Adjágas

Adjágas is a Sami yoik group from Kautokeino, Norway, active since 2004. The project centres on Sara Marielle Gaup and Lawra Somby, both yoikers from the Sami community in Sapmi, in the far north of Norway, and they perform with a changing group of backing musicians.

Members and background

Sara Marielle Gaup comes from Guovdageaidnu/Kautokeino and begins singing at an early age. Her musical background comes through her family, and her performance style develops through continued musical education at SMG. Lawra Somby learns yoiking from his father, Ande Somby. He starts performing on stage in 1997 and has performed both as a solo artist and with his father, which gives him a strong stage presence.

Style and cultural context

Yoiking is a central part of Sami history, tradition and culture in northern Europe. Adjágas works within that tradition. The group’s music presents yoik as a form of evoking a person, place, animal or feeling rather than telling a conventional story, and as a way of bringing memories into focus.