The colours of The Magical Forest glow in this remarkable recording which brings together Sinikka Langeland’s Norwegian-Finnish-Swedish Starflowers quintet with the singers of the Trio Mediӕval. It’s an inspired concept: the Trio Mediӕval, with their affinity for folk music and their unique vocal blend, adapt themselves ideally to Sinikka’s sound-world, which is once archaic, timeless and contemporary. The quintet members, all bandleaders in their own right, are amongst the most characterful players in Scandinavia today, and Sinikka sets them free to improvise around her cycle of songs, built upon myths and legends of the world tree.

Hard on the heels of his critically-lauded - and distortion-saturated - collaboration with rock players in Lumen Drones comes the next fine album from Norway’s Hardanger fiddle master. His new band makes a quieter but richly creative musical proposal. All the musicians are well-known in diverse contexts. Mats Eilertsen’s elegant bass has been heard on ECM recordings with Tord Gustavsen, Trygve Seim, Wolfert Brederode and Jacob Young. Håkon Stene is a Norwegian contemporary classical percussionist of distinction. Harmonium player Sigbjørn Apeland collaborated with Økland previously on Lysøen - Hommage à Ole Bul. And new music saxophonist Rolf-Erik Nylstrøm has played extensively with Frode Haltli in the trio Poing…

In 2006 Mari Boine releases “Idjagieđas” returning with elements of her trademark serene organic sound – almost like a consolidation before entering new territories.With clues to what is coming next, she flavours “Idjagieđas” with the African instruments gimbre, kora and the mbira.

In retrospect, the musical direction each of these artists would take was already becoming clear. Since that winter, each of them has found an individual manner of expression based on his or her respective national culture. Mari Boine created an inlet for the musical culture of her people, the Sami, into the great river of World Music, developing a very personal idiom and style from the Sami traditions. Inna Zhelannaya continued to work on her own texts and songs, initially still in collaboration with the popular Russian group Alliance, which accompanied her on this album, later with other Russian musicians.

Entre 1994 et 1998, l’absence de tout nouvel album studio de la seule chanteuse samì (de Laponie) qui bénéficie d’une renommée internationale, Mari BOINE, alimentait les plus inquiètes interrogations. Et ce n’est pas une simple compilation (Radiant Warmth) dont le contenu reprenait des pièces de ses albums Goaskinviellja (Eagle Brother) et Leahkastin (Unfolding) qui était de nature à nous rassasier (surtout quand on sait qu’un album live autrement pertinent, Eallin, est sorti à la même époque, mais n’a pas été diffusé en France). Et voici que Bálvvoslatjna (Room of Worship), son cinquième opus, paraît sans crier gare pour rasséréner nos consciences.