Mari Boine

"BOINE was born in Karasjohka, a small town in the Arctic regions of Norway that are also part of what is known as Samiland, named after the indigenous people whose blood she shares. The Samis were colonised by Christians, and their culture slowly eroded until it was dismissed as worthless, so BOINE became acutely aware of notions of conformity early on. Her music has always been fiercely proud of her heritage, seeking to celebrate Sami culture while bringing it to a wider audience, fired initially by her anger at the contemporary treatment of their traditions. But though she has not mellowed in her beliefs, convictions so strong that she refused to perform at the Lillehammer Winter Olympics in 1994 on the grounds that she did not want to be used as “an exotic decoration”, she has always sought new ways to integrate her ideology into her work. Her blend of Sami folk traditions – in particular the yoik – with contemporary rock, jazz, electronica and other musical forms sourced from around the planet has made her a revered figure at home and abroad. From the release of her second album, Gula Gula (from 1989), on Peter Gabriel’s Real World label, to 2007’s collection of remixes by such acclaimed artists as Mental Overdrive and The Knife, her international status has been unquestionable."
Mari Boine