Listen to modern Lapp music by some modern artists singing in their own language

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Contemporary Lapp music

We just want to give you a few examples of Lapp music of today. The modern Lapp music has travelled a long way from the traditional yoik. But still you can hear and sense that it is different from socalled western music.

Just listen to our three examples and judge for yourself.

Music related to Tana

The band Deatnugatte Nuorat (The banks of Tana youth) from the Tana valley became famous from 1974 when they made their first LP.
Vuoi min Deatnu. They always sing in the Sami language.

And here is their song about the beautiful girl, Majja (Mary) from Tana. The song is called Deanu-Majja (Mary from Tana)

Ingvald Guttorm

Read about Ingvald Guttorm's new CD with both traditional Sami yoiks from both sides of the Finnish - Norwegian border in the Tana river valley and some of his own.

Ulla Pirttijärvi

Ulla Pirttijärvi is a Lapp artist from Finnish Lapland. She has developed her own style which is inspired by the traditional yoiking which is the old art form that combines elements of song and speech and chant.

She uses modern instruments to complement her voice. She started her career as a former member of the successful group Angelin Tytöt (Girls of Angeli, now ”Angelit”).

Today Ulla is among the top Lapp artists. She has been working together with Frode Fjellheim since 1996. Ulla now lives in Utsjoki on the in Northern Finland.

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Mari Boine

The world famous Lapp artist Mari Boine is from Karasjok in Norwegian Lapland. Mari is also inspired by the traditional yoik. She is probably the most reknowned Lapp of all time.

She has renewed the yoik by including elements from jazz, rock and traditional music traditions from many different cultures. She has been performing many places around the world.

Her artistic expression has been influenced by her childhood experiences of the conflict between religion and Lapp tradition as well as the schism between the greater society and the local culture.

Mari Boine has received a number of prices for her work as an artist.

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Sofia Jannok

Sofia Jannok comes from Gällivare in Swedish Lapland. She has always been singing and she had her first performance when she was 11. Since then she has been performing a lot in many kinds of musicical events.

She has been touring in Lapland, through Europe, in America and even in the Far East. She has been receiving many awards for her music. Sofia says this about her own music:
"My music is difficult to describe in words. The tunes are dancing somewhere between the mystic of the northern light and the warmth of the comforting fire. I am inspired by the vastness of the land, the people and the meetings between these elements.

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The BlackSheeps

This young rock band from Nesseby in Norwegian Lapland won the Nordic MGP 2008 with the Lapp title Oro jaska beana which means 'Shut up, dog'. Listen to the Oro jaska beana

The traditional yoik

Contemporary Lapp music is inspired by the age old yoiking tradition. The Lapp yoik is often an improvised song and can be about just about anything - love, religion, family, animals and nature. Read more about the traditional Lapp music here.

The University of Helsinki has gathered many traditional yoiks from different parts of Finnish, Norwegian and Swedish Lapland. Click here to listen to lapp traditional yoiks.

You may also want to read some more about Lapp culture.

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