Niko Valkeapää | |
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Valkeapää performing in Márkomeannu, Norway on 28 July 2008.
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Background information | |
Born |
Enontekiö, Finland |
30 December 1968
Origin | Sami |
Genres | Yoik, Traditional, Folk music |
Occupation(s) | Teacher, musician, writer and artist. |
Instruments | Vocals |
Labels | Duippidit |
Website | www |
Niko-Mihkal Valkeapää (born 30 December 1968 in Enontekiö, Finland) is a Sami musician and joiker (Sami folk singer).
He has been described as "one of Sami music's foremost performers." Valkeapää has been living in Kautokeino, Norway since 1990. He is godson of Sami artist and joiker Nils-Aslak Valkeapää.
He won the Sámi Grand Prix (1994, 1995), received the Spellemann award in 2003 (open class) with his debut album, and the Liet Ynternasjonaal award, the international music prize for minority music. He has toured across Norway, including the Nattjazz festival in Bergen, and the Northern Norway music festival Riddu Riđđu in Manndalen, Norway. His work has been considered part of the "third wave" of modern Sami music culture, which he has done much work on, among others Georg Buljo.