Sámiid Ædnan
 "Sámiid ædnan" |
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|---|---|
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| Eurovision Song Contest 1980 entry | |
| Country | |
| Artist(s) | |
| Language | |
| Composer(s) |
Sverre Kjelsberg [and uncredited Mattis Hætta]
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| Lyricist(s) |
Ragnar Olsen
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| Conductor |
Sigurd Jansen
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| Finals performance | |
| Final result |
16th
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| Final points |
15
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| Appearance chronology | |
| ◄ "Oliver" (1979) | |
| "Aldri i livet" (1981) ► | |
"Sámiid ædnan" (English: "Sami Earth", Norwegian: "Sameland", describing the motherland of Lapland) was the Norwegian entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1980, performed by Sverre Kjelsberg and Mattis Hætta. The song is sometimes described as being in the Sami language, however this is not correct. The words of the song were performed in Norwegian by Sverre Kjelsberg, while Mattis Hætta contributed with the yoik chorus - a Sami form of vocal music without words; the title of the song is however in one of the North-Norwegian Sami dialects, translating as "Sami Earth" or "Sami Soil".
The song is inspired by the autonomy movement among the Sami people of northern Norway, with the duo singing that the demand for autonomy was made in a very subdued manner. Mention is also made of the traditional music of the region, the yoik, which is described as being "stronger than gunpowder" in the lyrics. The line "framførr tinget der dem satt, hørtes joiken dag og natt" (in front of the parliament where they sat, the yoik was heard day and night), refers to a hunger strike by Sami activists in front of the Norwegian parliament building in October 1979 in connection with the Alta controversy, where Mattis Hætta first performed the yoik that constituted the song’s chorus.
The song was performed eleventh on the night, following Finland's Vesa-Matti Loiri with "Huilumies" and preceding Germany's Katja Ebstein with "Theater". At the close of voting, it had received 15 points, placing 16th in a field of 19.
An excerpt from the song is sung by the Norwegian characters in the movie prequel The Thing.
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