b. Marie Boine Persen, 1956, Iggadas, Norway. A Sami (or "Lapp") from northern Norway, Boine trained as a teacher but soon grew disillusioned at the lack of representation of Sami culture within the Norwegian education system, and turned to singing, initially as a means of self-expression and therapy. She gave up teaching to concentrate on music full-time and released her debut, Jaskatvuoda Manja (After Stillness), for the Norwegian market only, in 1986. Her follow-up, Gula Gula (Hear The Voices Of Our Tribal Mothers), came out on the local Idut label in 1990 and was released internationally by Real World Records a year later. A stark and haunting album, it mixes Sami musical styles, such as the "joik" form of singing, with influences from other cultures (jazz, Indian and Middle Eastern, as well as the South American influence added by a Peruvian flautist). Boine's pure, soulful voice sings lyrics concerned with the mistreatment of Sami women. Gula Gula was well received and Boine and her band toured internationally to promote it, including performances in Moscow (tracks from which appeared on Meeting in Moscow, a live compilation of various artists) and at the WOMAD Festival in England. Around the same time Boine also contributed music to accompany an art exhibition and a short film. In 1992 she performed as part of the Tender Is The North Festival at London's Barbican Theatre. Goaskinveillja/Eagle Brother (1993) featured a rawer and more driven sound than on her previous release, with an even broader range of global influences added to the strong Sami musical style that still lay at the heart of her sound. The album also introduced violinist Hege Rimestad who had studied with Dr. L. Subramaniam. Leahkastin/Unfolding was recorded in Denmark in 1994 and was based on a project originally commissioned for the Vossa Jazz Festival. By now a respected artist throughout the world, she continued to perform internationally to great acclaim. The live Ealin captures some of the intensity generated by Boine and her band in performance.

Listen to Mari Boine at Finetune.

• (1996)  Radiant Warmth

• Eagle Brother (Goaskinviellja)
• Come With Me to the Sacred Mountain (Vuolgge Mu Mielde Bassivarrai)
• Hearing You (Gulan Du)
• Lunacy Lunacy (Mielahisvuohta)
• Radiant Warmth (Cuovgi Liekkas)

• Gjallarhorn
• Hedningarna
• Sheila Chandra
• Bjork
• Garmarna
• Vasen
• Kate Bush
• TransGlobal Underground
• David Bowie
• Hilmar Orn Hilmarsson
• Vas
• U2
• Värttinä
• Peter Gabriel
• Capercaillie
• Afro Celt Sound System
• Enya
• Led Zeppelin
• Hoven Droven
• Dead Can Dance

• u_hu
• Tuonela
• Kaeru