Indigenous Artist

The Grammy-nominated artist Sara Ajnnak from Sápmi (Sweden) creates something
very personal, the traditional yoik mixed with oriental strings, electronic in-
fluences in a contemporary and updated soundscape of the north. Her strength as
a performer is the way she communicates emotions through her voice. Concerts are
described as a journey through time and space. Sara Ajnnak takes a hold of feel-
ings with a wide range of different sounds and moods.
Sara write her lyrics in ume sami language which are one of the endangered Sami
languages. Step by step has Sara regained her language, at the debut album Suo-
jggat she use her traditional language official for the first time.
Sara Ajnnak grew up in a reindeer herding family in Sápmi (Northern Sweden) and
have a close relationship to the nature. Nature is the true sours of inspiration
for Sara and you can actually hear the close relationship in her music and live-
perfomance. Saras commitment to the nature brought her together with Mari Boine
on the song Wake up sleepwalker. The song is actually a protest song agains the
ongoing land grabbing in Sápmi where reindeer pasture land is turned into mining
landscapes. The song is the first of its kind to bring together an old yoik
track and a text line from the 1600s with American call and response song.
Sara Ajnnak has relesed three fullenght albums Suojggat 2014, Ráhtjat 2016 and
Gulldalit can you hear med 2018. Sara Ajnnak has, with her compositions, her
lyrics and her artistry been honored and recognized with several different
prices. Västerbotten county cultural prize in music 2018, and the Sami Council's
cultural scholarship.
Sara Ajnnak has been recognized as a showcase at Nordic showcase 2016. Folk Al-
liance International 2018 in Kansas and 2019 in Montreal.
Sara is definitely a rare voice with a unique expression that navigates in a
special universe of sound that must be heard.

INDIGENOUS ANCESTRY

Other

SELF-IDENTIFICATION

Sami from Sápmi