Riegádahttin

‘Life is here, can you feel it?’ Mirja Palo’s lyrics don’t shy away from the pain of labour and childbirth and the impending closeness of a new life. In this album, she says, “I wanted to use my own and others’ experiences to musically portray the pregnant state in all of its vulnerability, fragility and, at the same time, the immense force that is released while giving birth.” Feelings which are both universal and, here, deeply personal. Palo expresses these feelings – from pain and mystery, to female strength – immersed in her own heritage from the north of Sweden and in the Sámi language, using the traditional kantele (Finnish lyre). Her voice is warm and powerful and the tracks in which she includes traditional joik singing are compelling (‘Beaivelotti Soajit’). Percussion from Jonas Sjöblom adds interesting textures (‘Tule Luoja’), too. Riegádhattin is a thoughtful and thought-provoking album, which sees Mirja Palo articulating her poetry so clearly that it’s easy to get caught up in its purring rhythms, with no need for translations. It is also beautifully produced.