Nils-Aslak Valkeapää and Mari Boine: Song lyrics and Themes. Thematic Study of their song lyrics and the long lines

Abstract

The topic of this thesis is the development of the song lyrics to Nils-Aslak Valkeapää and Mari Boine. How they have been evolving and changing through times and looking for the long lines of the song lyrics, what is possible to see when looking at them. The Sámi society and communities have been changing in the last 50 years since the Sámi pop music in Sámi language made its way to the scenes. All that has its roots to traditional Sámi music yoik, with its hinting lyrics and characteristic melodies, when the first Sámi records were released that based on the traditional Sámi yoiks. The albums that the themes are analysed from are from timespan between 1968 and 2017, 50 years, to show how the content of the lyrics have changed and show how the society and communities have changed during that time based on the lyrics. Two of the main artists in the Sámi music, Nils-Aslak Valkeapää and Mari Boine have been pioneers in their own way making their own styles known and influencing other Sámi singers and artists ever since. These chosen themes are compared with each other: how their background can be seen on the lyrics? How is the religion and spirituality expressed in the lyrics? How their position in the Sámi community is shown and has it changed and in what direction?