Luođit yoiking event in the Ijahis idja festival with Anna Näkkäläjärvi-Länsman and Petrabiret Magga-Vars

Jussen Ántte Sálmmo Ánná, Anna Näkkäläjärvi-Länsman, is yoiking old and new luohtis on the shores of Lake Inari. Anna is joined by her cousin, Guhtur Biera Jovnna Mauri Petra Biret – Petra Biret Magga-Vars. Together, they evoke their families’ landscapes, memories and people, bringing them to the present day through yoiking. The event is part of Näkkäläjärvi-Länsman’s artistic doctoral research at the Sibelius Academy in the University of the Arts Helsinki.

Anna Näkkäläjärvi-Länsman is a Sámi artist and yoiker from Inari. She grew up in a vibrant Sámi community where yoik, or luohti, has been central to culture and everyday life. She is known as a powerful performer who combines the traditional luohti tradition with her own personal, modern style. Her voice conveys a sense of rootedness and artistic sensitivity. She has performed both solo and in various ensembles in Finland and internationally under the stage name Ánnámáret. She is currently pursuing a doctoral degree in art at the Sibelius Academy of the University of the Arts, researching the role of yoiking in contemporary Sámi identity and artistic expression. Her work focuses on strengthening the vitality and continuity of Sámi culture.

Petrabiret Magga-Vars, photo credits Nadja Mikkonen / Yle

Yoiker Petra-Biret Magga-Vars (Guhtur Biera Jovnna Mauri Petra) comes from the village of Vuohčču, which is located on the southern edge of the Sámi homeland. However, her family roots extend further north, all the way to Enontekiö and Kautokeino. As a child, she heard yoiking in her own Sámi community and learned traditional luohtis from her grandfather and other elderly Sámi people. She has performed extensively internationally as a yoiker, including in Germany, the Faroe Islands, Canada, and Japan. Magga-Vars has been selected to participate in the yoiking competition of the Sámi Grand Prix twice. She is currently working on her own solo yoiking album and passing on the yoiking tradition through teaching, holding workshops and courses.

Anna Näkkäläjärvi-Länsman, photo credits Anna-Maria Viksten / Valotus by Ama

More information: https://www.ijahisidja.fi/en/artists/luodit/