In Stockholm 2016 we will see something relatively unprecdented: a high profile indigenous artist participating. Agnete Johnsen is Sami and will represent Norway with ‘Icebreaker’. Across Scandinavia Agnete is best known as the lead vocalist of the all-Sami teen punk band The Blacksheeps, who won the regional MelodiGrandPrix Junior in 2008 with ‘Oro jaska, beana (Be Quiet, Dog)’.
With lyrics in both Sami and Norwegian, Oro hit number one in the Norwegian charts. Three years later the Blacksheeps finished second in the proper MelodiGrandPrix with ‘Dance Tonight’ (behind Stella Mwangi). Although her solo music career has been slow to take off, Agnete did win the Norwegian version of Dancing with the Stars (Skal vi danse?) in 2014. In some ways analogous to Miley Cyrus, she has grown up on Norwegian television—and has developed a more mature, polished adult sound.
Including singing Icebreaker in English.
However, Agnete will not be the first indigenous artist to appear on the Eurovision stage: in fact, she is not the first Sami. But her appearance offers an opportunity to take a look at the relationship between the Eurovision Song Contest and indigenous culture.
An Introduction To Things Indigenous
First, a bit about terminology. In various parts of the world you will encounter different words to describe first peoples, including indigenous, aboriginal, first nations, and first peoples. Over the last two decadse there has been something of a convergence around language, largely as the United Nations (UN) has more substantively and persistently attended to indigenous issues.
The UN’s Permanent Forum for Indigenous Issues defines indigenous peoples as those that have “suffered from historic injustices as a result of, inter alia, their colonization and dispossession of their lands, territories and resources”. In other words, indigenous peoples are any people already established in a region or territory, only to be subjugated as a people by another people.
Often we think of this in terms of European colonization in other parts of the world, vis à vis the British, French, Portuguese, Russian empires, among many others. But being colonised holds equally true within Europe. Here are some of the indigenous peoples in Europe:
- Sami: Norway, Finland, Sweden, Russia
- Basques: Spain and France
If you are tempted to include the Roma, they aren’t indigenous to Europe: they arrived too late in to be considered a first people. There are some post-colonial scholars that include the Irish as having been colonized by the English, though this is not uncontroversial. Almost always the territories of these peoples are not reflected on what constitute current international borders on today’s global map.
Understanding indigeneity is not about maths: what we will not get into in this article are the numbers. The relative size of an indigenous population has no relevance in the context of indigenous rights. Minority rights are based on principles, not percentages.
On to some music!
Basque
Acts whose members are Basque have represented Spain numerous times, including one of Spain’s best ever results. The Basque community has made a significant contribution to Spain’s Eurovision footprint.
Under the Franco régime, all Spanish entries were to be sung in Castellano (Spanish). Singing in Basque (or Catalán or Galician) was not an option. With the re-establishment of democracy in Spain, language laws have been significantly liberalized. And yet, still no song in the Basque language has represented Spain.
One of the most successful ever non-English Eurovision entries is Eres tú, which Basque Country based Mocedades brought to second place in 1973. A massive hit across all Spanish language markets, Eres tú managed to chart across Europe; a year later the original Spanish version hit the top 10 in the US charts.
Two years after Eres tú’s success, Sergio y Estíbalz—with Estíbalz being one of the Uranga siblings from Mocedades—took Tú volverás to 10th place.
Sami
Sami have made contributions to the Eurovision numerous times, beginning in the 1980s. Norway opened the decade with Sverre Kjelsberg and Mattis Hætta’s ‘Sámiid Ædnan’ (‘Sami Homeland’). The lyrics were in Norwegian (as per the rules of the day), though Mattis Hætta contributed a yoik: a traditional, lyricless sami song.
While Sámiid Ædnan has been a fan favourite for many years, it managed only 16th place from the juries that year. When Norway hosted the Contest in 1996, the yoik featured again, in the interval act: Beacons Burning.
Sweden have sent Roger Pontare twice to the Eurovision, neither time without controversy. In 1994 he and Marie Bergman earned 13th place with Stjärnorna (Stars). Fast forward to 2000 and his English language When the spirits are calling my name finished 7th. While Pontare is Sami, he has worn regalia from numerous other indigenous communities, most notably from first nations of North America. Those unaware of Pontare’s indigeneity have been, at times, troubled by this.
Outside Europe
Speaking of North America, it is unsurprising perhaps that first nations culture has been co-opted—badly—on the Eurovision stage. When Joan Franka wore a poor imitation of chief’s regalia to perform ‘You and Me’ in the 2012 Dutch national final, there was a significant outcry… just not one large enough to disabuse her of the idea when competing in Baku. In the über-connected digital world of the 21st century, it is perhaps impossible to get away with this sort of insensitive cultural appropriation.
Fast forward two years and we see a very different example of indigenous culture—and a much more contemporary one. As the special guest interval headliner, Australian Jessica Mauboy, ensured her Kuku Yalanji (Australian Aboriginal) heritage was reflected in her performance. She co-wrote ‘Sea of Flags’; both the official Australian and Australian Aboriginal flags featured prominently.
We come in peace
Finally, we should also acknowledge Israel’s 2009 entry. When Israeli singer Noa was approached about represented her country, she made sharing the stage with Mira Awad a condition of her participation. Mira is Palestinian; their entry There Must be Another Way featured lyrics in Hebrew, Arabic and English. In the end Israel was 16th in the 2009 Grand Final.
A New Indigeneity
Agnete is merely the most recent of several Sámi who have performed on the Eurovision stage. If Icebreaker finishes sixth or better she will become the most successful Sámi (and indigenous) artist in Eurovision Song Contest history. Her entry is contemporary and polished, and very much the sort of EDM currently popular around the world.
And yet, there is nothing overtly or obviously Sámi about Icebreaker. Which is not a problem, if you think about it.
Agnete is Sámi. Agnete is performing a song she co-wrote. By extension, Icebreaker is a Sámi song. While it might be tempting for non- Sámi (and, more widely, non-indigenous) viewers to conflate the joik with Sámi music, we best resist that. Agnete is Sámi in today’s world: that some of her music seems somewhat removed from her indigenous culture assumes that Agnete can—and should—compartmentalise her indigeneity.
For people interested in checking out the Basque version of “Eres tú”, called “Zu zara”, here you go!
Very cool–I was looking for that! Thanks Sam!