Ánnámáret (Annamaret) - NIEGUID DUOVDAGAT – DREAMSCAPES CD

Nieguid duovdagat (Dreamscapes) is the third album of Ánnámáret, Sámi musician Anna Näkkäläjärvi-Länsman, who is based in Utsjoki, Finland. Taking its listener to imaginary fells, the album draws on the rich joik tradition and the living culture, nature and life in Sámiland. Joining these elements to create a powerful experience, Ánnámáret develops a musical form that resonates with the present day and expresses the search for roots and the revival of tradition by exploring both its best and most difficult aspects.

    “The theme of the album is important to me. It evolved through a personal process of discovery when I was researching archive recordings of the joiks in my family’s history. Nieguid duovdagat is an album that expresses my thoughts about life at a turning point between traditional and modern culture. I am particularly interested in why we have a need to study history and our roots. What does it mean to us? Is it an expression of personal need, an issue of identity construction, or a political act? Is even possible to revive a culture?” Anna Näkkäläjärvi-Länsman wonders.

A bold combination of elements old and new, the album nevertheless retains the distinctive features of joik tradition. Ánnámáret’s joik and the sound of Ilkka Heinonen’s bow lyre and Turkka Inkilä’s shakuhachi flute blend into electronic music that is both human and organic.