Alva (2024)

"Active since the 1980s, with her work reaching a wider audience through Peter Gabriel’s Real World label, Mari Boine is one of the best-known Sámi artists out there. Her music is firmly rooted in the folk tradition and goes hand-in-hand with her long-term Sámi rights activism. Alva has incredible production. It has a huge, reverb-drenched sound, centred around Boine’s mesmerising vocals. The characteristic joiks are there, but they tend to be mixed in towards the back, an extra element in a wide repertoire of instruments rather than the central attraction. Tracks are either built around swelling atmospheres, or creative mixes of live and electronic percussion in a similar vein to Aurora’s work. Boine is at her strongest on the more spacious tracks. Highlights are “Mu eadni” and “Oainnestan”: these ballads are dripping with emotion and take their time to build up into stunning climaxes. “Rohkos” deserves a special mention and is carried by an especially powerful vocal performance." (Boolin Tunes; 8,5 uit 10)