Niko-Mihkal Valkeapää (born 30 December 1968) is a Finnish Sami musician, joiker (Sami folk singer), teacher, actor and politician.

Niko Valkeapää
Valkeapää performing in Márkomeannu, Norway, on 28 July 2008.
Valkeapää performing in Márkomeannu, Norway, on 28 July 2008.
Background information
Birth nameNiko-Mihkal Valkeapää
Born (1968-12-30) 30 December 1968 (age 55)
Enontekiö, Finland
OriginSami
GenresYoik, traditional, folk music
Occupation(s)Teacher, musician, writer, artist, politician and actor
InstrumentVocals
LabelsDuippidit
Websitewww.nikovalkeapaa.no

Biography

edit
 
Niko Valkeapää at Riddu Riđđu in 2009.

Born in Enontekiö, Finland, he has been described as "one of Sami music's foremost performers."[1] Valkeapää has been living in Kautokeino Municipality, Norway since 1990.[2] He is godson of Sami artist and joiker Nils-Aslak Valkeapää.

He won the Sámi Grand Prix (1994, 1995), received the Spellemann award in 2003 (open class) with his debut album, and the Liet Ynternasjonaal award, the international music prize for minority music. He has toured across Norway, including the Nattjazz festival in Bergen, and the Northern Norway music festival Riddu Riđđu in Manndalen [no], Norway. His work has been considered part of the "third wave" of modern Sami music culture, which he has done much work on, among others Georg Buljo [no].

Awards

edit

In 2005, Valkeapää received the Áillohaš Music Award, a Sámi music award conferred by Kautokeino Municipality and the Kautokeino Sámi Association to honor the significant contributions the recipient or recipients has made to the diverse world of Sámi music.[3][4]

Discography

edit
  • Niko Valkeapää, Duippidit, 2003
  • Sierra, Duippidit, 2004
  • Birrat birra, Duippidit, 2008
  • Gusto, Duippidit, 2012
  • ÄÄ, Duippidit, 2012
  • Ráfi - Tranquility, Duippidit, 2015
  • Gáldu - Source, Duippidit, 2019

Also appears on

edit
  • Beginner's Guide to Scandinavia, 3CD-set, Nascente 2011

References

edit
  1. ^ mic.no, Niko Valkeapää, 10 May 2004, retrieved 11 January 2009
  2. ^ mic.no, A Search for Identity, 6 February 2005, retrieved 11 January 2009
  3. ^ Skancke-Knutsen, Arvid (28 March 2011). "Mari Boine jubilerer" (in Norwegian Bokmål). Folkorg.no. Retrieved 7 August 2021.
  4. ^ Hætta, Wenche Marie. "Hvem-Hva-Når om Sámi Grand Prix" (in Norwegian Bokmål). NRK. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
edit
Awards
Preceded by Recipient of the Open class Spellemannprisen
2003
Succeeded by
Preceded by Recipient of the Áillohaš Music Award
2005
Succeeded by