“Mäi’d Kuulak Niöd Ju Urcci Juuggudeja” (2018) – Suõmmkar

The Tuupa label in Finland specializes in music of the Sámi people way up north. One of their 2018 releases, the self-titled debut by Suõmmkar, is a real treasure in that it contains new music from members of the Skolt Sámi ethnic group, one of the smallest with only 400 speakers of the actual language among the 1250 who identify themselves as such. Also worth celebrating is its preservation of the leu’dd vocal style, which differs from the more familiar Sámi yoiks by weaving narratives about people as opposed to conjuring chants about nature. The group’s two vocalists are Anna Lumisalmi and Hanna-Maaria Kiprianoff, whose Skolt background and expertise give this release such a welcome presence. The song title for the track featured here translates to “What Are You Youngsters Running For,” but the rest of the lyrical content, for now, will need to be fodder for your imagination.