ISÁK

Ella Marie Hætta Isaksen brings her band ISÁK to Church of Our Lady.

Olav’s Festival is proud to present ISÁK in Church of Our Lady. Joik, a traditional form of Sámi song, performed in a church has been by no means something which could be taken for granted, and is still controversial in some parts of Norway.

The trio, which comprises vocalist Ella Marie Hætta Isaksen, drummer Aleksander Kostopoulos and producer Daniel Eriksen, mixes joik and electropop, and is considered by many to be the the natural successor to renew Sámi music after Mari Boine.

As well as proving herself to be a quite unique musical talent, twenty-year-old Ella Marie Hætta Isaksen has lead the way as both activist for the environment and for acceptance of Sámi identity and culture.

She was adopted by the whole of Norway last autumn when she won «Stjernekamp» (Star contest) on NRK. Before that, she had already distinguished herself in Sámi talent competitions, and had also released several singles with ISÁK. On 22. March the band released their first album Ealán which got good reviews:

«No other Norwegian pop artists have such a high standard as this trio. None stand out so clearly and positively from the homogenious electropo masses as Isák» (in Tromsø).

«On an electropop cloud of agreeable sound they make their debut album «Ealán» something quite unique,with catchy hits and the finest imaginable diversions into Ella Marie’s totally personal interpretation of the Sámi music she has grown up with and which she is about to make her very own.» (Dagsavisen).

During St. Olav’s Festival, Ella Marie Hætta Isaksen will also be awarded the Brobygger (Bridge Builder) prize. Twenty-five years after her forerunner Mari Boine was awared this prize, it is the turn of the woman many consider to be her natural successor.
The prize is awarded annually by the Norwegian Church Academies to individuals or organisations «who, in an outstanding way, have built bridges of insight and understanding - and stimulated the development of contact and dialogue between different groups in society».

ISÁK
Church of Our Lady
29.07 22:00
Tickets: 350,-