Search - Wimme Saari :: Instinct - Solo Joik

The first thing to establish about this collection is that anyone who prefers cultivated gardens over wildflowers or would rather vacation at a resort than sleep rough in the wilderness will probably flinch at the raw, pungent power of these 34 unadulterated solo Sami (indigenous tribes of Scandinavia who were formerly known as Lapps; they call themselves Sapmelas) joiks (chants). Wimme Saari has done other, more commercial albums but for this outing, he has chosen to hark back to the traditions of his ancestors, hardy people who worked as reindeer herders, artisans, fishermen and hunters amid a punishing Northern climate. His rough-edged incantations often veer off into overtones as he describes making coffee over an open fire, cutting a hole with a chainsaw for ice-fishing, or laments how inadequate words can be when describing deep emotions. The enhanced CD includes three videos of the artist outdoors, singing his heart out. --Christina Roden