One of sami cultures most important artists. Painter, Poet, Writer and Yoiker Nils-Aslak Valkeapää. Also known for his Sjaman abilities, beeing able to cure people and with a deep knowledge of sami culture and history. a remarkable person. Musically he experimented with jazz and even electronic elements and cooperated with scandinavian musicians. He has inspired other artists like Mari Boine and Jan Garbarek.

The traditional Sami singing of the joik was important in his music, as well as in his painting and in written works. He was first recognised as an artist for his joik during the 1960s, with his first recording Jojkuja from 1968, which contained modernised joik. Valkeapeää wrote the music to the motion picture Ofelaš, internationally known as The Pathfinder in 1987, which was directed by Nils Gaup.

As a writer, he mainly wrote in Sami with his work translated into other languages and eventually published eight collections of poems. One of his best known is Beaivi áhčážan which has been translated to English, titled The Sun, My Father.

 

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