Album Review of
Uvjamuohta / Powder Snow

Written by Joe Ross
November 3, 2022 - 10:44am EDT
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Hailing from Utsjoki, Lapland (the northernmost municipality of Finland), Solju is Ulla Pirttijärvi and her daughter, Hildá Länsman. Proud of their culture and traditions, these Sámi musicians are introducing the world to modern ethno music combined with their unique traditional yoik singing. Their 2018 release, Ođđa áigodat (New Times), established a distinctive and infectious dialogue between traditional and modern Sami culture. The organic vocal blending of mother and daughter is clearly inspired by nature with references to snow-covered expanses, mountain birch trees, swans, rivers, and little fawns. My guess is that traditional yoik may have been the result of singers imitating the songs of birds, streams, winds and other aspects of nature’s symphony.  To give themselves a contemporary Europop sound, with ambient new age leanings, the pair call upon accompanists to layer in guitar, piano, bass, percussion, strings, clarinet, soprano sax and a fair amount of synthesized music programming. 

As the vocalists fuse traditional yoik chant-singing with electronic pop instrumentation, we realize that the language of music can break down barriers to promote peace, through a telling of the sweetest stories and colors of life. Feelings and emotions are conveyed by a diverse array of sonic textures and atmospherics.  On another release, I heard Länsman take her spiraling yoiks to a new level of spine-tingling intensity in a rock music setting. That was a testament to the fact that her multi-faceted art form could be taken in new directions by young indigenous musicians. On this project, however, Solju's Uvjamuohta / Powder Snow emphasizes the silvery shine and sunny rays of springtime with their primary objective being to find our direction amidst a storm, acquire focus and resolve, and enliven our spirits. They seem to exclaim that there’s fair weather and good times ahead. 

Besides Ulla Pirttijärvi and Hildá Länsman, this album includes Samuli Laiho (guitar, music programming, xylophone, harmony) and Janne Oinas (bass, guitar, piano, programming). Guest artists include Olav Torget (guitar, bass, percussion, keyboards, vocals), Abdissa “Mamba” Assefa  (percussion, drums), Triosis+ (strings), Sami Zimmerman (clarinet, soprano saxophone), Matias Koskimies (programming) and Lávre Eira (yoik).  Besides the opener “Oassi mus (A Part of Me),” other standout tracks include the rollicking “Boastto Beal Joga (On the Wrong Side of the River)” and “Beaivvi Nieda (Solar Daughter),” a song that indicates that this indigenous music is in good hands with a dedication to their dearest and nearest, the next generation in the Saami society. (Joe Ross, Roots Music Report)