Yoik, Joik or juoiggus is a traditional Sami form of song. The Sami people are the Indigenous people of northern Europe inhabiting Sápmi, which today encompasses parts of northern Sweden, Norway A song is a Musical composition. Songs contain vocal parts that are performed 'sung' and generally feature Words ( Lyrics) commonly followed
Originally, yoik 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. Its sound is comparable to the traditional chanting of some American Indian cultures. First Nations is a term of Ethnicity that refers to the Aboriginal peoples in Canada who are neither Inuit nor Métis people
Each yoik 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 yoiker is attempting to transfer "the essence" of that person or place into song - one yoiks their friend, not about their friend. It usually has short lyrics or no lyrics at all. This type of song can be deeply personal or spiritual in nature. Improvisation is not unusual. Improvisation (also called extemporization) is the practice of acting singing talking and reacting of making and creating in the moment and in response to the stimulus of
There are other forms of yoik (in the expanded sense of the word) that have a more epic type of lyrics.
In northern Sami areas, most yoiks are personal, that is, tied to a specific person. Northern or North Sami ( Davvisápmi, formerly Davvisámi or Davvisaami; improperly Lappish or Lapp) is the most widely A yoik is often made for a person at the time they are born.
It has traditionally been sung a cappella, sometimes accompanied by a drum. The word tradition comes from the Latin traditionem acc of traditio which means "a giving up delivering up surrendering" and is used in a number of A cappella (Italian or Latin "From the chapel/choir" Music is Vocal music or Singing without instrumental Accompaniment The drum is a member of the percussion group technically classified as a Membranophone. It is sometimes set to other instruments. A musical instrument is a device constructed or modified for the purpose of making Music. The tonality of yoik is mostly pentatonic, but yoikers are at liberty to use any tones they please. Tonality is a system of Music in which specific hierarchical pitch relationships are based on a key "center" or tonic. A pentatonic scale is a musical scale with five pitches per Octave in contrast to an heptatonic (seven note scale such as the Major scale Pitch represents the perceived Fundamental frequency of a sound
Personages
- Wimme Saari is one of the world's most renowned Sámi artists - whose use of yoik is the central factor of his music - and thus identifying him as one of the foremost Sami traditional musicians. Wimme Saari (also known as just Wimme, b 1959, Kelottijärvi Enontekiö) is one of the best known Sami Yoikers from Finland He has been collaborating more in recent years and has worked with Swedish trio Hedningarna. Hedningarna is a Swedish and for some years partly Finnish, Folk music band that mixes electronics and rock with elements from old Scandinavian folk Wimme Saari (website: http://www.rockadillo.fi/wimme/) mixes some elements of the old style yoiking with something new.
- Mari Boine is one of the most popular and inspiring artists of her culture; blending elements of yoik with other idioms - jazz, rock, world music - sculpting a sound which simultaneously exalts and transcends tradition. Mari Boine Persen is a Norwegian Sami musician known for having added Jazz and rock to the Yoiks of her native people
- Nils-Aslak Valkeapää was a well-known modern Sami writer, musician, and artist using yoik in his work. Nils-Aslak Valkeapää, known as Áillohaš in the Sami language ( March 23 1943 - November 26 2001) was a Sami He performed at the opening ceremony of the 1994 Winter Olympic Games in Lillehammer, Norway. The 1994 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XVII Olympic Winter Games were a Winter Multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1994 Lillehammer is a town and municipality in the county of Oppland, Norway, globally known for hosting the 1994 Winter Olympics.
- Kenneth Njuolla is a traditional yoiker from Nesseby who grew up riding reindeer and performing his art on the snowy plains of the Finnmarksvidda of northern Norway. Finnmarksvidda (the Finnmark plateau Finnmark highland is Norway 's largest mountain plateau with an area greater than 22000 km²
- Ulla Pirttijärvi is a Sami vocalist from Northern Finland who offers a modern take on yoiking. Her music sounds like Scandinavian folk goes deep into an ambient dub electronica cave and gets recorded by Peter Gabriel.
- Ánde Somby is a traditional yoik artist and a Research Scholar in the Faculty of Law at the University of Tromsø, who yoiks persons, animals and landscapes. ( Romsa in Northern Sami, Tromssa in Kven and Finnish) is a city and municipality in the county of Troms, There are also some images from concerts and some sound samples at the page. Ánde Somby's site
- Although little known outside the folk metal circuit, Jonne Järvelä of the Finnish band Korpiklaani (formerly known by the name Sháman) is quite proficient at yoiking. Folk metal is a sub-genre of Heavy metal music that developed in Europe during the 1990s Jonne Järvelä (born June 3rd 1974 is the vocalist/guitarist of the Finnish band Korpiklaani and of former project Shaman. Finland, officially the Republic of Finland ( is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of northern Europe. Korpiklaani is a Folk metal band from Finland who are formerly known as Shaman. Shaman was a Finnish Folk metal band formed in 1993 which is notable for the heavy use of original native Sámic music elements Both of Shaman's albums were labeled as "yoik metal", drawing heavily from Sámi music. After the name-change, the band switched to a more conventional folk-metal sound. He was also featured on the Jaktens Tid album of fellow Finnish folk metal band, Finntroll. Jaktens Tid (The Time of the Hunt is a Folk metal Album by the Finnish band Finntroll. Finland, officially the Republic of Finland ( is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of northern Europe. Folk metal is a sub-genre of Heavy metal music that developed in Europe during the 1990s Finntroll is a Folk metal band from Finland. They combine elements of Black metal with Finnish Polka, called Humppa
- Recently, the Norwegian band Adjágas has been taking yoiking around the world. Angelit, formerly known as Angelin tytöt ( Aŋŋel nieiddat) is a Finnish Sámi Folk music group formed by sisters Ursula and Tuuni Adjágas, from Sápmi Norway are Sámi joikers, Sara Marielle Gaup and Lawra Somby with a revolving line of musicians
External links
- Joik and the theory of knowledge by Ánde Somby
- The Many Faces of the Yoik
- Finnish Music Information Center
- Sami Folk Bands & Musicians online
Dapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic