Joik
Traditional song of the Sámi that evokes people, animals, or landscapes.
What it means
The joik is a traditional form of song of the Sámi, the indigenous people of northern Scandinavia and the Kola Peninsula. Unlike a descriptive song “about” something, a joik tries to evoke a person, an animal, or a landscape in sound and to become one with it, rather than merely narrating it.
Musical use
Joiks often consist of repeated, text-sparse or textless syllables and circling, seemingly improvised melodic lines, created individually for a particular person or being. Traditionally the joik was sung without instrumental accompaniment and also served religious and shamanic purposes. In the 20th century the joik was at times suppressed but later experienced a revival and is today also combined with modern instruments, for instance in the music of Mari Boine.
The joik should be distinguished from an ordinary folk song with a fixed, narrative text, since it is more a sonic evocation than a narrative. It also differs from purely ritual songs of other cultures through its specifically Sámi tradition and function.
Performance practice
Listen to a joik not for a plot but for the sonic presence it seeks to create: repetition, tone color, and the circling melody stand at the center. If you engage with joik, learn about its cultural meaning for the Sámi, since it is far more than a musical style.