Ambient and reflected Sami music! Uploaded on YouTube, 2nd September 2012. The Sami duo on the video performs their music in a spontaneous and lively way in which improvisation and playfulness in focus. Only guitar, live sampling and joik song are the essence of the duo.
I had the pleasure to experience Marit Hætta Øverli joiking in at Sorrisniva in Alta, 28th August 2012. Read the more on Travel Explorations:
A wonderful journey in Alta in 28th-29th August 2012: full of adventures from partying in Lavvo, admiring the sunset over the River of Alta - Alta elven - at Sorrisniva, joiking by Marit Hætta Øverli, folk rock singing by Petter Carlsen, exploration of rock carvings and joining a concert by The Norwegian Beatles. Various music from Sami joik, folk rock to pop/rock made the tour something extra. The show goes on in Alta.
You can also watch photos on Travel Explorations on Facebook.
Joik, (also spelled yoik), luohti, vuolle, leu'dd, or juoiggus, is a traditional Sami form of song. Originally, joik referred to only one of several Sami singing styles, but in English the word is often used to refer to all types of traditional Sami singing.
According to music researchers, joik is one of the longest living music traditions in Europe, and is the folk music of the Sami people. Its sound is comparable to the traditional chanting of some Native American cultures.Traditionally, joiks usually have short lyrics or no lyrics at all. However, there are other forms of joik (in the expanded sense of the word) that have a more epic type of lyrics (source: Wikipedia).
Personal and evocative nature
The joik is a unique form of cultural expression for the Sami people in Sápmi. This type of song can be deeply personal or spiritual in nature, often dedicated to a human being, an animal, or a landscape as a personal signature. Improvisation is not unusual.
Each joik is meant to reflect a person or place. This does not mean that it is a song about the person or place, but that the joiker is attempting to evoke that person or place through song - one joiks their friend, not about their friend (similarly to how one doesn't paint about a flower, but paints the flower itself).
Stein Morten Lund, 3rd September 2012
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