(headline image: Áššu – photo by Oda Wenaas Torget)
Áššu, whose name means Embers in Northern Sámi, is a trio that refuses to let tradition smolder quietly. Instead, they fan it into flame, carrying the joik into new realms while never severing its roots. Their music feels at once ancient and startlingly present, shaped by the interplay of memory, improvisation, and global influence.
The visionary behind Áššu is Ulla Pirttijärvi, a singer of formidable stature within the Sámi music world. Her timeless voice carries the weight of generations, a living archive of Northern Sámi joiks that she both preserves and reinvents. Pirttijärvi has long been a cultural force across Finland, Sweden, and Norway, and with Áššu she deepens that role. Her compositions often arrive in dreams about animals, landscapes, winds, and kin. They emerge as joiks that echo the Sámi worldview where nature, spirit, and community remain inseparable.
Pirttijärvi’s vision is supported through her collaborators, two musicians whose paths span continents. Guitarist Olav Torget, seasoned by years of immersion in West African traditions, brings a rhythmic sensitivity. Percussionist Kenneth Ekornes, with formal training in Brazil and an ear for both pulse and atmosphere, completes the group with percussive colors that shift from primal drive to meditative hush. Together, the trio creates music that lives in the space between worlds, where the tundra meets the tropics, and where ancient song forms converse with improvisational daring.
Áššu’s 2019 self-titled debut established them as more than cultural emissaries. Critics hailed it as a major step in world music, with Preis der Deutschen Schallplattenkritik naming it Best World Music Album of the Quarter. Songlines went further, ranking it among the ten most important Sámi albums of all time. Even British Airways took notice, placing one of their songs in its in-flight program, a rare crossover into the mainstream.
Their second release, Luohteniegut (2025), expands on this Sám crossover foundation with remarkable intimacy. Many of the album’s joiks came to Pirttijärvi through dreams, blurring the line between waking life and vision. The record reflects her upbringing in Angeli, a small Sámi village in northern Finland where reindeer herding defines daily life. Animals, landscapes, and people appear not as distant symbols but as active presences woven into the very fabric of existence. The result is a collection that balances reverence with humor, stillness with vitality.
Discography:
Áššu (Bafe’s Factory, 2019)
Luoteniegut (Nordic Notes / CPL-Musicgroup, 2025)
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.