Sami church music

[Gerard Willemsen]

For all intersted in music I must recommend a CD called Aelies Gaaltie, which is South-Sámi meaning The sacred source. It is made by the sámi composer and singer Frode Fjellheim. This CD follows the mass liturgy, but all the pieces are highly influenced by the traditional sámi chant, the yoik which for so long had been banned by christians (and still is by quite some). All the time you hear a beautiful combination of yoik and traditional church music as it is used in the Church of Norway. Sometimes it feels almost gregorian, al the time it feels sámi.

Fjellheim is a well-known musician, he has produced different kinds of yoik-inspired music. He has also good experience of working in church context.

This is a good example of how church tradition and indigenous music can enrich each other and give something new.

Aejlies Gaaltij. The sacred source, an arctic mass.
by Frode Fjellheim
Vuelie 2004

Gerard

[hushasha40]

The only Sami music that I have heard has been the stylized music from the CD The New Voices of the North by The Girls of Angeli. I notice that the CD is an import from Sweden (I found my copy at the Swedish Institute in Minneapolis) and is not even currently available through www.amazon.com, although some used copies are available from third-party sources. I was really struck by the rhymic beats and beautiful vocals. There are some lovely examples of simple yoiks, as well.

[Gerard Willemsen]

Today there are a great number of CD's with Sámi music, all from very traditional yoik to "Rock-yoik". You find many at www.dat.net/main.html (also in english).
But there are not many Sámi christian CD's. There are some with translated swedish/norwegian hymns, and the one I mentioned which is Sámi in style.