Music from the fells: figures on a Sámi shaman's drum

The Sámi, or Lapp, people invented yoiking (juoiggus; in Finnish, joiku) aeons ago. Today, this monophonic vocal music, or chanting, is still practised by Sámi artists, among them Wimme Saari (born 1959 in Enontekiö, 300 km north of the Arctic Circle, a son of a reindeer herdsman), who’s brought a new dimension to this ancient art form.

After experimenting with his tradition, Wimme’s first album, Wimme, was voted Finnish Folk album of 1995. In 2000, having identified connections between yoiking and native American singing, Navajo in particular, he toured in the US to critical acclaim.

Wimme’s yoik-inspired ‘Iddesolla’,  ‘Morning coffee’, is available on the Finnish Music Information Centre website – among other samples of different genres of Finnish music. (See the Fimic player on the home page.)

We think it’s got the right mood, of an early winter morning: listen to it yourself.