Mari Boine

The ancient shamanistic musical traditions of the Sami of northern Scandinavia are given a modern twist by vocalist and drummer Mari Boine (Persen). Although her highly rhythmic songs are rooted in the wordless, yodeling-like vocal style of yoik (or joik), Boine's arrangements incorporate influences of jazz, rock, and other ethnic elements. After debuting in the 1980s, she achieved a breakthrough with 1989's Gula Gula and secured her arrival on the broader music scene with the Spellemann Prize-winning Goaskinviellja in 1993. Releases like the concert album Eallin (1996), Eight Seasons (2002), and In the Hand of the Night (2006) highlighted output leading up to career recognitions such as the Arts Council Norway's Honorary Award in 2009 and the Spellemann equivalent in 2017, the same year she released her first all-English-language album, See the Woman. A stripped-down set with pianist Bugge Wesseltoft, Amame, saw release in 2023.