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Marja Mortensson

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Mortensson in 2019
Marja Mortensson with Little Amal at Olavsfestdagene in July 2023.

Marja Helena Fjellheim Mortensson (born 1995) is a South Sámi singer from Engerdal in Innlandet county, Norway. She won the 2018 Spellemannprisen (described as "Norway's equivalent of the Grammy Awards[1]) in the folk/traditional music category for her album Mojhtestasse – Cultural Heirlooms, and in 2021 for Raajroe – The Reindeer Caravan.[2]

Life

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Mortensson comes from a family of reindeer herders, and grew up in Svahken sijte [no], a Siida in Hedmark county. Her family belongs to the South Sámi ethnic minority, whose language and culture are important influences for her music.[3] Mortensson sings in her native language, Southern Sámi, which is only spoken by about 500 people today. The traditional South Sami joik has also largely disappeared from her area and so an important part of her music is based on old recordings and lyrics as well as individual traditions.[4] In addition to her own research, she studied joik and Sami culture at the Nord University in Levanger under the Sami musician Frode Fjellheim,[5] who is also the producer and co-composer of her 2017 debut album Aarehgïjre – Early Spring.

In 2018, Mojhtestasse – Cultural Heirlooms followed, a collaboration with Daniel Herskedal and Jakop Janssønn, which contains a mixture of traditional joiks and new compositions and was created on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the first Sami country meeting in Trondheim in 1917.[6] The third album Lååje – Dawn, released in 2019, is also a collaboration with Herskedal. She can also be heard on his album A Single Sunbeam (2024).

In 2017, she was appointed as Fylkesjoiker (County Joiker) in the county of Troms for the year.[7]

She is one of the main characters in the 2023 Swiss documentary film Beyond Tradition: Kraft der Naturstimmen [de] (Beyond Tradition: Power of Nature's Voices), in which she talks about what traditions and joik mean to her.[8]

Discography

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  • Aarehgïjre – Early Spring (2017, Vuelie)
  • Mojhtestasse – Cultural Heirlooms (2018, Vuelie) (with Jakop Janssønn and Daniel Herskedal)
  • Lååje – Dawn (2019, Vuelie) (with Daniel Herskedal and Trondheim Soloists String Quartet)
  • Raajroe – The Reindeer Caravan (2021, Vuelie) (with The Norwegian Radio Orchestra, Daniel Herskedal, Jakop Janssønn)
  • Båalmaldahkesne – Entwined (2024)

Awards

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References

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  1. ^ Nelson, Michael (20 January 2014). "Watch Kvelertak Perform At Norway's Spellemann Awards". Stereogum. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  2. ^ a b "Vinnere av Spellemannprisen 2018" [Winners of the ...]. spellemann.no (in Norwegian Bokmål). Spellemann Prisen. 30 March 2019. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  3. ^ a b "Bio". Marja Mortensson. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  4. ^ Bitustoyl, Kjell (22 June 2018). "Marja Mortensson – Mojhtestasse". Folkemusikk. Archived from the original on 14 March 2022. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  5. ^ "Lyst til å studere joik ved Nord universitet på Levanger?" [Want to study joik at Nord University in Levanger?]. vuelie.no (in Norwegian Bokmål). Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  6. ^ Hivand, Pål (26 March 2018). "Marja Mortensson søker nye klanger med joik og tubanger med joik og tuba" [Marja Mortensson seeks new sounds with joik and tuba]. NRK (in Norwegian Bokmål). Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  7. ^ Andreassen, Rune N. (27 June 2017). "Hun er den nye fylkesjoikeren" [She is the new county joiker]. NRK (in Norwegian Bokmål). Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  8. ^ "Beyond Tradition: Kraft der Naturstimmen". Beyond tradition (in Swiss High German). Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  9. ^ Vespedat, Linda. "Kulturpris til Marja Helena". nrk.no. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  10. ^ Rensberg, Vaino Natasha. "Her er vinnerne av Sami Music Awards" [Here are the winners of the ...]. nrk.no. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  11. ^ Utsi, Johan Ante (3 April 2021). "Marja Mortensson fikk årets Áillohaš-pris" [Marja Mortensson received this year's Áillohaš award]. nrk.no. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  12. ^ "Arkiv: Marja Mortensson". spellemann.no (in Norwegian). 2 September 2019. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
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