Viking Magazine - April 2010 - 54

Q&A
SINGING IN SÁMI
Mari Boine's music blends heritage with contemporary culture.
BY KARA ELIASON
M
usician Mari Boine grew
up in Finnmark at a time
when Sámi culture was
oppressed in Norway. She found
an outlet through music, and she's
released more than 10 records since
the 1980s. Boine has been called
" one of Norway's most important
artists " for her genre-crossing music,
taking inspiration from Sámi traditions
and modern artists.
Q: What is your personal connection
to the Sámi?
A: My parents were both Sámis. We
were not a reindeer herding family,
but we had a small farm and we often
went salmon fishing. We were called
river Sámis. I grew up with storytelling
and a closeness to nature. At home
we spoke Sámi, but at school it was
only Norwegian. It was very strict.
Everything that had to do with the
traditional [Sámi] religion was banned
when I was growing up.
Q: What inspired you to become
a musician?
A: I've always been a musical person.
I started singing as a child, and my parents
sang every day. I started to make
songs as therapy for myself, because I
realized I was ashamed of my own background.
When I learned the history of
the Sámi, I was so angry. Even though I
was a very shy person, that anger made
me write songs and express all my inner
feelings. When I sang for people, they
said, " You are singing about me. " I realized
that a lot of my own people they
felt the same way. I made my first re54
V I K I N G A pri l 2010
cording in 1986. Suddenly, I was an artist.
I didn't have a musical education-I
was educated as a teacher. I taught for
five years, and then I realized that I
needed a bigger audience than my pupils.
So I got into music.
Q: How has your music evolved since
you started recording in the 1980s?
A: In the beginning, what I knew
was pop music, ballads and little bit of
rock, so I created singer/songwriter
songs. Then I started to learn more
traditional singing, and I experimented
with rhythms. The Shamanistic
beat is very important in my music.
From 1990 on, my music was more
rhythmic and experimental. After
nearly 30 years, I think I am back to
the singer/songwriter kind of songs,
and I mix this with the rhythmic style.
I love all kinds of music. I listen to
classical, traditional, pop-rock and
jazz, so I think my music is a mixture
of all these influences.
Q: What inspires you creatively?
A: Early on I was inspired by singer
Patty Smith. My latest recording was
done in South Africa with musicians
from that country. I'm inspired by African
and Arabic rhythms. But I think
everything around me inspires me:
people, nature, stories and movies.
Q: What's your next project?
A: After 30 years of singing in Sámi,
I would love to do a record in English.
That's my next plan. I don't
Name: Mari Boine
Title: Musician
Origin: Finnmark, Norway
Recent Accomplishment:
Received the 2009 Arts Council
of Norway's Honorary Prize
know when it will be exactly, but
my goal is to do it in two years. I've
been touring a lot, and it's been hard
work. I'm planning to take a break
for a while.
Q: How do you like to spend your
free time?
A: I enjoy watching movies, spending
time with friends and being in nature.
I have a grandchild who was born in
March 2009. That has inspired me,
and I am going to make children's
songs at some point. I used to do that
when my children were small, and
now I can do it for my grandson. V
ii To learn more about Norway's Sámi population, turn to page 7.
Viking Magazine - April 2010

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Viking Magazine - April 2010
