song from their 2021 album Trad called Evertsberg:

Fiddler Elin Jonsson was born in Strömsund in northern Jämtland.  She grew up in a family of musicians and apart from the traditional tunes of her homeland she is inspired by every day life experiences like making coffee in the forest or watching documentaries about the sea.  She uses a loop station to enhance her music.  Here is a tune from her 2021 album Drömmaren called Beluga:

Next we are heading for the county of Västernorrland, where folk rock band Garmarna were formed in the city of Sundsvall in 1990.  They veered in various directions over the years including rock, trip hop and dark Nordic, but always with their roots in Swedish folk.  Here is the opening track to their 2020 album Förbundet called Ramunder:

Next we head for the county of Västerbotten and our first stop here is the university town of Umeå.  This where the all female a cappella folk quartet Kraja was formed in 2002.  Their repertoire comprises Swedish folk songs, love songs, humorous songs, dance lilts and chorales.  Their name translates as the place you long for in the Sámi language.  Here is a song from their 2020 album Vinter called Det är en ros utsprungen:

I mentioned Nyckelharpa player Erik Rydvall last time out as part of the Swedish/Norwegian duo Rydvall/Mjelva.  Rydvall is originally from somewhere in Västerbotten. Here is another track from their 2019 album Vårvindar Friska called Klunkelåtten:

Finally we are heading north of the county to the town of Storuman, which is also part of the province of Lapland.  This is where Sámi singer/songwriter Katarina Barruk was born in 1994.  She is one of literally a handful of native speakers of the critically endangered Ume Sámi language and says her and her brother might be the last 2 of their generation.  She has made it her mission to revive the language and writes all her songs in it.  She now spends her time between Storuman and Umeå teaching and performing.  Her music combines Sámi joiking with indie pop.  Here is a live version of a song from her 2022 album Ruhttuo (Boreal Forest) called Niäguoh:

It's great to see young artists preserving ancient traditions and making them accessible to a fresh audience.  That's it for today, next we are heading even further north.  In the meantime, as usual, you can follow my virtual ramblings on my Tripline map.

Norway - Trøndelag

We continue our zig-zag journey through Scandinavia and hopping back over the border to Norway and the county of Trøndelag.  First stop is the historic and pretty mining town of Røros, which due to its large collection of old timber houses has Unesco World Heritage status.

Photo credit: By Hogne - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1705607

This is where Hardanger fiddler Olav Mjelva is from.  He has collaborated with many acts, including the Nordic Fiddlers Bloc (whom we met in Sweden before).  Another Norwegian/Swedish duo he is involved in is together with Swedish Nyckelharpa player Erik Rydvall forming the duo Rydvall/Mjelva.  Together they skilfully combine their respective national instruments to play both Norwegian and Swedish folk tunes.  This is a tune from their 2019 album Vårvindar Friska called Jubileumspolska:

Fiddler Ingeborg Ulberg Sommer is also from Røros.  She doesn't seem to have her own website, but has released her debut solo album Attkømmen in 2021.  Here is a tune from the album called simply Vals:

We already met joiker Marja Mortensson in Inlandet county, where she is from.  In 2019 she collaborated with tuba player and composer Daniel Herskedal from Molde and the Trondheim Solist String Quartet, which leads us to Trondheim.  Here is the opening track to their 2019 album Lååje - Dawn called GUBPEDE BÖÖTIM - Where did I come from:

Accordionist Frode Haltli was born in the town of Levanger in 1975.  He started playing at the age of 7 and he has had a prolific and award winning career.  Amongst other projects he heads a 10-piece super band called Avant Folk, which includes some well known names such as Hardanger fiddler Erlend Apneseth and Fiddler Hans P Kjorstad, both of whom we have met before on this blog.  They describe their music as experimental folk meeting jazz and chamber music.  Here is a live concert of theirs in Bremen, Germany with extracts from their 2017 self-titled album:

That's it for today, next we are heading back into Sweden again on our zigzag tour of Scandinavia.  Until next time you can follow my virtual ramblings on my tripline map.

Norway - Innlandet County

 On the next leg of our virtual journey through Norway we meander away from the coast eastwards to the county of Innlandet.  First stop is the municipality of Folldal, where young folk singer Synnøve Brøndbo Plassen is from.  Most traditional Norwegian folk we have come across so far is instrumental led by the Hardanger fiddle.  The 26 year old Plassen however has taken a different approach by singing the dance tunes of her home region a Capello or with minimal accompaniment.  She has released her debut album Hjemve (home sickness) in 2021 and it is a real fun listening experience.  Here are a couple of songs from the album:

Next up we are getting our first taste of Sámi joiking (or anglicised yoiking) as we head into the southern Sámi reindeer herding district of Svahken Sijte near Engerdal on the border to Sweden.  This is where young Sámi joiker Marja Mortensson hails from.  She also is only about 26, but has already 3 critically acclaimed albums to her name.  On her latest 2022 album Raajroe - The Reindeer Caravan she is collaborating with tuba player Daniel Herskedal and the Norwegian Radio Orchestra.  On it she brings the annual reindeer migration to life.  Here is the title track from the album:

The young Kjorstad brothers Hans and Rasmus come from the municipality of Sør-Fron in the district of Gudbrandsdalen.  They are both fiddlers and immerse themselves in the traditions of their home region, some of it embellished by vocals, Norwegian dulcimer, different flutes and Jew's harp.  Here is a tune from their 2016 debut album Pusishi Ulla called Redvaldhalling:

Heading south we arrive in the village of Furnes, where jazz pianist, composer and conductor Jon Balke was born in 1955.  In 2007 in the aftermath of the invasion of Iraq he founded the conceptual project Siwan as a counterpoint, amalgamating sounds from the Arabic world initially with Moroccan singer Amina Alaoui, then with Algerian singer and oud player Mona Boutchebak.  Here is a track from their 2017 album Nahnou Houm with the latter on lead vocals.  The song is called Itimad:

Next we are heading to the village of Kirkenær in the municipality of Grue.  This is where singer and Kantele player Sinikka Langeland was born in 1961.  Her mother was a Karelian, an ethnic group from the border area between Finnland and Russia, who awakened an early interest in her daughter in the Finish kantele (a 39-string dulcimer).  Sinikka has since immersed herself in Rune songs and chants from Finland and Karelia, including shamanistic, ritualistic music.  Here she plays a tune called Winter Rune from her latest 2021 album Wolf Rune with some amazing overtone singing by Anna-Maria Hefele.  In the introduction there is a short and interesting interview giving some background.

That's it for today, next we are heading back into Sweden, heading towards Stockholm.  As usual you follow my virtual journey on my Tripline map.

Norway - Viken County Part II & Vestfold og Telemark

 Before leaving Oslo we meet Sámi yoiker Kajsa Balto who was born in Oslo to parents of the Sápmi nation which covers the north of Scandinavia with its own language and culture.  The music of her ancestral country, which is based on yoiking or joiking, a Sámi chanting style similar to native American chanting, blended with more modern urban pop and folk are what inspires Kajsa.  Here's a song from her 2020 album Buot eallá (Everything is alive) called Min máttuid rávvagat (The advice from our ancestors):

Next we are heading northwest from Oslo to the small village of Torpo in the Ål municipality, where actor, dancer and folk singer Margit Myhr was born in 1990.  She has released a few albums as leader of the Kvedarkvintetten and last year collaborated with Hardanger fiddler Erlend Apneseth, who is from Vestland (more of him later), to record an album of traditional Norwegian folk songs called Slåttesong.  Here's a live performance of a song off that album called Gro Gudmundsrud, although Erlend is just sitting by in this one, but as I say more of him in a later post.

Also from the Ål municipality and possibly a relation is Hardanger fiddle player and singer Helga Myhr (born 1995), who works in the field of Norwegian folk as well as contemporary and experimental music, both as a solo artist and as part of various projects. One of her projects is folk band Morgonrode (old Norwegian for the red sun rising at dawn), combining traditional tunes with original lyrics and parts of improvisation, reflecting the various musical backgrounds of the band members.  Here's quite an hypnotic tune by them called Huldresull, which is the opening track to their 2020 album Du milde verden:

 

Moving on we arrive in Geilo in the Hol Municipality, still in Viken County for something quite unique.  This is where Jazz percussionist Terje Isungset comes from, who has been hailed as the world's first and only ice musician.  He has been experimenting with building instruments from all kinds of natural materials, such as arctic birch, granite, slate and sheep bells, but it was a commission to play and compose inside a frozen waterfall in Lillehammer in 1999 that led to his growing interest in making music from blocks of ice cut from glaciers.  He has since gained international fame, touring indoor venues as well as playing in situ and releasing numerous albums of his compositions.  Here is a tune from one of his concerts called A Glimpse of Light:

There is even a film out about his exploits, which sounds interesting to have a look at:

And this is from his latest album Glacial Poetry called When Ice Sings, recorded inside an igloo:

Next we are heading back south into the county of Vestfold & Telemark to the municipality of Notodden where folk singer, anthropologist and pedagogue Frode Nyvold was born in 1949.  He is head of department of folk culture at the Rauland Institute.  He has recorded numerous albums of Norwegian folk songs and his latest 2020 album is called Soldater og Redelik Sjømen (Soldiers and honest seamen), which has a hint of the sea shanty tradition.  Here's a song off that album called Soldaten:

Finally we stop in Heddal in the Telemark, where veteran harmonica player Sigmund Groven was born in 1946.  Groven has become known as one of the world's leading classical harmonica players, playing anything from classical music, to pop and Beatles covers and Norwegian folk, touring the world doing so.  In 2020 he returned to his roots and recorded an album with fiddler Knut Buen (born 1948 in Kongsberg, Viken County) of tunes from his home region, The Sound of Telemark.  This is the opening track to the album called Bruremarsj frå Seljord:

That's it from this part of Norway for today, next we are heading back down towards the coast to circumnavigate the nose of the 'Norwegian bear'.  In the meantime you can follow my virtual travels on my Tripline map.