NikeSunnas joik
In the Sámi tradition a personal yoik is the finest gift. This is Maxida’s yoik to her daughter Nikessunna.

Maxida Märak, a member of the Swedish indigenous Sami people, collaborates with Downhill Bluegrass Band in a musical project blending bluegrass with traditional Sami folk music. Maxida alternates modern singing with the traditional Sami yoik.

”Mountain Songs & other stories” breaks new ground, exploring the similarities between the Sami culture’s musical expression and the American traditional folk music from around the Appalachian Mountains. The mountain has a central role in both contexts, and the mining industry affects the lives of both people and nature on both sides of the Atlantic.