Here's something a little different for you today - reflecting what I've been listening to recently...
The joik is an ancient form of music performed by the Sámi people of northern Scandinavia into Russia.I first became acquainted with joik after a Ray Mears television program where he visited some Sámi people.
Where most song-writers write about their topic, joik paints - and becomes their subject. The song becomes the person or thing. As such, it often doesn't have words, just tones and syllables.
Apparently, it's usually sung on a pentatonic scale - and I must say I haven't sat down and listened to determine if what I've been listening to is pentatonic... (or five notes to the scale rather than our seven note.)
Anyway, I wanted to share with you some of my favorite joiks.
This one is very useful for understanding better what a joik is. (There are English subtitles, so hit the button!) This singer won the equivalent of America's Got Talent in 2014.
Daniel's Joik by Jon Henrik Fjällgren (presented by Talang Sverige)
This joik is the raw emotion that he felt after the loss of his friend. I challenge you to listen to it more than once without getting tears in your eyes.
Isn't his voice just magnificent?! The rest of his work is just as amazing too.
I was pleased to come across this talented artist who won a very recent (October) competition Stjernekamp (star camp). I liked this earlier round joik better.
Maze by Ella Marie Hætta Isaksen presented by NRK
She makes me think of how ancient this form of music is. Her voice is mesmerizing and teleports you back in time to the dawn of Sami civilization. I can imagine sitting around a fire in a reindeer-hide-covered shelter in the cold north, the aurora lightening up the sky.
Irene by Sofia Jannok
Can you cross joik with yodeling? Or is yodeling just a joik by a different name?
In any case, Sofia Jannok shows the amazing beauty that joik can be! I just love the magical sounds of her voice.
Boares Gietkka/Lullaby - Ulla Pirttijärvi by Ulrikke Brandstorp presented by NRK
Another one from this year's Stjernekamp.
Although I can see why she lost out to Ella Marie Hætta Isaksen, but her beautiful voice is perfectly suited for a lullaby.
This one caused me a serious ear-worm the other day
Let the Music Guide You by Alexander Rybak
To be fair, this really is a joik hybrid or something like that. It's in English and has a real song along with it, but it's a very nice piece of music by one of my favorite Norwegian artists.
Today's Finale!!!
I know I've already featured him, but I'm still grabbing Jon Henrik Fjällgren's piece from Melodifestivalen 2015.
Jag är Fri (I am Free) by Jon Henrik Fjällgren
What can I say? His voice is just amazing. He's not even native to Sweden, but to Colombia. We're so lucky that it was a Sami family who adopted him and he got the chance to grow up in Sápmi so we could get to listen to his amazing talent!
That's it for today! I hope you had as much fun as I did!
As usual, I'm simply sharing YouTube videos on a theme, all rights remain with the original.
Lori Svensen
author/designer at A'mara Books
photographer/graphic artist for Viking Visual
verified author on Goodreads
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also on: Whaleshares, WeKu
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