Vajas

Vajas are a contemporary trio performing the traditional music of the Sami, the indigenous peoples of northern Europe such as Laplanders, Reindeer People, and Shamans. Made up of Ánde Somboy (voice), Kristin Mellem (violin/voice), and Nils Johansen (synthesizer), the band's home base is the arctic city of Tromsø, located in northern Norway. The band's sound is characterized by Somboy's "yoiking" (a traditional Sami vocal technique) mixed with the deep, atmospheric musical contributions of Johansen and Mellem. Proponents of Nordic folk culture, that band's members all maintain careers in folk history, music, and even indigenous law. The trio was formed in 2003, first performing in and around Tromsø. They assembled a demo disc shortly thereafter, which enabled the group to secure the backing it would need to produce its debut full-length CD. As they worked toward that goal, Vajas (Echos) became well-known in Sami circles, performing at cultural festivals throughout the region. Over the course of the next several years their travels would take them far from the frozen tundra they called home, performing at world folk festivals and universities in Taiwan, Morocco, the U.S., and more. Vajas' disc Sacred Stone was released in Norway in October of 2006. The album began appearing on world music charts as early as January of the following year, hitting number four on World Music Charts Europe, where it stayed for three months. The band continued to perform at Nordic and Scandinavian cultural festivals the world over throughout the summer and fall of 2007. ~ Evan C. Gutierrez, Rovi