Borealis is excited to continue its presentation of Sámi culture through our collaboration with the unique listening space Jiennagoahti, a small listening hut perched on Mt Fløyen in Bergen.
This year's commission was created by the acclaimed Sámi composer, musician, and joiker Sara Marielle Gaup.
Nana Nannán – Solid Soil was created specifically for this intimate listening space, anchored in solid soil and deeply connected to nature. Gaup's process for this work involved listening closely to the natural world and discovering the luohti (melodies) of elements in nature she had not yet learned, and involved a reciprocal communication between people, places, entities, and other beings. Through this method, she translated the energies of the environment into music.
The work is rooted in the soundworld of Gaup's raw joik style, which allows her to connect with older tradition-bearers while simultaneously forging new musical pathways. As a cyclical form of expression, joik allows the work to reflect continuity and renewal.
Nana Nannán – Solid Soil embodies Gaup's dialogue with nature and was created specifically for intimate listening, inviting audiences to engage closely with the sound and the surrounding environment. Commissioned by Borealis with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's 2023 report as a backdrop, the project reflects Borealis' ongoing commitment to exploring Sámi sonic experimentalism and demonstrates how new forms of sound and music can engage with the resurgence of culture and language following colonial policies of erasure.
Read more about the listening experience at https://www.borealisfestival.no/