05:00 pm
Elina Waage Mikalsen
Viktor Bomstad
The indigenous Sámi people’s joiking is juxtaposed with the sonic world of Christian hymns, meeting the modern sound of electric guitar and synthesizers: the concert “Áigi” (Northern Sámi for “time”) by the duo Ale Ale! makes the meditative spaces and the harshness of the Sápmi Region audible. Joik from Northern Fennoscandia is more than singing: after all, one does not joik about something, but one becomes the object of which one is singing: a landscape, a human being, an animal or a phenomenon of nature. As part of Sámi culture, joiking was prohibited for centuries, threatened with extinction due to the spreading of Christian music. During the past 50 years, however, Sámi culture – and thus, joiking – has blossomed again. Elina Waage Mikalsen and Viktor Bomstad interweave both the vocal forms that have influenced the history and identity of the Sámi so profoundly, transporting them into the present moment in their own very special way.
The duo Ale, Ale! is made up of Elina Waage Mikalsen and Viktor Bomstad, two of the leading experimental Sámi musicians today. The name means “don’t” in Northern Sámi. In Ale, Ale!, the two musicians seek to improvise using elements from traditional Sámi joik and Sámi Christian hymns, combining these traditions with modern instruments and electronics. Their music can be described as both meditative and feverish, mixing noise and fluctuating vocal lines over both atmospheric and raucous synthesizers and guitars. Improvisation is at the centre of Ale, Ale! – so you never quite know what you are going to get when these two musicians play together. Expect both harshness and beauty in union, interwoven with old hymns and traditional joik melodies.
Elina Waage Mikalsen (b. 1992), a multidisciplinary artist and musician, has extensive experience in both music and the arts, working across solo projects and collaborations. A native of the northernmost university town of the world, Tromsø, she draws upon her Sámi and Norwegian heritage as a foundation for her artistic practice, exploring storytelling, sound performance, and sonic traditions involving the body as a central element. She was awarded a scholarship as young artist of the year by the Riddu Riđđu Festival, the most important international music and culture festival focussing on the Sámi and other indigenous cultures. Previously, Elina Waage Mikalsen was the vocalist in bands such as Golbma Jiena (a trio of Sápmi’s foremost young female vocalists, with Marja Mortensson and Katarina Barruk) and Blood Forest Family (atmospheric pop from Norway). In recent years, she has performed solo, both nationally and internationally.
Viktor Bomstad (b. 1992) is a traditional joiker and experimental guitarist from northern Sápmi, Norway. Until 2025, he was the official joiker for the regions Troms and Finnmark, a unique position in Norway that seeks to promote outstanding joikers in a two-year engagement. However, Viktor Bomstad not only preserves Sámi musical traditions. His experimental approach often combines traditional vocals with modern musical influences like electronic or rock, pushing the boundaries of how joik can sound in new contexts and sonic landscapes. He can frequently be found on the Norwegian experimental scene, both as a solo artist and in different bands. In 2022, Viktor Bomstad released his first solo album, Sámi Noise. His band, Sex Magick Wizards, has gained a cult following in psychedelic rock clubs in Norway and Germany, with its third album, Death Grip, released in August 2024. His music is often gritty and trance-like, with a strong emphasis on improvisation.