MARJA MORTENSSON

Marja Mortensson (b. 1995) is a young South Saami yoiker and singer from the Svahken Sïjte reindeer herding district in Norway. Born into a reindeer herding family, Marja’s life, as well as her music, are both firmly rooted in the South Saami way of life. Her songs focus on different aspects of her indigenous Saami identity, e.g. the closeness and importance of the environment, as well as both her love for reindeer husbandry and her commitment to the protection and revitalisation of the South Saami language. Despite her young age, Marja has already received widespread recognition for her music and throughout her career she has performed together with several well-known musicians. She was crowned “Young Artist of the Year” at the international indigenous festival Riddu Riđđu in 2014, which in turn gave her the rare opportunity to perform in Taiwan, Siberia and the Democratic Republic of Congo. In 2019 she won a Spellemann (the Norwegian Grammy Award) in the folk music category for her second album Mojhtestasse.At The Bergen International Festival, Marja Mortensson will perform together with the internationally renowned musician Daniel Herskedal, the tubaist and composer «who delivered the best concert in London last year», according to the newspaper Morning Star.

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