2 languages
Wimme Saari
From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist
Wimme Saari was born in Kelottijärvi, in Finnish Lapland, in 1959, the son of a reindeer herder. He is a Sámi joiker, a singer of the joik, the ancient singing tradition of the Sámi. He became familiar with the joik at an early age and wrote his first joik of his own at fifteen. When in 1986 he began working for a Finnish broadcaster, looking after the record archives, he found a recording from 1963 of his uncle singing a joik. That led him to study the vocal art more seriously.
Music and breakthrough
His breakthrough came when he began working with RinneRadio, a Finnish electronic group. He combines the traditional joik with his own improvisations, usually over techno and ambient accompaniment. His first album Wimme was released in 1995 and was voted Finnish folk album of the year. Gierran followed in 1997, Cugu in 2000 and Bárru in 2003, which includes Rievssat, and Gapmu, which is entirely a cappella. In 1996 he received the Áillohaš Music Prize, a Sámi music prize. He also sang on records by Hedningarna, Nits and Hector Zazou and appeared in films.
Influence
Wimme shows that a centuries-old, almost spoken-sung vocal tradition can go well with modern electronics. For many listeners outside Scandinavia he was the first introduction to the joik.
Listening
Rievssat (Het sneeuwhoen) · Wimme Saari, 2003